ATLAS Space Operations Expands Satellite Ground Station Network to American Samoa

New facility will address coverage gap in the South Pacific, delivering near-real-time data for federal and commercial missions.

Mar. 11, 2026 at 9:35pm

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ATLAS Space Operations, a Traverse City-based company, has finalized an agreement with the Port Administration of American Samoa to host a new satellite ground station. The new station will fill a critical coverage gap in the South Pacific, providing near-real-time data for federal and commercial missions, including the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, the U.S. military, and commercial remote sensing operations.

Why it matters

This new ground station in American Samoa will connect the region to ATLAS's existing network of facilities in Hawaii, Guam, and Australia, improving the company's ability to provide timely data and situational awareness for weather monitoring, military operations, and other remote sensing applications across the South Pacific.

The details

The new ground station will include advanced satellite tracking antenna systems and various upgrades to the data facility. Construction on the antenna foundation and data facility is scheduled to be complete in June, creating 10-15 temporary jobs during the building phase. Once operational, the site is expected to provide 5-10 permanent jobs.

  • Work on the facility began on March 2, 2026.
  • Construction on the antenna foundation and data facility is scheduled to be complete in June 2026.

The players

ATLAS Space Operations

A Traverse City-based company that provides satellite ground station services and data solutions for federal and commercial customers.

Port Administration of American Samoa

The organization that has finalized an agreement with ATLAS Space Operations to host the new satellite ground station in American Samoa.

Kristen Rice

The vice president and general manager of ATLAS Space Operations, who explained the importance of the new ground station's location in American Samoa.

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What they’re saying

“In getting the data down from the images that they collect, for the weather, awareness is very important for everybody. And so this location is important specifically for that, but it does provide us access to all of our other customers. Again, to minimize the latency between contacts of other ground stations that we have around the world.”

— Kristen Rice, Vice President and General Manager, ATLAS Space Operations

The takeaway

This new satellite ground station in American Samoa will help ATLAS Space Operations expand its global network and improve data delivery for federal agencies, the military, and commercial customers, addressing a critical coverage gap in the South Pacific region.