ATLAS Space Operations in Traverse City, a leading provider of Ground Software as a Service for satellite communications, today announced it will be acquired by York Space Systems in Denver. Terms of the transaction were not disclosed.
York Space Systems is a leading defense technology company specializing in delivering integrated space-based solutions for national security and commercial missions.
The acquisition of ATLAS is pending FCC approval and other customary closing conditions.
Since its inception, ATLAS has garnered support from a group of investors, including Traverse City-based Boomerang Catapult and Northern Michigan Angels, Beringea in Farmington Hills, Michigan Capital Network, Wakestream Ventures, Midwest-focused Rise of the Rest, Chicago-based Vcapital, Tokyo-based Mitsui & Co., and Luxemburg based NewSpace Capital.
“This acquisition is a testament to the vision, innovation, and perseverance of the entire ATLAS team,” said Casey Cowell, chairman of ATLAS and principal of Boomerang Catapult. “We are proud of what we’ve built here in Traverse City and excited about this next chapter, which promises significant growth and opportunities for our community and stakeholders.”
ATLAS will continue to operate independently under its existing brand as a wholly owned subsidiary within the parent’s family of companies and will remain based in Traverse City, focused on growing local jobs and expanding its satellite ground communications solutions.
In Related News, last week ATLAS activated its latest antenna in Mwulire, Rwanda, a strategic addition to its global ground network.
The expansion significantly enhances COSMIC-2’s ability to collect and provide critical data to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) for global weather and space weather monitoring.
The Rwanda ground station receives data from six COSMIC-2 satellites, which continuously measure the Earth’s atmosphere and ionosphere using radio occultation. The data collected by these spacecraft are crucial for accurate weather and space weather forecasting.
Due to the dynamic nature of the atmosphere and ionosphere, rapid delivery of data to NOAA is paramount. ATLAS maintains a stringent requirement to deliver this data from its ground stations to NOAA in under 60 seconds.
This new site in Rwanda adds significant robustness to the ATLAS ground network, complementing existing ground stations in Ghana and Tahiti, also supporting the COSMIC-2 mission.
Rwanda’s unique geographic location offers an ideal number of contacts with the COSMIC-2 constellation, making it an exceptionally strategic asset for data reception. The addition of this site was requested by NOAA when it became available and ATLAS was able to offer this location through its strong partnership with the Rwanda Space Agency.
“The activation of our new antenna in Rwanda is a testament to the strength of our partnership with the Rwanda Space Agency and commitment to growing our network to best serve our customers,” says Corey Geer, CEO at ATLAS Space Operations.
“This strategic addition significantly enhances our ability to deliver critical COSMIC-2 data, ensuring that NOAA receives the vital information they need for accurate and timely atmospheric and ionospheric monitoring.”
ATLAS currently handles 3,000-plus satellite contacts per month across its network. Since July 2019 (as of May 31, 2025), ATLAS has successfully handled 156,653 contacts from NOAA satellites, maintaining a ground station availability of 99.36 percent.
Further, data has been delivered on average in under 40 seconds across all contacts, according to ATLAS.
For more information, visit atlasspace.com.
