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NOAA Boosts Weather Forecasts with Commercial Data
14 Aug
Summary
- NOAA contracts Spire Global and PlanetiQ for vital weather data.
- Contracts total over $6.4 million for enhanced forecasting.
- Data delivery supports improved terrestrial and space weather predictions.
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) is significantly bolstering its weather forecasting capabilities through new contracts awarded to Spire Global and PlanetiQ. These agreements aim to incorporate advanced commercial data, enhancing both terrestrial and space weather predictions.
Spire Global received a $3.7 million contract to supply 4,600 daily global navigation satellite system (GNSS) profiles and 1,200 temporal resolution enhancements. PlanetiQ was awarded a $2.7 million contract for 4,200 GNSS profiles and 500 total electron content tracks daily. These vital data streams will be provided from September 18 through December 1, 2026.
This initiative is part of NOAA's broader strategy to leverage commercial data, aiming to lower costs, drive innovation, and improve its forecasting and modeling services. The agency plans to establish a large-scale indefinite delivery, indefinite quantity (IDIQ) contract vehicle with a $2.35 billion ceiling over 10 years to further integrate commercial environmental monitoring data.
PlanetiQ recently completed testing of its next-generation GNOMES satellites, signaling readiness for enhanced atmospheric observation delivery. NOAA's use of this commercial data extends to NASA, the U.S. Air Force, and U.S. Navy, supporting numerical weather prediction and space weather applications.
