NASA Awards PlanetiQ $3.3 Million to Deliver GNSS-PRO and Ionospheric Data Under CSDA Program

GOLDEN, Colo. — PlanetiQ announced today that NASA has issued a $3.3 million task order to supply GNSS Polarimetric Radio Occultation (GNSS-PRO) data and ionospheric Total Electron Content (TEC) measurements through NASA’s Commercial Satellite Data Acquisition (CSDA) program. The award follows NASA’s June 2026 decision designating PlanetiQ as a CSDA On-Ramp 2 task order holder to provide GNSS-PRO data, expanding the agency’s access to high-SNR observations of precipitation and the ionosphere.

Extending GNSS Radio Occultation to Precipitation PlanetiQ’s latest capability, GNSS-PRO, represents an evolution of traditional GNSS radio occultation by leveraging dual-polarization measurements. This approach captures both horizontal and vertical components of GNSS signals as they traverse Earth’s atmosphere, enabling detailed profiles of atmospheric properties and, crucially, enhanced insight into precipitation along the signal path. According to Dr. E. Robert Kursinski, PlanetiQ’s Chief Scientist, GNSS-PRO offers a new observational modality for atmospheric science and water cycle studies, with the potential to quantify rain and snowfall with high vertical resolution. The NASA CSDA award provides researchers with globally distributed GNSS-PRO observations that can be transformed into advanced applications for weather monitoring, climate research, and predictive modeling.

Observing the Ionosphere In addition to precipitable data, PlanetiQ’s ionospheric TEC measurements map the total electron content along the path between a GNSS satellite and PlanetiQ receivers. TEC information helps characterize ionospheric conditions and disturbances tied to space weather, which can influence GNSS signals, communications networks, and other space- and ground-based systems. The integration of TEC data with GNSS-PRO observations aims to support more accurate assessments of ionospheric dynamics and their impact on navigation and communication infrastructure. About PlanetiQ PlanetiQ delivers the highest-quality commercial GNSS radio occultation data, drawing from a global constellation designed to maximize temporal and spatial resolution.

The company’s datasets underpin numerical weather prediction and climate forecasting improvements, and they support AI-driven weather services that protect lives and property from severe weather. Founded in 2015 and privately held, PlanetiQ designs, builds, and operates a leading constellation of GNSS-RO satellites and serves governments, defense, and industry clients worldwide. For more information, visit PlanetiQ’s website.