ATLAS Space Operations partners with Viasat to support NASA missions

Broadcast Pro

21-03-2025

The collaboration aims to increase NSN’s capacity and resilience for various missions, including climate studies, celestial object research and the Artemis campaign.
ATLAS Space Operations has secured a contract with Viasat to provide mission-critical support for NASA’s ongoing and future initiatives. As one of four commercial companies awarded the first round of Task Orders under NASA’s Near Space Network (NSN) Services contract, Viasat will utilise its global Real-Time Earth (RTE) network to enhance NASA’s Direct-to-Earth (DTE) capabilities. ATLAS will bolster Viasat’s efforts by offering additional network capacity and integrating its patented Freedom G-SaaS into the solution.
Viasat’s initial Task Order focuses on supporting low Earth orbit (LEO) science missions through its scalable and high-throughput RTE architecture. This ensures NASA meets its stringent requirements for latency, accuracy and availability. By incorporating ATLAS’ Freedom Software, Viasat’s network gains enhanced flexibility, efficiency and adaptability in managing ground station operations. The added capacity from ATLAS’ Global Federated Network guarantees NASA continuous access to available antennas.
Brad Bode, ATLAS Chief Technology Officer and Co-Founder, said: 'Teaming up with Viasat’s expert and forward-thinking team is always a privilege. NASA’s selection of Viasat for Near Space Network (NSN) communications marks a pivotal shift toward commercial services, and our Freedom GSaaS is at the core of enabling this transition. By leveraging a software-defined, cloud-based architecture, we seamlessly integrate the Viasat RTE and ATLAS Global Federated Network, ensuring rapid scalability and adaptability. This approach accelerates NASA’s ability to replace legacy processes, reducing operational overhead and delivering faster, more flexible mission support—from Earth orbit to cislunar space and beyond.'
Steve Tanous, Vice President of Viasat RTE, added: 'We are thrilled to expand our already strong relationship with ATLAS through the NSN Services Contract. NASA’s selection of Viasat validates our hybrid network approach that can deliver commercial and government customers alike with a more robust, resilient, and reliable ground service.'
This partnership strengthens NSN’s ability to support missions related to climate research, celestial observations and NASA’s Artemis programme, marking a new chapter in the ongoing relationship between ATLAS and Viasat.
While the initial Task Order covers LEO services, the broader five-year indefinite delivery, indefinite quantity (IDIQ) NSN contract includes an additional five-year extension option. With a maximum potential value of $4.82 bn over 10 years, shared among selected NSN contract recipients, the agreement could open further opportunities for expanded collaboration in the future.