NASA begins testing PExT wideband communications system in orbit

Payload commissioning has started for NASA's Polylingual Experimental Terminal (PExT), a pioneering wideband space communications technology designed to connect spacecraft with both government and commercial networks.

The demonstration rides aboard York Space Systems' Bard satellite, launched on July 23. The satellite completed its bus commissioning within four weeks, validating key systems such as flight computers and navigation controls. With Bard fully operational, the PExT payload is now entering its own commissioning phase through September.

PExT represents the first attempt to prove wideband terminals in orbit. Using software-defined radios, these terminals can switch dynamically between frequencies, enabling spacecraft to operate across multiple communications providers. Jointly d