PlanetiQ's Radio Occultation Data Rated "Best-in-Class" by NASA CSDA

Formal report expected in the coming months

GOLDEN, Colo., Jan. 27, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- PlanetiQ, an innovator in satellite weather data, announced today that NASA's Commercial Satellite Data Acquisition (CSDA) Program completed a one-year independent evaluation of PlanetiQ's radio occultation data, resulting in highly favorable findings. The assessment rated PlanetiQ's total electron content (TEC) precision as "best-in-class" and identified its very high signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) and deep penetration in the lower troposphere, which is critical for planetary boundary layer and super-refraction studies, as a "unique value proposition" offered exclusively by PlanetiQ. A formal NASA CSDA evaluation report is expected in the coming months.

The evaluation used industry-standard datasets for intercomparison, including COSMIC-2 and data from other commercial suppliers.

"This NASA CSDA evaluation validates what we have long understood that the quality and operational value of our radio occultation data are best-in-class," said Ira Scharf, chief executive officer of PlanetiQ. "The investigator teams also found our products to be reliable, well-documented, and superior to established benchmarks. As the administration considers options to expand the use of commercial satellite data, these findings position PlanetiQ to support operational needs from day one. We look forward to expanding how this data serves the weather and climate community."

NASA evaluated both PlanetiQ's lower atmosphere data, which are widely used in global numerical weather prediction models, and its ionosphere data supporting space weather applications. The evaluation confirmed that all key performance claims were met or exceeded. For space weather, the assessment found that PlanetiQ's data fills critical coverage gaps where COSMIC-2 observations are unavailable, supporting important national security missions such as the Golden Dome. The evaluation also concluded that, in ionospheric data assimilation experiments, PlanetiQ's data have a greater impact on model output than COSMIC-2 and commercial competitor datasets, driven by a higher number of measurements per satellite and lower data uncertainty.

NASA noted that PlanetiQ's high signal-to-noise ratio data penetrate deeply into the lower troposphere, enabling detailed characterization of the planetary boundary layer and atmospheric ducting. This capability is critically important in the Arctic, a contested region with significant national defense relevance. Historically, the Arctic has been difficult to observe from space, and PlanetiQ's radio occultation data profile the atmosphere much closer to the surface than other radio occultation missions, filling a critical observational gap.

A statement provided by NASA on the evaluation reads, "The NASA Commercial Satellite Data Acquisition Program has evaluated PlanetiQ GNSS-RO data for quality, utility for advancing Earth system science research and applications, accessibility, accuracy and completeness of metadata, and quality of user support services. The data evaluated included neutral atmosphere bending angle refractivity, neutral atmosphere calibrated phase and Signal-to-Noise Ratio (SNR), ionosphere calibrated carrier phase and SNR for scintillations, and ionosphere total electron count. Nine competitively selected PI-led teams from a range of government, academic, and commercial researchers reviewed the data. Overall, most of the evaluators found that PlanetiQ's data products are high quality, well documented, and broadly comparable to established benchmark missions for most science applications."

The evaluation also confirmed the exceptional accuracy of PlanetiQ's data, which significantly outperforms other commercial radio occultation datasets assessed by independent researchers. PlanetiQ's data are available to approved users through NASA CSDA at https://science.nasa.gov/earth-science/csda/.

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, and 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. 

SOURCE PlanetiQ