PlanetiQ is advancing global atmospheric monitoring and weather intelligence through the Global Navigation Satellite System Radio Occultation (GNSS-RO) technology, a space-based remote sensing capability designed to deliver highly accurate atmospheric measurements for weather forecasting, climate science and space weather applications. By combining advanced radio occultation sensors with a low Earth orbit satellite constellation, the company is providing meteorological organizations, research institutions and commercial users with atmospheric data used to improve predictive models and environmental monitoring. GNSS-RO has emerged as a satellite-based atmospheric sensing technique because it can deliver highly accurate global measurements under virtually all weather conditions. PlanetiQ has the technology development on expanding the availability, quality and frequency of GNSS-RO observations through advanced satellite sensors and constellation-based data collection capabilities.
At the core of PlanetiQ’s mission is GNSS Radio Occultation, commonly referred to as GNSS-RO, a proven atmospheric sensing technique that measures changes in satellite navigation signals as they pass through Earth’s atmosphere. The process begins with navigation satellites operating in medium Earth orbit, including systems such as GPS, GLONASS, Galileo and BeiDou. These satellites continuously transmit navigation signals toward Earth. As the signals travel through the atmosphere, variations in atmospheric density, temperature, pressure, humidity and ionospheric conditions cause the signals to bend and slow slightly. The low Earth orbit satellite equipped with a radio occultation receiver measures these changes in signal propagation. Although the bending itself cannot be directly observed, the receiver calculates the effects by measuring variations in signal arrival time and trajectory. These measurements allow scientists to derive highly accurate atmospheric profiles extending from near the Earth’s surface to the upper atmosphere. The resulting datasets provide valuable information about temperature, pressure, moisture content, atmospheric density and electron density. When collected at global scale, these observations become an important input for weather prediction, climate research and space weather monitoring. One of the primary advantages of GNSS-RO technology is the ability to provide global atmospheric coverage with consistent measurement quality. Unlike many observation systems that can be affected by cloud cover, precipitation or limited geographic reach, GNSS-RO measurements can penetrate clouds, storms and adverse weather conditions. This capability allows the technology to continue collecting data during severe weather events when accurate atmospheric information is most critical.
The technique also enables data collection over oceans, polar regions and remote areas where conventional atmospheric observations may be sparse. This broad coverage helps fill critical gaps in weather monitoring networks and improves the quality of global forecasting models. Because the measurements are based on precise physical interactions between navigation signals and the atmosphere, GNSS-RO observations are recognized for their accuracy, consistency and long-term stability. These characteristics make them valuable for operational forecasting, climate monitoring and atmospheric research applications. The atmospheric profiles generated through GNSS-RO observations play an important role in modern numerical weather prediction systems. Weather forecasting agencies incorporate these measurements into complex computer models that simulate atmospheric behavior and predict future weather conditions. Improved atmospheric observations lead directly to better model initialization, which can enhance forecast accuracy for daily weather, severe storms, hurricanes and heavy precipitation events. The technology is particularly valuable because it provides measurements throughout the atmosphere rather than observations limited to a single altitude or location. This vertical profiling capability allows meteorologists to better understand atmospheric structure and dynamics. Beyond operational forecasting, GNSS-RO data supports long-term climate monitoring by providing consistent and globally distributed atmospheric observations. Researchers use these datasets to study atmospheric trends, evaluate climate models and improve understanding of Earth's changing environment. The technology also contributes to space weather prediction through measurements of ionospheric electron density, which can influence satellite communications, navigation systems and other space-based infrastructure.
A significant advantage of GNSS-RO technology is the ability to leverage existing global navigation satellite constellations rather than requiring dedicated signal-transmitting spacecraft. By using navigation signals already being broadcast by GNSS systems, radio occultation missions can focus on deploying specialized receivers rather than building complete sensing architectures from scratch. This approach reduces infrastructure costs while enabling large-scale atmospheric monitoring. Independent assessments conducted by meteorological organizations such as the European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts (ECMWF) and the UK Met Office have consistently identified GNSS-RO as one of the most impactful categories of satellite-derived data for improving weather forecast accuracy. These findings have helped drive increased adoption of radio occultation data across operational forecasting agencies worldwide and have encouraged the development of commercial GNSS-RO providers such as PlanetiQ. The current global GNSS-RO landscape has historically been shaped by the COSMIC satellite missions, developed through cooperation between the United States and Taiwan. COSMIC-1, launched in 2006, played a significant role in demonstrating the value of radio occultation observations but has now exceeded its operational lifetime. COSMIC-2, launched in 2019, continues to provide observations but is primarily focused on equatorial regions rather than truly global coverage. As governmental programs have evolved, greater emphasis has been placed on incorporating commercially generated radio occultation data into operational forecasting systems. This shift has created opportunities for companies capable of delivering high-quality atmospheric observations at scale. PlanetiQ has emerged as one of the companies developing next-generation GNSS-RO capabilities designed to expand data availability and improve measurement performance. PlanetiQ has designed and launched multiple low Earth orbit satellites dedicated to radio occultation data collection. According to the company, five satellites have been launched to date, with three remaining operational in orbit. These spacecraft are designed to maximize atmospheric data collection while providing high temporal and spatial resolution. The constellation architecture enables frequent observations across a wide range of geographic regions, improving the density and availability of atmospheric profiles. Increased observation frequency is particularly valuable for rapidly evolving weather systems and dynamic atmospheric phenomena. By combining constellation-based operations with advanced sensor technology, PlanetiQ seeks to provide meteorological organizations with larger volumes of high-quality atmospheric measurements.
A central element of PlanetiQ’s technology portfolio is the Pyxis radio occultation sensor, the company’s fourth-generation GNSS-RO instrument. Built on technology heritage derived from NASA radio occultation programs, Pyxis has been designed to deliver improved performance while reducing size, mass and power requirements. The sensor represents a new generation of compact atmospheric sensing technology optimized for deployment on commercial satellite platforms. One of the most significant advantages of Pyxis is its ability to receive signals from all four major global navigation satellite constellations: GPS, GLONASS, Galileo, and BeiDou. By utilizing multiple navigation systems simultaneously, the sensor can significantly increase observation opportunities and data collection rates. The multi-constellation capability allows Pyxis to collect substantially more atmospheric profiles than earlier generations of radio occultation sensors while improving geographic coverage and revisit frequency. Another notable feature of the Pyxis sensor is its ability to routinely probe lower atmospheric layers where many severe weather phenomena originate. The lowest portions of the atmosphere often present the greatest measurement challenges for remote sensing systems, yet they are critically important for forecasting storms, heavy rainfall and other weather events. PlanetiQ’s sensor architecture has been optimized to improve data collection in these regions while maintaining measurement quality. The company states that Pyxis is capable of generating more than twice the data volume of many currently deployed compact GNSS-RO sensors while maintaining high signal quality. This increased observational capacity contributes to improved atmospheric coverage and enhanced forecasting support. The combination of high signal-to-noise performance, multi-constellation reception, and low-atmosphere sensitivity positions the sensor as a powerful tool for modern meteorological applications. Through the GNSS-RO constellation and Pyxis sensor technology, PlanetiQ is contributing to the expansion of commercial atmospheric sensing capabilities. By leveraging proven radio occultation techniques while introducing next-generation sensor performance, the company is helping increase the availability and quality of atmospheric measurements used by forecasting agencies, researchers and operational decision-makers worldwide. The continued growth of commercial GNSS-RO services is expected to play an increasingly important role in improving forecast accuracy, enhancing climate science and supporting a broader understanding of Earth’s atmosphere. Through the advanced sensing technologies and constellation architecture, PlanetiQ is positioned to contribute to this evolving field of space-based atmospheric intelligence.
About PlanetiQ
PlanetiQ is a space-based atmospheric data company headquartered in Colorado focused on delivering high-quality weather, climate and space weather observations through Global Navigation Satellite System Radio Occultation (GNSS-RO) technology. The company develops and operates low Earth orbit satellites equipped with advanced radio occultation sensors that collect atmospheric measurements used by meteorological agencies, research organizations and commercial customers worldwide. PlanetiQ's technology provides signals from multiple global navigation satellite constellations, including GPS, GLONASS, Galileo and BeiDou, to generate highly accurate atmospheric profiles of temperature, pressure, humidity and electron density. These observations support numerical weather prediction, climate monitoring, oceanic weather analysis, severe storm forecasting and space weather applications. The company's satellite constellation carries the fourth-generation Pyxis GNSS-RO sensor, a compact and low-power instrument built on NASA radio occultation heritage. Pyxis is designed to receive signals from all major GNSS constellations, enabling high data collection rates, improved spatial and temporal coverage and enhanced observations of lower atmospheric regions where significant weather activity occurs. Through the commercial GNSS-RO data services and advanced atmospheric sensing technologies, PlanetiQ supports efforts to improve forecast accuracy, expand global environmental monitoring and provide critical atmospheric intelligence for operational and scientific applications.
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