Vertical profiles of sulfur hexafluoride (SF6) in the lower stratosphere and upper troposphere have been retrieved from 0.01-cm-1 resolution infrared solar occultation spectra recorded by the Atmospheric Trace Molecule Spectroscopy (ATMOS) Fourier transform spectrometer during the ATLAS (Atmospheric Laboratory for Applications and Science) 1 shuttle mission of March 24 to April 2, 1992. Based on measurements of the unresolved absorption by the SF6 &ngr;3 band Q branch at 947.9 cm-1, average SF6 volume mixing ratios and 1-sigma uncertainties of 3.20¿0.54 parts per trillion by volume (pptv; 10-12 ppv) at 200 mbar (~11.8 km) declining to 2.86¿0.29 pptv at 100 mbar (~16.2 km) and 1.95¿0.50 pptv at 30 mbar (~23.9 km) have been retrieved. The profiles show no obvious dependence with latitude over the range of the measurements (eight occultations spanning 28¿S to 54¿S). Assuming an exponential growth model and applying a correction for the interhemispheric concentration difference, an average SF6 rate of increase of 8.7¿2.2% per year, 2 sigma, between 12 and 18 km has been derived by fitting the present measurements. ATMOS measurements from the April-May 1985 Spacelab 3 mission, and balloon-borne IR measurements obtained in March 1981 and June 1988. ¿ American Geophysical Union 1993