NOAA's Commercial Data Program Status with Continuity Purchases

In 2016, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) National Environmental Satellite, Data, and Information Services (NESDIS) initiated the Commercial Weather Data Pilot (CWDP) to conduct demonstration projects of space-based commercial data that may meet NOAA mission needs at a lower cost than government owned satellites. NESDIS conducted two rounds of the CWDP to learn what industry had to offer and to guide efforts to mature our systems and data. Round 1 (2016-2017) concluded that the commercial sector was not yet ready to provide Radio Occultation (RO) data for NOAA’s operational needs but showed promise. Round 2 (2018-2020) concluded the commercial sector was ready to provide RO data to NOAA for operational use.

In 2020, NOAA/NESDIS initiated the Commercial Data Program (CDP). NESDIS issued its first indefinite delivery, indefinite quantity (IDIQ) contract and first delivery orders to procure operational commercial satellite weather data in November 2020 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 are competitively awarded primarily based on pricing, typically span six to ten months and are awarded to one or more vendors. These are awarded sequentially to maintain continuous operational data flow. Initially, the data in these delivery orders were limited only to the U.S. Government; however, have since evolved to unlimited distribution rights by the final delivery order in the first IDIQ. 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 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 this talk, we discuss results and lessons learned from the initial delivery orders in NOAA’s first-ever contract for operational satellite data-as-a-service and will provide updated information on the current status and future plans for continuous purchases of operational space-based environmental data under NOAA’s Commercial Data Program.