- NOAA awarded $46.5 million to Muon Space, Weather Stream and Spire Global
- The companies will develop, launch and operate microwave sounding instruments
- Microwave sounders collect atmospheric temperature, moisture and pressure data
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration has awarded $46.5 million to three companies to develop satellite instruments designed to provide atmospheric data for weather forecasting and extreme weather prediction, the agency announced Wednesday.
Which Companies Received NOAA Awards?
Muon Space received $11 million, Orbital Micro Systems, doing business as Weather Stream, received $7.5 million and Spire Global Subsidiary received $28 million under the Temperature and Moisture Advanced Technology Evolution project.
The 24-month effort, which began Aug. 25, is part of NOAA’s Near Earth Orbit Network Program. The companies will each develop, launch and operate a microwave sounding instrument, with NOAA able to purchase the resulting data commercially.
What Are Microwave Sounders?
Microwave sounders are satellite-based remote sensing tools designed to detect naturally occurring microwave emissions from molecules in the atmosphere. Data collected can be used to map atmospheric temperature, water vapor and pressure at different altitudes. Because microwave signals can pass through clouds, the instruments can gather observations when other sensors may be obstructed.
How Will NOAA Use Commercial Partnerships?
NOAA is using its other transaction authority to work with industry on developing future sources of weather data. The agency said the authority allows it to partner with companies to mature technology.
The agency has also been working to bring public and private data sources into its forecasting environment. In March, NOAA awarded contracts to develop cloud-based environments capable of integrating data from both government and commercial sources.
The microwave sounder awards are part of NOAA’s work to develop a low-Earth orbit satellite architecture that relies on commercial partners and more frequent launches of small- to medium-sized satellites. The approach is intended to create a more resilient constellation that can be deployed quickly for weather forecasting and disaster management.
The satellite effort adds to NOAA’s broader push to modernize its weather-forecasting infrastructure through commercial technology. In July, the agency began moving its Weather and Climate Operational Supercomputing System to commercial cloud infrastructure, with Google Cloud serving as the primary provider.
