NASA Awards PlanetiQ Contract to Expand Access to Commercial Polarimetric GNSS Radio Occultation Satellite Data

Through NASA's Commercial Smallsat Data Acquisition Program, researchers will gain access to high-SNR GNSS polarimetric radio occultation (PRO) data for weather, precipitation, and Earth system science applications.

GOLDEN, Colo., June 24, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- PlanetiQ announced today that NASA has awarded the company an expanded contract through NASA's Commercial Smallsat Data Acquisition (CSDA) program, broadening access to commercial satellite data for the scientific community. This contract expands PlanetiQ's CSDA portfolio to add high-SNR GNSS polarimetric radio-occultation data to PlanetiQ's existing NASA CSDA offerings of ionospheric scintillation, ionospheric total electron content, and high-SNR GNSS radio-occultation data.

The expanded data offering will provide government researchers with access to advanced GNSS observations that can help improve the understanding of precipitation processes, atmospheric structure, and Earth system dynamics.

Polarized radio occultation (PRO) measurements have demonstrated the ability to characterize precipitation, detect rain and snowfall structure, identify melting layers, and observe variations in storm intensity. PlanetiQ uses a unique receiver to collect data with a high signal-to-noise ratio (SNR). High-SNR measurements are particularly important for precipitation applications because increased SNR improves sensitivity to lighter precipitation and certain cloud structures.

"By making polarized radio occultation data available through the CSDA program, NASA is enabling a broader research community to investigate new applications for these observations," said Dr. E. Robert Kursinski, Chief Scientist of PlanetiQ. "As more researchers gain access to high-SNR PRO data, we expect both the scientific understanding and the potential operational uses of the technology for precipitation and severe weather monitoring to expand."

According to NASA's press release, "Leveraging commercial data demonstrates NASA's commitment to strong public-private partnerships, allowing the agency to expand scientific insight while reducing costs and accelerating the delivery of data to researchers and decision-makers."

PlanetiQ's GNSS-PRO measurements are acquired using high-rate, high-SNR receivers that enhance the detection of precipitation signatures and cloud structures. In addition to supporting atmospheric science research, these measurements are critical for operational applications related to rainfall characterization, snowfall detection, storm monitoring, and weather forecasting.

Researchers interested in learning more about GNSS-PRO and precipitation sensing can watch PlanetiQ's recent webinar: https://planetiq.com/gnss-ro-precipitation-webinar/

Frequently Asked Questions

What can GNSS-RO data be used for?

GNSS radio occultation (GNSS-RO) data is primarily used to improve weather forecasting and climate research. Meteorological agencies such as NOAA and ECMWF assimilate GNSS-RO atmospheric profiles into numerical weather prediction (NWP) models to increase forecast accuracy and provide global observations from the surface to the stratosphere.

Beyond weather and climate applications, PlanetiQ is enabling additional uses for GNSS signals and radio frequency (RF) data. These applications include GNSS signals intelligence (SIGINT), RF environment characterization and mapping, ionospheric monitoring, and situational awareness of GNSS interference events such as jamming and spoofing. These capabilities support government, defense, and commercial users that rely on accurate positioning, navigation, timing (PNT), and spectrum awareness.

In summary, GNSS-RO data supports weather forecasting, climate science, space weather monitoring, GNSS signals intelligence, RF mapping, and the detection and monitoring of GNSS jamming and spoofing activity.

What is GNSS polarized radio occultation (GNSS-PRO)?

Polarized radio occultation (GNSS-PRO) is an extension of traditional GNSS radio occultation (GNSS-RO) that requires the receiving satellite to have specialized antennas. A right-hand circularly polarized signal transmitted by a GNSS satellite is received by PlanetiQ satellites using both horizontally and vertically polarized antennas. Because raindrops and snowflakes tend to have a flattened shape as they fall, the horizontally polarized subsignal encounters more material and is delayed slightly relative to the vertically polarized subsignal. By measuring the phase difference between the two signals, key information about precipitation can be derived.

These measurements can provide information about rain and snowfall structure, melting layers, horizontal precipitation bands, and variations in storm intensity.

In summary, GNSS-PRO is acquired by satellites with dual-polarization receivers and extends traditional GNSS-RO applications by using polarization measurements to characterize precipitation structure, snowfall, melting layers, and storm intensity.

How can I get GNSS-RO and GNSS-PRO data?

NASA allows NASA researchers, other U.S. government agencies, and international collaborators to apply for access to GNSS-RO and GNSS-PRO data through the Commercial Smallsat Data Acquisition (CSDA) program. Organizations and researchers that do not qualify for access through the CSDA program can contact PlanetiQ directly at [email protected] to learn more about obtaining data directly from the company.

In summary, qualified researchers can access GNSS-RO and GNSS-PRO data through NASA's CSDA program, while commercial and other users can obtain the data directly from PlanetiQ.

About PlanetiQ

PlanetiQ provides the highest-quality GNSS/GPS radio occultation (RO) data available from a commercial constellation of satellites, offering unmatched temporal and spatial resolution. The data drive accurate, high-impact weather and climate forecast models, helping improve Numerical Weather Prediction and AI forecasts, safeguard lives and property from severe weather. In 2025, PlanetiQ was awarded NOAA's largest-ever contract for satellite weather data, valued at $24.3 million. PlanetiQ is a space-tech company that serves the most mission-critical government, defense, and industry leaders, including international weather agencies, enabling more resilient operations across sectors. Founded in 2015 and privately owned, PlanetiQ designs, builds, and operates a commercial constellation of GNSS-RO satellites, setting the standard for precision and reliability in atmospheric monitoring. For more information, contact [email protected].

SOURCE PlanetiQ