German NewSpace startup ATMOS Space Cargo has announced a €1.3-million extension of its seed funding round. The company first closed the round in June 2023, raising €4 million.
ATMOS is currently developing its Phoenix return capsule. The capsule would be launched into orbit, where it would be capable of acting as a free flyer offering “microgravity on-demand” for up to three months. It is designed to carry a payload of up to 100 kilograms. According to the company, once operational, the service will be tailored for life sciences experimentation. During reentry, the capsule will utilize the Inflatable Atmospheric Decelerator (IAD), which functions both as a heat shield and as a high-velocity parachute. The company plans to offer its IAD technology as a stand-alone product, allowing its customers “to make almost any rocket stage, space module or satellite returnable and reusable.”
ATMOS announced on 7 February that it had closed its €1.3-million seed round extension. The round included contributions from the Amadeus APEX Technology Fund, OTB Ventures, High-Tech Gründerfonds, Seraphim, E2MC, VENTIS, and another.vc.
“This seed extension will accelerate our time to market for our life sciences service with Phoenix and larger projects like LEO Cargo Return,” said ATMOS CEO and cofounder Sebastian Klaus.
The company’s LEO Cargo Return project is part of a Rocket Factory Augsburg-led consortium initiative to develop a spacecraft for the European Space Agency’s call to industry to create a commercial LEO cargo delivery and return service. The consortium also includes contributions from Spanish aerospace and defence company SENER. The consortium’s bid is called Argo. The vehicle is designed to be capable of delivering 4,000 kilograms of cargo to space stations in low Earth orbit and return 4,000 kilograms of cargo back to Earth.
