NOAA's Commercial Data Program Overview and Status

In 2020, NOAA’s NESDIS Commercial Data Program (CDP) issued its first indefinite delivery, indefinite quantity (IDIQ) contract and first delivery orders to procure operational Radio Occultation (RO) commercial satellite weather data to GeoOptics, Inc. and Spire Global, Inc, making them eligible to compete for delivery orders for a specified duration, quantity of data, and license. These contract awardees provided satellite-based RO atmospheric profile measurements for numerical weather prediction (NWP) and space weather applications. Delivery orders were competed primarily based on pricing, typically spanned six to ten months and were awarded to one or more vendors. These were awarded sequentially to maintain continuous operational data flow. The first IDIQ concluded in July 2023 with five total delivery orders awarded.

In March 2023, NESDIS awarded a second IDIQ for five years to Spire Global, Inc. and Space Sciences and Engineering LLC, dba PlanetiQ. The first operational delivery order, awarded to PlanetiQ, commenced at the conclusion of the final delivery order in the previous IDIQ contract. This continuity ensures uninterrupted flow of RO data to the operational weather and space services with unlimited distribution rights. This second IDIQ allows for the potential on-ramping of new vendors annually. In addition to procuring RO neutral atmosphere data for weather forecasts, this IDIQ provides options to procure ionospheric data for space weather applications and/or neutral atmospheric data from targeted geographical regions and/or with specialized data characteristics.

In addition to CDP’s continuous operational data flow contracts, the CDP continues to explore Commercial Weather Data Pilots that meet NOAA's observational requirements and inform NOAA’s process for ingesting, evaluating, and utilizing commercial data in the future. In 2022, the CDP initiated the Space Weather Data Pilot in response to Congress enacting the Promoting Research and Observations of Space Weather to Improve the Forecasting of Tomorrow (PROSWIFT) Act, which sets forth provisions to improve the Nation’s ability to forecast and mitigate effects of space weather. PROSWIFT authorizes NOAA to engage the commercial sector specifically to provide space weather data meeting NOAA’s standards.

During the recently-concluded Space Weather Data Pilot, PlanetiQ and Spire Global provided six months of near real-time RO measurements of the ionosphere from Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) receivers. Two specific categories of data products were derived and examined in this pilot: total electron content (TEC) measurements and high-rate scintillation measurements during periods of increased ionospheric activity. These products help provide insight into near-real-time space weather conditions that impact a wide range of activities, including aviation, satellite operations, navigation, and communications.

CDP has recently awarded a commercial data pilot for Ocean Surface Winds (OSW) to Spire Global. In this pilot, NOAA will assess the quality and impact of available commercial Global Navigation Satellite System-Reflectometry (GNSS-R) observations for the determination of ocean surface wind characteristics. NOAA will use pilot data to conduct studies to improve upon derived wind speed products previously developed by NOAA and will investigate the utility of derived wind speed products developed by commercial vendors. As an ancillary part of the pilot, NOAA may also assess the quality and impact of commercial GNSS-R observations for additional environmental measurements including but not limited to: land surface flooding inundation, freeze/thaw events, sea ice, and soil moisture.

In this talk, we will provide updated information on the current status and future plans for commercial weather data pilot projects and continuous purchases of operational space-based environmental data under NOAA’s Commercial Data Program. In addition, we will discuss the Space Weather Data Pilot evaluation results of both the total electron content and scintillation measurements and future plans in operationalizing this data with an eye toward potential commercial data purchases by the CDP to support NOAA’s operational space weather forecasting and nowcasting endeavors. Finally, we will discuss Ocean Surface Wind Pilot expectations, progress, and lessons learned to-date from the initial delivery order.