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Wideband Terminals

NASA is working with private industry to develop wideband terminals, an emerging technology that empowers missions to seamlessly communicate across both government and commercial networks for the very first time.​

Near-Earth communications system in front of a dark teal space scene filled with glowing stars. The top half of planet Earth is shown in dark green, placed on the bottom half of the image. Four green spacecraft are shown circling the Earth, three are commercial satellites and one is a NASA owned satellite. Many glowing green dots are spread out across the Earth’s surface, and glowing green lines connect the dots to the spacecraft, representing invisible communications signals.

Wideband Quick Facts

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Cellular Roaming

Cell phone providers adopted roaming technology long ago, allowing devices to jump from network to network without interrupting service.

Interoperability

Wideband terminals will enable similar roaming capabilities for space communications applications.

The Polylingual Experimental Terminal is the focus of this photograph. We see a white antenna dish, approximately 0.6-meters in size, facing the ceiling, sitting on a golden platform. Silver wires resembling tinfoil are shown protruding beneath the antenna dish. The terminal sits on top of a grey table inside a white laboratory.

Flight Demo

NASA has partnered with the Johns Hopkin’s University Applied Physics Laboratory to launch a wideband flight demonstration, called PExT, planned for summer of 2025.

Commercialization

Over the next decade, NASA missions will transition towards adopting commercial space-based relay services to fulfill their near-Earth communications needs.

Proven Technology

Wideband terminals use software defined radios (SDR) to enable waveform change while spacecraft are in-orbit.

Flexibility

SDR technology will support the adoption of new and evolving commercial services by missions as they become available in the near-future.

Lab-Proven Technology

Wideband terminal technology was lab proven in 2021 by both NASA Glenn and the Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Lab. NASA’s groundbreaking roaming experiments successfully switched services between NASA’s satellite system and a commercial satellite for the very first time.​

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We see an artistic illustration of a Tracking and Data Relay Satellite floating in space in front of a dark starry background. The satellite is dark grey and metallic in color, with two long solar panels and three antenna dishes. Two bright blue waves of light are sent from the satellite into space, representing invisible communication signals. A small portion the Earth is visible in the bottom left corner of the image.
An artist’s illustration of a Tracking and Data Relay Satellite communicating in space.
Credit NASA/Chase Leidy

Technology Demonstration

NASA is testing wideband technology in space for the first time using a terminal called PExT, launching no earlier than the summer of 2025.​

Learn More About PExT about Technology Demonstration
A graphic of the PExT Wideband Terminal mounted on a spacecraft with four solar panels, in the right-hand side of the frame. The Earth is shown behind the terminal on the bottom right side of the image. The Sun is shown to the left behind the Earth, causing a light affect that reflects of the terminal. The scene is set in front of a dark blue starry background.

Commercial Communications

As the agency enters a new era of space communications, emerging science missions will now use commercial satellite relay services to complete their near-Earth operations. Wideband terminals will empower missions to share data seamlessly across multiple provider networks during this transition.​

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Commercializing Communications

An artist's illustration of a near-Earth satellite relay network. Artist credit: NASA/Chase Leidy
An artist representation of a commercial satellite constellation transmitting data in near-Earth orbit.​

Wideband Resources

Frequently Asked Questions

Do you have questions about wideband technology? We have answers!​

In a large white room within Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Laboratory, two engineers in black York Space Systems coats monitor the Polylingual Experimental Terminal (PExT). The terminal is mounted horizontally on a wheeled metal cart, its white antenna dish pointed outward. The payload is enclosed in white insulation and gold tape. One technician leans over the terminal to investigate PExT’s antenna while the other stands at a laptop to the left of it, reviewing data on a testing monitor.

Publications

Explore recently published papers on wideband polylingual terminal technology.

We see an artistic illustration of a Tracking and Data Relay Satellite floating in space in front of a dark starry background. The satellite is dark grey and metallic in color, with two long solar panels and three antenna dishes. Two bright blue waves of light are sent from the satellite into space, representing invisible communication signals. A small portion the Earth is visible in the bottom left corner of the image.

Wideband Fact Sheet

Download our wideband technology fact sheet to learn more.

Communicating with Missions.

NASA SCaN (Space Communications and Navigation) is the program office for all of NASA’s space communications operations. SCaN’s Near Space Network and Deep Space Network enable more than 100 NASA and non-NASA missions to explore the unknown, innovate for the benefit of humanity, and inspire the world through discovery.​

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Space Communications and Navigation

Late night in the desert: Goldstone's 230-foot (70-meter) antenna tracks spacecraft day and night. This photograph was taken on
Late night in the desert: Goldstone’s 230-foot (70-meter) antenna tracks spacecraft day and night. This photograph was taken on Jan. 11, 2012.
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