- NASA has completed the Polylingual Experimental Terminal technology demonstration
- Extended operations include direct-to-Earth links via SSC Space
- The 2026 Air and Space Summit on July 30 will explore commercial space relay, AI and more
NASA’s Polylingual Experimental Terminal, or PExT, has completed its technology demonstration and will continue operations to explore additional capability tests and partnership opportunities.
NASA’s PExT demonstration highlights the growing push for resilient, interoperable space communications across government and commercial satellite networks. Attend the 2026 Air and Space Summit on July 30 and join military, government and industry leaders as they discuss commercial space relay, interoperable optical networks, artificial intelligence and more. Book your spot now!
What Is PExT?
The space agency said Monday PExT is a wideband polylingual terminal designed to enable spacecraft communications across government and commercial satellite networks.
In July 2025, the technology launched aboard the York Space Systems-built BARD spacecraft. It uses the Ka-band spectrum to transmit data through multiple satellite systems.
Managed and funded by NASA’s Space Communications and Navigation Program, the demonstration payload was developed by Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Laboratory, while SES Space & Defense and Viasat supported commercial satellite relay testing.
What Did the Primary Mission Achieve?
PExT met its primary objectives in December by transmitting data to Earth through NASA’s Tracking and Data Relay Satellite system and commercial networks operated by SES Space & Defense and Viasat. Extended mission operations kicked off in January and will continue through April 2027.
What Do Extended Operations Entail?
Extended operations include direct-to-Earth forward and return links using SSC Space’s ground station network. The demonstration is expected to complete over 50 direct links through SSC Space’s partner ground station in Weilheim, Germany. NASA said the tests will demonstrate how missions can route data through relay satellites or directly to ground stations.
The space agency is also working with Aalyria Technologies to demonstrate enterprise service operations using the company’s Spacetime software. The effort will test a shared framework for planning, managing and delivering communications support across multiple missions.
The collaboration builds on work performed under the Defense Innovation Unit’s Hybrid Space Architecture program and progress made under the agency’s NextSTEP-2 program.
