New satellite-based sensors deliver unprecedented weather forecasts

The satellite developer PlanetiQ introduced its new GPS technology called Pyxis which will make predictions better than before. The satellite-based weather instrument includes sensors that are designed to penetrate storm clouds and generate data that will significantly improve weather forecasting.

Pyxis will monitor GPS signals in the atmosphere and then translate them in precise measurements of global temperature, pressure and weather vapor. With this mode of operation the new instrument may also improve climate monitoring, and does it all at less cost than existing satellite weather systems, as PlanetiQ announced.

According to the satellite developer, Pyxis will be incorporated into what it called its "microsatellite constellation" of 12 satellites, which will launch in 2016 and 2017 and eventually produce more than 8 million daily observations of temperature, pressure, and water vapor. That would be more than ten times the weather data currently being produced by GPS-RO sensors, which has the highest impact on accuracy of weather forecasts for things like hurricanes, severe storms, and winter storms.