Due to the lapse in federal government funding, NASA is not updating this website.

Suggested Searches

Small Satellite Missions

Categories

NASA’s PExT, Wideband Space Communications Demo Begins Commissioning

A 3D rendering of the Polylingual Experimental Terminal (PExT) satellite viewed at a three-quarter angle in low Earth orbit. The spacecraft’s white parabolic antenna dish is pointed to the upper-right, and its four deep teal solar arrays extend outward to form an X-shape. Earth is partially visible across the lower edge of the frame, the curve of its horizon illuminated by a flare of bright sunlight.
An artist’s rendering of the Polylingual Experimental Terminal (PExT) payload operating in low Earth orbit. PExT is NASA’s first flight demonstration of a wideband polylingual terminal designed to operate across both government and commercial satellite networks.
NASA/DaveRyan

Payload commissioning is underway for NASA’s PExT (Polylingual Experimental Terminal), a first-of-its-kind space communications demonstration designed to allow spacecraft to communicate with government and commercial networks.

After launching on July 23, York Space Systems established first contact with their Bard satellite, the host spacecraft for PExT, and began bus commissioning on schedule. Over the next four weeks, the team verified the satellite’s ability to send commands and receive data. It confirmed key systems, such as the flight computers and navigation controls, are functioning as expected. Commissioning of the Bard satellite is complete, and PExT payload commissioning will continue through September.

As a technology demonstration, PExT aims to showcase the power of wideband terminals, an emerging technology that uses software-defined radios to dynamically switch between frequencies while transmitting data in space. Developed by NASA’s SCaN (Space Communications and Navigation) Program and the Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Laboratory, the PExT payload matured from concept to design to launch on budget in just over two and a half years. Wideband terminals could allow future missions to communicate seamlessly across multiple networks, a major benefit as NASA continues to commercialize space communications services.

In the past, agency missions relied on NASA’s TDRS (Tracking and Data Relay Satellite) system to provide communication links between the ground and satellites in near-Earth orbit. However, in November 2024, the agency announced future missions will acquire their near-Earth relay services from commercial providers. The agency’s existing infrastructure was not designed for interoperability between government and commercial networks, so NASA now is working with industry to develop wideband technology to provide interoperability for new missions. With this new technology, missions could “roam” seamlessly between government and commercial networks for the first time, just as cell phones jump between networks on Earth without service interruption.

Throughout the initial stages of the demonstration, PExT will attempt to send data through space while roaming between NASA’s Tracking and Data Relay Satellite fleet, the SES Space & Defense O3b mPOWER network, and Boeing’s High Capacity services on Viasat’s Global Xpress network.