PExT

Polylingual Experimental Terminal

Active Mission

NASA and the Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Laboratory are testing a first-of-its-kind, in-flight technology demonstration allowing spacecraft to communicate with both government and commercial networks. The demonstration will support NASA as it transitions to using commercial networks for near-Earth space communications. For future NASA missions, wideband technology could provide multi-access points of services, lower latency, and lower communications costs for the agency.

Mission Type

Technology Demonstration

Focus

Space Communications

Launch

July 23, 2025

Objective

Communicate with Government and Commercial Satellites

Wideband polylingual terminals enable missions to roam seamlessly between network providers in space using software defined radios, similar to cell phone roaming on Earth.

NASA/Dave Ryan

First-of-its-Kind Demonstration

NASA missions rely on critical data exchanges to navigate, monitor spacecraft health, and transmit scientific information back to Earth. For almost 40 years, NASA has relied on its Tracking and Data Relay Satellite (TDRS) fleet to provide communications services for missions near-Earth. Now, future science missions launching as early as 2031 will leverage commercial satellite relay services. NASA is testing wideband terminals through PExT, an emerging technology that allows missions to roam between government and commercial networks in space, like cellphones roam between networks on Earth. This game-changing technology could provide multiple benefits to government and commercial missions by enabling more reliable communications with fewer data interruptions.

On July 23, 2025, PExT launched aboard the York Space Systems BARD mission. Once in low Earth orbit, the terminal successfully relayed data between the BARD spacecraft, NASA’s TDRS fleet, commercial networks operated by Viasat and SES Space & Defense, and mission control on Earth.

Extended Mission Operations

Due to the success of the demonstration, NASA recently extended PExT operations through April 2027 for an addition 12 months of testing. Extended mission operations will include new direct-to-Earth demonstrations with the Swedish Space Corporation’s ground station network, scheduled to begin in 2026.

Wideband Technology

Wideband technology enables data exchange across a broad range of frequency bands used by both government and commercial networks. By providing interoperability between government and commercial assets, this technology unlocks new advantages currently unavailable to spaceflight missions.

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Wideband technology unlocks interoperability between space communications networks for spaceflight missions.

NASA/Morgan Johnson

Featured Story

NASA’s Wideband Technology Demo Proves Space Missions are Free to Roam

Just like your cellphone stays connected by roaming between networks, NASA’s Polylingual Experimental Terminal, or PExT, technology demonstration is proving…

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Commercializing Space Communications

NASA is opening space to more science, people and opportunities through public-private partnerships. The SCaN (Space Communications and Navigation) Program is committed to a seamless transition from government-owned communications assets to commercial alternatives, ensure mission continuity, cost-effectiveness, and alignment with national priorities.

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