PlanetiQ Secures $2.73 Million NOAA Contract for Weather Data

Under the terms of the deal, which runs from September 18 through December 1, 2026, PlanetiQ will deliver 4,200 GNSS Radio Occultation profiles and 500 Total Electron Content tracks daily. This information will be utilized by NOAA, NASA, the U.S. Air Force, and the U.S. Navy to enhance numerical weather prediction and space weather forecasting capabilities. The award functions as a temporary stopgap, bridging the agency’s current Radio Occultation Data Buy 2 program with the upcoming Space-Based Environmental Monitoring framework expected later this year.

Ira Scharf, CEO of PlanetiQ, noted that the company is preparing to launch a fleet of next-generation GNOMES satellites to bolster its data capacity. These satellites, equipped with proprietary Pyxis sensors, have completed manufacturing and testing phases. Once deployed, the constellation will provide the high-resolution observations required by global weather agencies, including the European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts and the UK Met Office. This contract follows a significant $24.3 million award granted to the firm in 2025, cementing its role in the U.S. government’s push to integrate commercial satellite data into core mission-critical operations.