NASA’s Wideband Technology Demo Proves Space Missions are Free to Roam
Just as your cell phone stays connected by roaming between networks, NASA’s Polylingual Experimental Terminal, or PExT, demonstrates that space missions can do the same by switching seamlessly between government and commercial communications networks.
NASA missions rely on critical data to navigate, monitor the status of spacecraft, and transmit scientific information to Earth. This revolutionary technology could provide multiple benefits to government and commercial missions by enabling more reliable communications with fewer data interruptions.
“This mission has reshaped what is possible for NASA and the U.S. satellite communications industry,” said Kevin Coggins, deputy associate administrator for the agency’s Space Communications and Navigation (SCaN) program at NASA Headquarters in Washington. “PExT has demonstrated that interoperability between government and commercial networks is possible near Earth, and we are not stopping there. The success of our commercial space partnerships is evident, and we will continue to build on this momentum as we extend these capabilities to the Moon and Mars.”
Kevin Coggins
Deputy Associate Administrator of SCaN
Broadband technology enables data exchange over a wide range of frequencies, helping to connect government and commercial networks as NASA advances the commercialization of space communications. By providing interoperability between government and commercial assets, this technology unlocks new benefits not currently available to agency missions.
As commercial providers continue to advance their technology and add new capabilities to their networks, missions equipped with broadband terminals can integrate these enhancements even after launch and during active operations. The technology also supports NASA’s network integrity by allowing missions to seamlessly switch between providers if a network experiences critical disruptions that would otherwise interfere with timely communications.
“Today we take the seamless roaming of cell phones for granted, but in the early days of cell phones, our devices only operated on a single network,” said Greg Heckler, SCaN capability development manager at NASA Headquarters. “Our spaceflight missions faced similar limitations, until now. These groundbreaking tests prove that broadband terminals can connect spacecraft to multiple networks, a huge advantage for early missions transitioning to commercial services in the 2030s.”
On July 23, the communications demonstration was launched into low Earth orbit aboard York Space Systems’ BARD mission. Designed by the Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Laboratory, the compact broadband terminal communicates over a wide range of Ka-band frequencies, commonly used by NASA missions and commercial providers. After conducting a series of tests that proved the BARD spacecraft and demonstration payload performed as intended, testing began with NASA’s Tracking and Data Relay Satellite (TDRS) fleet and commercial satellite networks operated by SES Space & Defense and Viasat.
During each demonstration, the terminal performed critical space communications and navigation operations, ranging from real-time spacecraft tracking and mission commands to high-speed data transmission. By showcasing end-to-end services between the BARD spacecraft, multiple commercial satellites, and mission control on Earth, the broadband terminal showed that future NASA missions could become interoperable with government and commercial infrastructure.
Due to the flexibility of broadband technology and the innovative nature of this mission, NASA recently extended the Polylingual Experiment Terminal demonstration for an additional 12 months of testing. Extended mission operations will include further direct-to-Earth testing with the Swedish Space Corporation, expected to begin in early 2026.
This technology demonstration will continue to test spaceflight communications capabilities through April 2027. By 2031, NASA plans to purchase satellite relay services for science missions in low Earth orbit from one or more U.S. companies.
To learn more about this broadband technology demonstration, visit:
PExT – NASA
The Polylingual Experimental Terminal technology demonstration is funded and managed by NASA’s SCaN program within the Space Operations Mission Directorate at NASA Headquarters in Washington. York Space Systems provided the host spacecraft. The Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Laboratory developed the demonstration payload. Commercial satellite relay demonstrations were carried out in partnership with SES Space & Defense and Viasat.
