Spire Global, a global provider of space-based data, analytics and space services, has been awarded $9.4 million by the National Oceanographic and Oceanic Administration to provide radio occultation  data for an 8-month period. The award is part of an Indefinite Delivery Indefinite Quantity  contract for NOAA’s Commercial Weather Data Program’s Radio Occultation Data Buy II.

The near-real-time RO data provided by Spire will be used for NOAA’s operational weather forecasts, space weather models and climate research, among other applications. The Company’s RO data consists of vertical profiles of atmospheric measurements, including pressure, humidity and temperature across all points of the globe.

“The increasing pace of extreme weather events is causing significant harm – impacting individuals, communities, businesses, and the economy at large,” said Chuck Cash, vice president of federal sales, Spire. “Through our long-standing relationship with NOAA, we are using space-based radio occultation measurements to address the critical need for accurate weather forecasts globally and help the world better prepare for and mitigate the impacts of extreme weather.”

Spire has provided data to the agency since 2016. Most recently, the Company was awarded a $2.8 million contract by NOAA in September to provide data on ocean surface wind speeds.