Journal profile · Geochemistry & Geophysics
Radio Science
ISSN 0048-6604 · eISSN 1944-799X · Wiley-Blackwell · UNITED STATES · Bimonthly · Founded 1966
Radio Science: CAS Zone 4 · Earth Sciences (2025 upgraded edition); impact factor 1.54; hybrid open access; APC about USD 3,700; median 185 days to acceptance (88 articles, last 24 months); community-reported acceptance: easy; 120 articles in 2025; indexed in SCIE and Scopus.
Scope
Aims, scope and focus
Radio Science is published by Wiley-Blackwell and is in Zone 4 of Earth Sciences in the CAS Journal Ranking (2025 upgraded edition). By OpenAlex counts of its recent articles, its largest topics are Ionosphere and magnetosphere dynamics, GNSS positioning and interference and Electromagnetic Scattering and Analysis, together about 34.1% of its articles. Its main subfields are Aerospace Engineering. (generated from OpenAlex topic counts and CAS ranking data)
Radio Science (RDS) publishes original research papers on electromagnetic propagation at radio frequencies from extremely low frequencies to tremendously high frequencies (3 Hz to 3 THz), and at visible light frequencies (430 THz to 790 THz) and its applications. Contributions may address propagation through, interaction with, and remote sensing of structures, geophysical media, plasmas, and materials, and applications to remote sensing of the Earth and extra-terrestrial signals. Contributions may cover measurement, modelling, prediction and forecasting techniques pertinent to fields and waves, antennas, signals, and systems both terrestrial and air/space-based; topics may include but are not limited to the following: Radio astronomy Remote sensing Radar including SuperDarn and incoherent radar Satellite communication Telecommunications across the electromagnetic spectrum Visible light communication Channel modelling Positioning, navigation, and timing Propagation in presence of artificial material and meta-surfaces Wireless power transfer On-body networks Electromagnetic compatibility Total Radiated Power (TRP) and Specific Absorption Rate (SAR) Quantum communication Technical papers disclosing new and significant research are also welcome. The technical content of papers must be both new and significant. Experimental data must be complete and include sufficient description of experimental apparatus, methods, and relevant experimental conditions. The journal does not publish papers on the geophysics of space plasmas, which are better suited for publication in JGR: Space Physics. Publication fees: Requests for waivers are considered by AGU and the editors. Send your request in an email to the journal or in your cover letter. Many institutions cover completely or offer discounts on open-access author publishing charges (APC) in AGU journals. Published by AGU. Cosponsored by International Union of Radio Science. AGU Publications Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Accessibility StatementAs an organization that serves a global community of Earth and space scientists, AGU is committed to promoting diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility (DEIA). Following AGU's Diversity and Inclusion Strategic Plan, AGU Publications is implementing changes to foster a more equitable and inclusive scientific publishing environment. This includes proactively working to eliminate the influence of bias in peer review, improving diversity and inclusion within our editorial te
From the journal's Aims & Scope
Research area (LetPub): Geochemistry & Geophysics
Editorial board by country: 2 in mainland China (about 25%); most named Mainland China 2, United States 2, United Kingdom 1, Japan 1, Italy 1 (8 members with a country) Editorial board ↗Publisher website ·
Main research topics OpenAlex counts of recent articles; shares are approximate
- Ionosphere and magnetosphere dynamicsPhysics and Astronomy18.7%
- GNSS positioning and interferenceEngineering8.6%
- Electromagnetic Scattering and AnalysisPhysics and Astronomy6.8%
- Earthquake Detection and AnalysisEarth and Planetary Sciences6.4%
- Solar and Space Plasma DynamicsPhysics and Astronomy5%
- Radio Wave Propagation StudiesEngineering4.4%
- Precipitation Measurement and AnalysisEarth and Planetary Sciences4.1%
- Geophysics and Gravity MeasurementsEarth and Planetary Sciences3.6%
Rankings & indexing
CAS ranking and database indexing
CAS Journal Ranking
CAS Journal Ranking, upgraded edition (March 2025)Earth Sciences Zone 4
| Level | Category | Zone |
|---|---|---|
| Major | Earth Sciences | Zone 4 |
| Minor | Astronomy & Astrophysics | Zone 3 |
| Minor | Geochemistry & Geophysics | Zone 4 |
| Minor | Meteorology & Atmospheric Sciences | Zone 4 |
| Minor | Remote Sensing | Zone 4 |
| Minor | Telecommunications | Zone 4 |
Top journal: noReview journal: no
CAS Xinrui Journal Ranking (March 2026)Earth Sciences Zone 4
| Level | Category | Zone |
|---|---|---|
| Major | Earth Sciences | Zone 4 |
| Minor | Astronomy & Astrophysics | Zone 3 |
| Minor | Geochemistry & Geophysics | Zone 4 |
| Minor | Meteorology & Atmospheric Sciences | Zone 4 |
| Minor | Remote Sensing | Zone 4 |
| Minor | Telecommunications | Zone 4 |
Top journal: noReview journal: not marked
CAS Journal Ranking, previous upgraded edition (December 2023)Earth Sciences Zone 4
| Level | Category | Zone |
|---|---|---|
| Major | Earth Sciences | Zone 4 |
| Minor | Astronomy & Astrophysics | Zone 3 |
| Minor | Geochemistry & Geophysics | Zone 4 |
| Minor | Meteorology & Atmospheric Sciences | Zone 4 |
| Minor | Remote Sensing | Zone 4 |
| Minor | Telecommunications | Zone 4 |
Top journal: noReview journal: no
Database indexing
SCIEScopusLetPub
International journal early-warning lists: not listed in any editionLetPub
Indexing the journal's website claims
EI CompendexWeb of ScienceINSPECGeoRefCurrent ContentsPublisher website
Other: EBSCO, ProQuest
As the journal's website lists them, not checked against each database; for Web of Science editions the records above apply.
Editions, and major and minor categories, are shown separately and never merged into one zone; check which edition your institution uses before you submit or report.
Metrics
Impact metrics and publication volume
Impact
- Impact factor
- 1.54LetPub ·
- Impact factor (publisher)
- 1.6Publisher website ·
- Impact factor (publisher) 2025
- 1.6Publisher website ·
- CiteScore 2026-06
- 3.1LetPub ·
- CiteScore (publisher)
- 3.1Publisher website ·
- CiteScore (publisher) 2025
- 3.1Publisher website ·
- SJR 2026-06
- 0.37LetPub ·
- SNIP 2026-06
- 0.77LetPub ·
- h-index
- 73LetPub ·
- h-index
- 153OpenAlex ·
- i10-index
- 4,072OpenAlex ·
- 2-year mean citedness
- 1.52OpenAlex ·
- Self-citation rate
- 6.2%LetPub ·
- Share of gold OA articles
- 29.5%LetPub ·
Volume
- Articles per year
- 94LetPub ·
- Articles per year (publisher) 2025
- 96Publisher website ·
- Downloads per year (publisher) 2025
- 418,888Publisher website ·
Articles by year OpenAlex count · 8,729 in total · the current year is incomplete
| Year | Articles | Open access | Citations |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 102 | 41 | 11 |
| 2025 | 120 | 64 | 218 |
| 2024 | 109 | 56 | 273 |
| 2023 | 105 | 75 | 467 |
| 2022 | 128 | 42 | 811 |
| 2021 | 122 | 39 | 1,003 |
Sources count differently and were observed at different times, so each source's own value is kept; "publisher" marks figures from the journal's website.
Review & acceptance
Review time and acceptance
Review time from article dates manuscript dates registered with Crossref · to
185 daysMedian, submission to acceptance · P25–P75 130 days – 250 days
- Acceptance to online
- median 18 days (88 articles)
- Submission to online
- median 215 days
- Sample
- 88 articles with submission and acceptance dates (234 in the window); the latest was accepted on
Only articles that were accepted and published are counted, not the time spent on rejected manuscripts, so this usually runs longer than a publisher's "time to first decision".
Other sources
- Average review time (community reports)
- 4–8 weeksLetPub ·
- Average acceptance (community reports)
- EasyLetPub ·
- Acceptance rate (publisher)
- 39%Publisher website ·
- Acceptance rate (publisher) 2025
- 39%Publisher website ·
- Submission to first decision
- 65 daysPublisher website ·
- Submission to first decision 2025
- 65 daysPublisher website ·
- Submission to acceptance 2025
- 175 daysPublisher website ·
- Acceptance to publication 2025
- 16 daysPublisher website ·
Community reports come from authors' own submissions (confidence 0.5) and are not a promise from the journal; for publisher figures, the journal's own definitions apply.
Fees & open access
APC and open-access policy
Hybrid open accessLetPub
A subscription journal in which authors can pay to publish their article open access.
| Source | APC | Fee waiver | License | Observed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| OpenAlex | USD 3,700 / EUR 3,170 / GBP 2,640 | — | — |
A hybrid journal charges the APC only when the author chooses open access; publishing under the subscription model is usually free.
The journal's website is authoritative for fees; sources were observed at different times and each keeps its own value, without averaging.
Profile
Publication details and official links
- Publisher
- Wiley-Blackwell
- Country or region
- UNITED STATES
- Language
- English
- Frequency
- Bimonthly
- Founded
- 1966
- ISSN
- 0048-6604
- Electronic ISSN
- 1944-799X
- Latest issue on the website
- Volume 61, Issue 9 (September 2026)
- Official links
- Journal homepage ↗OpenAlex
- Submission system ↗LetPub
- Special issues ↗Publisher website
FAQ
Frequently asked questions about Radio Science
What CAS zone is Radio Science in?
In the 2025 upgraded edition of the CAS Journal Ranking, Radio Science is in Zone 4 of Earth Sciences, and in Zone 3 of the minor category Astronomy & Astrophysics / Geochemistry & Geophysics / Meteorology & Atmospheric Sciences / Remote Sensing / Telecommunications. In the 2026 Xinrui edition it is in Zone 4 of Earth Sciences. Zones from different editions, and from major and minor categories, are not interchangeable.
What is the impact factor of Radio Science?
The latest impact factor listed by LetPub is 1.54; CiteScore 3.1, h-index 153.
How long does peer review take at Radio Science?
Based on the dates recorded on 88 articles published between October 2024 and October 2026 (the last 24 months), the median time from submission to acceptance is 185 days (interquartile range 130–250 days); authors report an average review time of 4–8 weeks; the community-reported acceptance is “Easy”; the journal's website gives an acceptance rate of 39% (2025). Article statistics cover accepted papers only, publisher figures follow the journal's own definitions, and community reports come from authors' own submissions; none is a promise from the journal.
Where are the editorial board members of Radio Science based?
Of the 8 board members whose country the journal's board page names, 2 (about 25%) are in mainland China; the countries named most often are Mainland China (2), United States (2) and United Kingdom (1). Counted from the institutions listed on the board page; for reference only.
Which databases index Radio Science?
According to LetPub and DOAJ records, Radio Science is indexed in SCIE and Scopus. The journal's website also lists EI Compendex, Web of Science, INSPEC, GeoRef and Current Contents; that list has not been checked against each database.
Is Radio Science open access, and what is the APC?
Radio Science is a hybrid journal. For open-access publication: APC about USD 3,700.
Sources and updates
The facts on this page come from LetPub, Publisher website, OpenAlex; every figure is tagged with its source and the date it was observed, and conflicting values are kept per source. LetPub source page: view ↗ (archived 2026-08-26). Last updated: .