On Wednesday, June 24, 2026, German company ATMOS Space Cargo GmbH announced the launch of ATMOS WORKS, its dedicated space technology company focused on strategic capabilities for national security, headquartered in Kraków. ATMOS WORKS develops and operates orbital logistics and dual-use systems architecture for European government customers and defense-sector organizations.
A Polish company headquartered in Kraków, operating within European security structures / Image: ATMOS WORKS
“Kraków provides ATMOS WORKS with an engineering base, an industrial ecosystem, and a strategic location for carrying out missions for European defense-sector customers,” said Jarosław Pustul, managing director of ATMOS WORKS. “We are building a Polish company that operates in line with European standards and responds to the need to build security based on technological sovereignty.”
ATMOS WORKS develops, deploys, and manages capabilities for in-orbit technology demonstration and validation, the secure return of sensitive equipment and data to Earth, and time-critical operations. The company is currently focused on dual-use technologies while building the regulatory compliance framework required for future participation in strategic public procurement procedures, including those related to defense and areas concerning the security of EU member states.
“ATMOS WORKS is being established because European organizations responsible for security and operational resilience need sovereign access to orbital logistics and payload recovery capabilities from orbit — within European structures, on European terms,” said Sebastian Klaus, CEO of ATMOS Space Cargo. “We are creating this company to meet that need directly.”
“Kraków has one of the strongest research and engineering environments in Central Europe in the fields of space systems and dual-use technologies. The establishment of ATMOS WORKS confirms that this potential attracts organizations capable of carrying out missions that meet European security requirements,” said Prof. Tadeusz Uhl, DSc, PhD, Eng., AGH University of Krakow, Faculty of Space Technologies.
“We are pleased to see the Polish space ecosystem grow and attract ambitious technology ventures. We welcome ATMOS WORKS to Poland. A strong and diverse national space sector is in the interest of all of us who develop advanced technologies here. I think the choice of Kraków as ATMOS’s headquarters in Poland is no coincidence, and the growing number of space companies in the capital of Małopolska is particularly significant in the context of the planned ESA center in Poland,” said Tomasz Palacz, CEO of Liftero.
ATMOS WORKS builds on the operational experience of ATMOS Space Cargo’s transport-and-return platform, which has demonstrated its capabilities in European institutional missions. The company applies this capability to the defense and government requirements of European countries seeking security and control over space infrastructure.
ATMOS WORKS works only with authorized and vetted customers, exclusively at their request.
ATMOS WORKS is a Kraków-based company owned by ATMOS Space Cargo GmbH. The company specializes in developing and managing orbital logistics and creating dual-use systems architecture for European government and defense customers, operating within European security structures.
ATMOS Space Cargo GmbH develops, deploys, and manages orbital infrastructure for the return of transport capsules from orbit for European institutional, commercial, and defense customers. The European space company, with facilities in Lichtenau, Germany, and Strasbourg, France, has demonstrated full return-from-orbit capability in European missions.
Press release