ATLAS Space Operations
ATLAS Space Operations provides Ground Software as a Service (GSaaS) via its patented Freedom® platform, connecting commercial and government satellite operators to 50+ antennas across 34+ sites in 20+ countries for U.S. national security and commercial constellation customers.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2015
- HeadquartersTraverse City, United States
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingSoftware
What ATLAS Space Operations does
ATLAS Space Operations is a U.S.-headquartered Ground Software as a Service (GSaaS) provider founded in 2015 in Traverse City, Michigan, that connects commercial and government satellite operators to a federated global ground network through its patented Freedom® software platform. The platform exposes a cloud-native, API-driven interface that abstracts 50+ antennas across 34+ ground sites in 20+ countries, including direct integrations with AWS Ground Station and Viasat Real-Time Earth, and supports 3,000+ satellite contacts per month under 24/7/365 NOC operations. Customer segments span U.S. national security (DoD, Intelligence Community, NOAA, U.S. Army SMDC), civil, and commercial operators including Capella Space, HawkEye 360, Astroscale, ABL Space Systems, Sidus Space, NanoRacks, and Viasat.
ATLAS monetizes via per-pass and managed-service contracts priced against contact volume, priority, and frequency band, with a federal go-to-market executed through its wholly-owned subsidiary Freedom Space Technologies (operating as ATLAS Federal) following FedRAMP authorization and NIST 800-171 certification. The Freedom platform embeds ML-driven scheduling, anomaly detection on pass validation, and predictive analytics over a 2B+ data point telemetry corpus (Freedom INSIGHT). ATLAS has raised approximately $52 million across seed, Series A, a $26 million Series B (Mitsui & Co., May 2022), and a $15 million growth round (NewSpace Capital, September 2024); in July 2025 the company announced a definitive agreement to be acquired by the parent company of York Space Systems, positioning ATLAS within a vertically integrated national security space prime.
ATLAS Space Operations firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- ATLAS Space Operations
- Legal name
- ATLAS Space Operations, Inc.
- Website
- https://atlasspace.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2015
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- ATLAS Space Operations provides Ground Software as a Service (GSaaS) via its patented Freedom® platform, connecting commercial and government satellite operators to 50+ antennas across 34+ sites in 20+ countries for U.S. national security and commercial constellation customers.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
ATLAS Space Operations industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Ground Software as a Service (GSaaS) for Satellite Communications
- NAICS
- Satellite Telecommunications (5174), Satellite Telecommunications (51741), Satellite Telecommunications (517410)
- SIC
- Services-Computer Programming, Data Processing, Etc. (7370), Services-Facilities Support Management Services (8744)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Satellite Ground Segment & Gateway Services (Teleports, Gateways, Ground Station-as-a-Service) (HDAIAJAH)
- akta.pro secondary industry
- Satellite Network Operations & Capacity Services (NOC, Capacity Leasing, Managed Payload Services) (HDAIAJAI)
Keywords
Where ATLAS Space Operations is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Traverse City
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices2 records
Markets served
ATLAS Space Operations business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Software
- Cost components
- Technology or R&D, Infrastructure, Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Operations
Revenue model
- Ground Software as a Service (GSaaS) - Managed Network Services: Subscription-based managed network services providing secure space access through federated global antenna network. Customers pay for access to ground network infrastructure managed via Freedom software platform.
- Launch & Early Orbit Phase (LEOP) Services: Mission-critical launch support services including pre-launch rehearsals, rapid anomaly response, priority scheduling, and 24/7 monitoring during critical mission phases.
- Mission Integration Services: ATLAS in a Box (AIB) hardware and integration services for RF compatibility testing, mission assurance, API compatibility validation, and concierge installation support.
Go-to-market motion3 records
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels5 records
ATLAS Space Operations product offering
Product offeringCore offering
ATLAS Space Operations provides Ground Software as a Service (GSaaS) for satellite communications through its patented Freedom® software platform, which offers single API access to a federated global ground network of 50+ antennas across 34+ ground stations in 20+ countries. The company delivers managed network services, Launch and Early Orbit Phase (LEOP) mission support, mission integration, and secure data delivery for commercial, civil, and federal/defense satellite operators.
Product overview
ATLAS Space Operations offers a unified Ground Software as a Service (GSaaS) platform called Freedom, which provides spacecraft operators with single API access to a global federated ground network of 50+ antennas across 34+ ground stations in 20+ countries. The core Freedom GSaaS platform integrates with AWS Ground Station and Viasat Real-Time Earth, plus numerous third-party antenna systems and modems. The product portfolio includes: Freedom GSaaS (core cloud-native software platform with ML-powered scheduling, automated pass validation, and step-by-step Copilot onboarding); the Federated Global Ground Network (antenna infrastructure across all latitudes supporting S/X/Ka/UHF bands for LEO/MEO/GEO/lunar orbits); LEOP (launch and early orbit phase mission support); ATLAS Federal (DoD/IC sub-brand); and specialized modules including Freedom INSIGHT (analytics), Flex Scheduler (ML-powered scheduling), Copilot (onboarding wizard), ATLAS in a Box (hardware testing package), and D3 (secure data delivery). The company also provides sector-specific solutions for Commercial, Civil, and Federal markets.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- Freedom®: Ground Software as a Service (GSaaS) platform providing cloud-native connectivity, global antenna access, real-time tasking, and streamlined data handling.
- Freedom Space Technologies
Products and services
- Freedom Ground Software as a Service (GSaaS) ATLAS's flagship cloud-native software platform providing a single API access point to a global federated network of 50+ antennas across 34+ ground stations in 20+ countries. Freedom enables spacecraft operators to command and control satellites through any ground station without building custom integrations, featuring automated pass validation, ML-powered scheduling, real-time metrics streaming, and step-by-step onboarding via Copilot.
- Federated Global Ground Network Network-of-networks infrastructure combining ATLAS-owned antennas with AWS Ground Station, Viasat Real-Time Earth, and third-party partner ground stations. Supports S-Band, X-Band, Ka-Band, and UHF frequencies across LEO, MEO, GEO, and lunar orbits. Provides telemetry, tracking, and command (TT&C) services with single API access through the Freedom platform.
- Launch & Early Orbit Phase (LEOP) Services Mission-critical support service for satellite launch and early orbit phase, providing rapid anomaly response, surge monitoring by human engineers, and prioritized task scheduling. Includes pre-launch rehearsals, TLE simulation, 24/7 support, and global ground station coverage across 50+ antennas in 20+ countries.
- ATLAS Federal Division operating under the Freedom Space Technologies subsidiary, serving U.S. Department of Defense and Intelligence Community with secure, reliable access to the federated global ground network. Provides Space Domain Awareness, Mission Support Services, Test & Training environments, and Software & Engineering Services aligned with DoD's hybrid space architecture requirements, with DFARS/NIST 800-171, NIST 800-53, FedRAMP Moderate, and ITAR compliance readiness.
- ATLAS in a Box (AIB) Pre-configured hardware and software package shipped to customer facilities for end-to-end RF compatibility testing and mission assurance. Includes gold-standard 'test-like-you-fly' validation using real baseband equipment and RF chain, with concierge installation support from ATLAS RF engineers.
- Data Download & Dissemination (D3) Secure data delivery service featuring single-tenancy isolation by AWS account, double encryption at rest and in transit (FIPS 140-2 compliant), and easy access via Freedom UI to encrypted S3 buckets for pass data files.
Quantifiable outcome
- Reduce latency from 90 minutes to 20-40 minutes for time-sensitive satellite data
- +3 more outcomes
Companies that use ATLAS Space Operations
Customer profileNamed customers10 records
Segments4 records
Ideal customer profiles4 records
ATLAS Space Operations technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- Yes
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Integration31 records
AI capability4 records
Feature7 records
ATLAS Space Operations partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Seven partnerships are on record, tiered core, major and supporting.
- Port Administration of American SamoacorePartnership to host advanced satellite tracking antenna systems at Tafuna airport facility. Establishes American Samoa as critical hub for South Pacific satellite ground-station services, supporting NOAA and military clients.
- NorthBasecoreFinnish NewSpace company partnership adding NorthBase Muonio site to ATLAS Freedom network. 3.9 meter S/X band antenna at 68 degrees northern latitude in Finnish Lapland complements ATLAS's Utqiagvik Alaska site for enhanced polar orbit coverage.
- York Space Systems (Parent Company Acquisition)majorYork Space Systems' parent company agreed to acquire ATLAS Space Operations in July 2025. Acquisition pending FCC approval. Will enhance York's Golden Dome architecture and space-to-ground capabilities while ATLAS maintains operations and brand as wholly owned subsidiary.
- HawkEye 360coreStrategic partnership integrating ATLAS ground stations in Mingenew, Australia and Awarua, New Zealand into HawkEye 360's RF monitoring network. Enables gigabit-per-second X-band modem capability for mid-latitude satellite operations, quadrupling delivery speed of actionable insights.
- American Samoa Telecommunications Authority (ASTCA)supportingProvides fiber-optic data services for ATLAS satellite ground station project in American Samoa, supporting construction and data connectivity.
- Amazon Web Services (AWS) Ground StationcoreIntegration of AWS Ground Station into ATLAS federated network, enabling customers single API access to AWS ground infrastructure alongside ATLAS antennas.
- Viasat Real-Time EarthcoreIntegration of Viasat Real-Time Earth infrastructure into ATLAS federated network for LEO mission ground support, part of NASA Near Space Network contract.
Scale indicators10 records
Recent moves7 records
Expansion highlights6 records
ATLAS Space Operations competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Kongsberg Satellite Services (KSAT): KSAT operates one of the world's largest commercial ground station networks with strong polar coverage, providing TT&C and data downlink services to government and commercial satellite operators. It is the most direct established GSaaS peer to ATLAS, competing for the same LEO/EO customer base with global antenna infrastructure.
- Swedish Space Corporation (SSC): SSC (which absorbed Universal Space Network, where ATLAS advisor John Williams previously worked) provides global ground station services, satellite operations, and launch support. It directly competes with ATLAS in commercial and government TT&C and is a leading incumbent in the GSaaS market.
Emerging players
- Leaf Space: Italian GSaaS startup operating a distributed global ground station network with API-driven access for LEO operators. It is a direct emerging competitor targeting the same single-integration, multi-site value proposition that defines ATLAS's Freedom platform.
- Infostellar: Japanese GSaaS startup offering "Stellarstation," a shared antenna network with cloud-based antenna sharing and time-based billing. It is a direct emerging competitor in the API-first ground station services market, with comparable software-led differentiation.
- RBC Signals: RBC Signals provides global ground station services with a focus on real-time data delivery and a shared, software-defined antenna network. It competes with ATLAS for LEO and EO commercial operators, emphasizing flexible access models similar to Freedom.
Broad incumbents
- AWS Ground Station: Amazon's managed ground station service is integrated into ATLAS's federated network but also stands as a broad incumbent competitor with unmatched cloud ecosystem lock-in. Customers with existing AWS workloads face strong gravitational pull toward AWS Ground Station, creating a dual partner/competitor dynamic.
- Viasat Real-Time Earth: Viasat's Real-Time Earth business provides global ground station services as part of NASA's Near Space Network contract. It is both an ATLAS federation partner and a broad incumbent competitor with deep government relationships and parent-level scale advantages.
- GMV: GMV is a global space systems provider offering satellite ground systems, mission control software, and operations services. It competes broadly with ATLAS in satellite operations software (its SmartCS product is a peer to Freedom) and serves overlapping institutional and commercial customers.
- Kratos Defense & Security Solutions: Kratos provides ground station signal processing systems (including RT Logic Quantum Series modems that ATLAS integrates with), as well as broader defense space products. It is a broad incumbent with overlapping ground infrastructure capabilities and significant DoD footprint.
- Parsons Corporation: Parsons is a federal integrator with significant space and ground systems work for DoD/IC, overlapping with ATLAS Federal in mission support and space domain awareness services. It represents the broader federal-contractor competition ATLAS Federal increasingly faces.
Market position
Strengths4 records
Weaknesses4 records
Competitive moat6 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
ATLAS Space Operations social profiles
Digital presenceATLAS Space Operations compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance5 records
ATLAS Space Operations financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
ATLAS Space Operations leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles8 records
ATLAS Space Operations subsidiaries and ownership
Company hierarchySubsidiaries1 record
ATLAS Space Operations funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds6 records
Investors15 records
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
ATLAS Space Operations M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about ATLAS Space Operations
What does ATLAS Space Operations do?
ATLAS Space Operations provides Ground Software as a Service (GSaaS) for satellite communications through its patented Freedom® software platform, which offers single API access to a federated global ground network of 50+ antennas across 34+ ground stations in 20+ countries. The company delivers managed network services, Launch and Early Orbit Phase (LEOP) mission support, mission integration, and secure data delivery for commercial, civil, and federal/defense satellite operators.
Is ATLAS Space Operations a public or private company?
ATLAS Space Operations is a private company. It is classified as venture growth investor backed and is currently operating.
When was ATLAS Space Operations founded?
ATLAS Space Operations was founded in 2015. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is ATLAS Space Operations based?
ATLAS Space Operations is headquartered in Traverse City, United States, in the North America region.
How does ATLAS Space Operations make money?
Three revenue lines are on record. Ground Software as a Service (GSaaS) - Managed Network Services are the primary driver. The others are launch & Early Orbit Phase (LEOP) Services and mission Integration Services.
Who are ATLAS Space Operations's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Kongsberg Satellite Services (KSAT) and Swedish Space Corporation (SSC). Emerging players are Leaf Space, Infostellar and RBC Signals. Broad incumbents are AWS Ground Station, Viasat Real-Time Earth, GMV, Kratos Defense & Security Solutions and Parsons Corporation.
Does ATLAS Space Operations have an API?
Yes. ATLAS provides a public API that enables developers to access its global federated ground network. Key API capabilities include: FreeTime API for discovering free or unused time on antennas; Visibilities API for calculating contact windows and verifying no conflicts with other customers; and a single streaming entry point (One IP, One Port) for TT&C access across ATLAS, AWS, Viasat, and third-party ground sites. The API supports integrate-once access to the entire network, enabling customers to add new locations with zero configuration. The Freedom Pass Server provides single TT&C access across all ground station providers. Developer documentation is at freedom.atlasground.com.
What industry is ATLAS Space Operations in?
ATLAS Space Operations's product category is Ground Software as a Service (GSaaS) for Satellite Communications. Its primary akta.pro industry code is HDAIAJAH, Satellite Ground Segment & Gateway Services (Teleports, Gateways, Ground Station-as-a-Service), with a secondary code of HDAIAJAI, Satellite Network Operations & Capacity Services (NOC, Capacity Leasing, Managed Payload Services). Its NAICS code is 5174 and its SIC code is 7370.