Originally published by The Gazette on March 15, 2023
Catalyst Campus welcomed three new partners Wednesday that its leadership says will help boost Colorado Springs’ aerospace and defense industry and accelerate technology with the business park.
InTrack Radar Technologies, ATLAS Space Operations and Keta Group joined Catalyst Campus on dowtown’s east edge, where aerospace and defense companies can create public-private partnerships and interact and collaborate with small businesses, startups and others, said Dawn Conley, the business park’s interim senior executive director.
“We’re attracting more and more of these companies into the ecosystem,” Conley said, “which is going to just be an even greater boon for our local economy.”
InTrack Radar Technologies, which specializes in ground-based sensors for radar that aid space and missile surveillance, launched two years ago in Colorado Springs. The company’s
CEO Morgan Nicholson, said his company has been eyeing a chance to locate at Catalyst Campus because of the opportunity it lends businesses to connect with government customers, prime contractors and other small companies that mesh well together.
“I think in the DOD (Department of Defense) especially, a lot of the contracts are very broad and little niche companies like ours really can’t compete alone on those big contracts,” Nicholson said.
“So for small businesses to compete it’s often advantageous for us to group together, band together and go after contracts.”
Nicholson said InTrack Radar Technologies sees opportunities to collaborate with ATLAS, which also joined Catalyst Campus on Wednesday.
ATLAS, a leading U.S.-owned ground network for satellite communications, based in Traverse City, Mich., wanted to expand its presence and operations in Colorado Springs.
“The government programs that we currently support in Colorado Springs, we’re going to manage closer to the customer,” said T.I. Weintraub, the company’s chief growth officer.
“One of the big reasons we’re here is we’re very closely partnered with AWS, Amazon Web Service and Viasat and they’re both on the campus and we’ve integrated our networks with theirs.”
Keta Group, a tribally owned, multifaceted company with expertise ranging from space and defense engineering to disaster response, is also based out of state in Baton Rouge, La.
Company CEO Alton Le-Blanc wanted to capitalize on the support systems available at Catalyst Campus and the network of small businesses found there.
“It’s very exciting to us that we have a footprint right here in the Springs. … We’re going to be here and we’re going to participate and see what we can add,” LeBlanc said.
The Port Administration of American Samoa will host advanced satellite tracking antennas for ATLAS Space Operations, enhancing satellite ground-station services in the South Pacific. This partnership supports NOAA and military clients, improves real-time data coverage, and contributes to local infrastructure funding. Construction began on March 2, 2026.
The space industry faces a critical issue where ground software engineering contracts are often awarded to companies lacking the necessary expertise in ground systems. This misallocation results in poorly designed systems and high maintenance costs. To resolve this, ground systems must be recognized as essential infrastructure, demanding dedicated expertise and a clean architectural approach.
Finnish NewSpace company NorthBase and ATLAS Space Operations have partnered to enhance satellite ground station services in Finnish Lapland. The new NorthBase Muonio site joins the ATLAS Freedom network, improving global antenna access and providing significant coverage capabilities, especially with the 3.9 meter S/X band antenna in a secure location.
ATLAS Space Operations, a leading GSaaS provider for satellite communications, is to be acquired by York Space Systems, marking a significant milestone for its founders and investors. The acquisition, pending FCC approval, aims to enhance growth, job creation, and innovation within the Traverse City community while maintaining ATLAS’s operations and brand.
