PlanetiQ was founded to build, launch, and operate the first commercial constellation of HD GPS-RO weather satellites, with a full constellation representing 20 Low Earth Orbit (LEO) satellites.
Consistent with our mission to bring innovation to satellite weather observations, PlanetiQ’s satellites will carry the fourth-generation “Pyxis” radio occultation (RO) sensor. Pyxis builds on the heritage of the gold standard for RO sensors. The PlanetiQ team has developed and built the previous three generations of RO sensors proven on orbit, including 20 flight units for prior, current and upcoming satellite missions.
This state-of-the-art, next-generation RO sensor is smaller, lighter, and consumes less power than prior versions, but has nearly 3x the data collection capability since it will receive signals from all four major GNSS constellations (GPS, GLONASS, Galileo and Beidou). Pyxis is the only GPS-RO sensor in such a small package that is powerful enough to provide more than 10 times the amount of data available from GPS-RO sensors currently on orbit, and to routinely probe down into the lowest layers of the atmosphere where severe weather occurs.
Related: GPS-RO 101