GeoOptics

GeoOptics operates a constellation of nanosatellites that provide Earth remote sensing and weather data services. The company's primary technology, CICERO (Community Initiative for Cellular Earth Remote Observation), consists of satellites equipped with GNSS Radio Occultation (GNSS-RO) sensors that collect data for calculating temperature, pressure, and other atmospheric qualities. 

The first-generation CICERO satellites were 6U CubeSats carrying CION instruments that measure radio signals from GPS and Galileo satellites. In May 2022, GeoOptics launched its second-generation CICERO-2 satellites, which feature improved CION-2 instruments capable of measuring reflected signals from sea surfaces and offering polarimetric capabilities. These satellites produce atmospheric pressure, temperature, and moisture profiles, along with 3D maps of electron distribution in the ionosphere and information on ocean and ice properties.

The company planned  to deploy approximately 50 satellites over five years and has been developing a radar instrument to measure ocean winds and surface properties, which was expected to be ready for flight by late 2023.

Key customers and partnerships

GeoOptics announced an RO data testing program with EUMETSAT, the European operational satellite agency for monitoring weather, climate, and the environment during February 2022. In May 2022, the company launched its CICERO-2 constellation on SpaceX’s Transporter 5. These satellites were built and developed by Terran Orbital, a satellite solutions provider for Earth monitoring. In July 2022, GeoOptics collaborated with National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) to provide space-based weather data from its CICERO earth observation satellites.