Katalyst acquired Atomos in a bid to grow its in-space servicing business, the companies announced today.
Under the acquisition, which closed last month under undisclosed terms, Katalyst will continue using Atomos’ Broomfield, CO-based spacecraft factory. Several members of Atomos’ team, including cofounder Vanessa Clark, will join Katalyst.
“We’re excited to integrate Atomos’ technology and team to build towards a combined vision centered around rendezvous and proximity operations (RPO),” Katalyst CEO Ghonhee Lee said in a statement. “Their heritage complements our DoD traction, and together we’ll enable more rapid and reliable servicing missions.”
Meet the players: The acquisition joins two startups aiming to offer services to spacecraft already in orbit.
- Katalyst, which is headquartered in Flagstaff, AZ, aims to use in-space servicing technology to upgrade sats in space. The startup won a DoD contract to add improved space domain awareness sensors to previously launched spacecraft this year.
- Atomos, founded in 2018 and based in Colorado, is building orbital transfer vehicles that can help other spacecraft maneuver in orbit.
Joining forces: Adding capabilities from Atomos will allow Katalyst to build and operate a fleet of spacecraft to conduct rendezvous and docking operations for missions including life extension and upgrading spacecraft, according to the release.
Katalyst leaders say the future of the space economy hinges on making in-orbit docking missions more routine.
“Geopolitical tensions and competition in space are both increasing,” Lee said. “It is critical to US national security and the future of the space economy to increase the frequency of spacecraft docking. It’s our mission to accelerate that.”
