Rendering of the Polylingual Experimental Terminal (PExT) payload aboard the BARD mission. Photo: York Space Systems

York Space Systems reports the Polylingual Experimental Terminal (PExT) payload completed more than 100 communication activities over 48 days of mission operations after it was launched in July. 

The PExT payload was developed in collaboration with NASA’s Space Communications and Navigation (SCaN) Program and Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Laboratory (APL). It was hosted on the York Space Bard spacecraft, which SpaceX launched in July alongside the NASA Tracers mission. 

Operating in Medium-Earth Orbit (MEO), it established wideband links with a number of commercial and government networks. It roamed between NASA’s Tracking and Data Relay Satellite (TDRS) system, two SES O3b mPOWER satellites, and InmarsatF1, owned by Viasat. 

For example, York detailed that test data from the Johns Hopkins APL was uploaded to InmarsatF1, then acquired by PExT and relayed to TDRS-12 in near real time. 

“PExT’s performance across commercial and government networks, in multiple orbits, and now across multiple vendors in a single real-time data relay, demonstrates the kind of resilient, adaptable communications infrastructure that could also be applied to national security community needs,” said Mike Lacjzok, York Space Systems CTO. 

The mission was extended to add an additional 12 months of testing, which will include direct-to-Earth testing with Swedish Space Corporation (SSC), the company announced. SSC will support the flight demonstrations throughout more than 50 direct-to-Earth passes. PExT will link to Earth via SSC’s partner ground station in Weilheim, Germany.

“This addresses a whole new market segment, not least by enabling post-launch service additions. Our ground stations will ensure a reliable link between Earth and space,” says Dan Narey, business development director at SSC.