NOAA Issues RFP for Ocean Surface Winds Data Pilot
On August 1, NOAA issued a Request for Proposals in support of a Commercial Weather Data Pilot (CWDP) study related to ocean surface winds (OSW). The study will assess the quality and impact of commercially available GNSS reflectometry (GNSS-R) data for the determination of OSW characteristics.
GNSS-R is a remote sensing technique that utilizes signals from positioning, navigation, and timing (PNT) service satellites, such as GPS and Galileo, to measure and study various properties of the Earth’s surface.
NOAA will use the CWDP study to pursue improvements to derived wind speed products previously developed by NOAA. NOAA will also investigate the utility of derived wind speed products developed by commercial vendors.
As an ancillary part of the pilot study, NOAA may 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.
Offers are due August 22, 2023.
This solicitation follows up on an RFI issued in July 2023.