diff --git a/tooling/atlas-check b/tooling/atlas-check
new file mode 100755
index 000000000..f3322badc
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tooling/atlas-check
@@ -0,0 +1,71 @@
+#!/usr/bin/env python3
+"""Quick diagnostic for an atlas proposal — shows planet count, body summary, and flags.
+
+Usage:
+    tooling/atlas-check docs/atlas/proposals/GJ1075.json
+"""
+import json
+import sys
+from pathlib import Path
+
+
+def check(path: Path):
+    with open(path) as f:
+        p = json.load(f)
+
+    bodies = p.get("bodies", [])
+    stations = p.get("stations", [])
+
+    planets = [b for b in bodies if b["body_type"] == "planet" and not b.get("parent_body_id")]
+    gas_giants = [b for b in bodies if b["body_type"] == "gas_giant"]
+    moons = [b for b in bodies if b["body_type"] == "moon"]
+    belts = [b for b in bodies if b["body_type"] == "asteroid_belt"]
+    oort = [b for b in bodies if b["body_type"] == "oort_cloud"]
+
+    sc = p.get("spectral_class", "")
+    if sc.startswith(("G", "F")):
+        min_p = 8
+    elif sc.startswith("K"):
+        min_p = 7
+    else:
+        min_p = 6
+
+    print(f"=== {path.name} — {p.get('proper_name') or p['system_id']} ===")
+    print(f"  star_type: {p.get('star_type')}  spectral: {sc}")
+    print(f"  planets: {len(planets)} (need {min_p}+)  gas_giants: {len(gas_giants)}  moons: {len(moons)}")
+    print(f"  belts: {len(belts)}  oort: {len(oort)}  stations: {len(stations)}")
+
+    if planets:
+        print(f"  orbits:  {' → '.join(str(b['orbit_index']) for b in planets)}")
+        print(f"  gravity: {' / '.join(str(b['surface_gravity']) for b in planets)}")
+        print(f"  periods: {' / '.join(str(b['orbital_period_days']) for b in planets)} days")
+
+    inhabited = [b for b in bodies if b.get("inhabited")]
+    if inhabited:
+        for b in inhabited:
+            print(f"  inhabited: {b['body_id']} ({b.get('proper_name', '?')}) pop={b.get('population')}")
+
+    for s in stations:
+        print(f"  station: {s['station_id']} ({s.get('proper_name', '?')}) type={s['station_type']} pop={s.get('population')}")
+
+    # Flags
+    if len(planets) < min_p:
+        print(f"  ⚠ need {min_p - len(planets)} more planet(s)")
+    if not belts:
+        print(f"  ⚠ no asteroid belt")
+    if not oort:
+        print(f"  ⚠ no oort cloud")
+    horizons = [s for s in stations if s["station_type"] == "horizon"]
+    if not horizons:
+        print(f"  ⚠ no horizon station")
+    elif not any(s.get("has_gate_infrastructure") for s in horizons):
+        print(f"  ⚠ horizon station missing gate_infrastructure")
+
+
+if __name__ == "__main__":
+    if len(sys.argv) < 2:
+        print("usage: tooling/atlas-check <proposal.json> [...]")
+        sys.exit(1)
+    for arg in sys.argv[1:]:
+        check(Path(arg))
+        print()
diff --git a/tooling/atlas-verify b/tooling/atlas-verify
index 3e67cfb9c..c06b6e070 100755
--- a/tooling/atlas-verify
+++ b/tooling/atlas-verify
@@ -98,7 +98,7 @@ def verify_proposal(path: Path) -> list[str]:
     # 9. star_type vs spectral_class consistency
     star_type_field = p.get("star_type", "")
     spectral = p.get("spectral_class", "")
-    if star_type_field and spectral and star_type_field != "binary":
+    if star_type_field and spectral and star_type_field not in ("binary", "unusual"):
         # Strip dwarf/subdwarf prefixes (d, sd) to get actual class letter
         s = spectral.lstrip("sd").upper()
         spectral_letter = s[0] if s else ""