Traverse City-based ATLAS Space Operations has added five new ground stations to its growing global ground network.
The new antennas in New Zealand, Australia, Scotland, Alaska, and an upcoming commissioning in Dubai, UAE are expected to bolster global antenna coverage and establish new communications opportunities for the burgeoning satellite market.
“The new sites, and specifically our new partner site in Australia, represent exactly the kind of development that our clients are looking for,” says Sean McDaniel, CEO of Atlas. “It comes down to location and ability. Regarding location, we’re developing in the deserts of the Middle East all the way to the Arctic Circle, because we go where our clients need us to go.”
McDaniel says the site in Mingenew, Western Australia stands out to the Atlas team. A partner site with Capricorn Space, the Mingenew location is the first of its kind for Atlas, allowing both companies to provide network-level integration to their clients. Atlas’ schedule-to-schedule availability serves as a single access point to multiple networks.
“This accomplishment underscores an ambition that Atlas has long touted as critical in developing the next generation of satellite communications: one network that can interface with many others to achieve a high degree of reliability and flexibility through deep levels of integration,” McDaniel says.
For its clients, McDaniel says the new ground stations are seen as new opportunities. “More antennas means more contacts, and more contacts means lower latency, which provides robust performance for space-based mission sets. The result is data that travels more freely, and is more impactful than ever before.”
Atlas Space Operations is one of the fastest-growing teleport operators in the world according to the World Teleport Association’s Fast Ten, and was recognized as the 15th fastest-growing software company in the Inc. 5000, placing 102nd overall.
