Atmospheric shuttles are Jump-capable vessels whose primary role is ferrying passengers to and from the different vessels within the Fleet or to a planet's surface.
Atmospheric shuttles appear on both military and civilian vessels. A shuttle is seen at the start of the Miniseries as it ferries the Colonial Fleet's Armistice Officer from Picon Fleet Headquarters to Armistice Station.
A shuttle is seen in the landing bay of battlestar Galactica (Miniseries) and on the hangar deck of Cloud Nine (Resistance). An atmospheric shuttle ferries a group seeking the whereabouts of Earth to the Galleon Meadow on Kobol (The Farm), and docks to Galactica in "Act of Contrition." A shuttle is also seen at rest on the surface of New Caprica during its colonization.
Note
The atmospheric shuttle's counterpart in the Original Series is the Colonial Shuttle.