York Space Systems, a key supplier for the Space Development Agency’s proliferated constellation, announced today it is acquiring ATLAS Space Operations, a ground software provider.
“The move brings York a powerful, software-led ground architecture that simplifies operations, removes integration barriers and enhances space-to-ground resilience,” the company said in a statement.
York builds small satellites for a range of government and commercial customers, among them the Space Development Agency and its Proliferated Warfighter Space Architecture — a mega constellation of small missile warning and data transport satellites in low Earth orbit. The company is on contract to build 136 satellites for the agency’s data transport layer.
The acquisition of ATLAS by York’s parent company — private equity firm AE Industrial Partners — is awaiting approval from the FCC. If approved, it will give York access to the company’s global antenna network, undergirded by a software platform that enables real-time tasking, cloud-based mission data delivery and automated scheduling.
That capability, York says, will play a significant part in its proposal for the Pentagon’s Golden Dome architecture, a homeland missile defense capability that will be composed of space and ground-based sensors and interceptors. The release notes that York, with ATLAS, offers “a next-generation defense solution that unifies spacecraft, software, and ground operations to deliver full-spectrum capabilities across contested environments.”
York’s General Manager Melanie Pressier told Defense News in June the company believes there’s “plenty of work to go around” if Golden Dome moves forward at the pace officials have suggested. President Donald Trump said the plan is to have an operational capability in the next three years — an aggressive timeline that suggests the Pentagon will need to tap existing product lines and vendors to scale up their systems and deliver in larger quantities.
Pressier echoed that sentiment, pointing specifically to the SDA’s constellation.
“Many of the key capabilities for the Golden Dome are actually being delivered by the Proliferated Warfighter Space Architecture today,” she said. “I think a very important attribute of the PWSA is it’s all interoperable.”
Courtney Albon is C4ISRNET’s space and emerging technology reporter. She has covered the U.S. military since 2012, with a focus on the Air Force and Space Force. She has reported on some of the Defense Department’s most significant acquisition, budget and policy challenges.
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