Space composites company Atomic 6 reaching new heights

MARIETTA, Ga. — As a kid, Trevor Smith never could have predicted the trajectory of his career. Now, he’s moving at Mach speed. Smith owns one of a handful of space startups in Metro Atlanta. The former commercial real estate agent started Atomic 6 in 2018. 

“I grew up racing motorcycles,” Smith said. “I like things that go fast. Carbon fiber tends to go on things that move: fighter jets and spaceships and rockets seem to go really fast and sound like a fun thing to work on. We set out to make the highest performing composites on the planet and also be able to make more than just one of them, so at scale, thousands of composite production parts.”

The company specializes in Space Armor tiles, which help protect satellites from orbital debris. Atomic 6 also makes durable light-wing solar arrays, which are redeployable and help power operations in space. The name of the company is derived from the sixth atomic element on the periodic table.

“You have to be able to stop debris moving at 7.5 kilometers a second, or about 17,000 miles an hour,” Smith said. “It should be in the most demanding and harsh environments. The projectile goes from zero to 17,000 miles an hour in about 16 feet with 1.3 million G forces.”

The materials undergo thermal vacuum testing in large chambers. Vibration and impact testing are also done to ensure the durability of the product.

“Our goal is to put this ultimately on satellites and human space stations,” Smith said. “We’re looking to expand and build a larger production facility. We’ve responded to $3 billion in RFP’s in the last 12 months, because of the unique solar array structure we’ve built.” 

Atomic 6 has its first satellite launch with its materials later this month in California. Then in October, its composites will rocket off on satellites as part of Sapcex’s Transporter 18. In 2027, the company will help power six satellites as part of a project that aims to construct and generate the first lunar orbital data center.

Smith originally hails from Mississippi and moved to the Atlanta area in 2010 after graduating with a commercial real estate degree. He founded one business to fund Atomic 6, connected with experts in the space field, and moved into his current building in 2021. From Marietta, Georgia to the moon, Smith and a dozen employees have secured multiple deals, ready to launch into the next phase of their mission.

“To finally see all that work and effort convert into a real customer that’s flying it into space is just super cool,” Smith said. “I’ll be taking my wife and kids out to the launch.”