York Space Systems (York), a modern defense prime built for speed and scale, announced the successful demonstration of the Polylingual Experimental Terminal (PExT) payload aboard the BARD mission, developed in collaboration with NASA’s Space Communications and Navigation (SCaN) Program and Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Laboratory (APL). The payload completed 48 consecutive days of full mission operations and surpassed all demonstration objectives, marking a major milestone in the development of next-generation wideband space communications capabilities for NASA. With all planned demonstrations now complete, York and Johns Hopkins APL are extending operations to pursue more advanced objectives.
Following successful commissioning, the PExT payload has executed over 100 successful communication activities establishing wideband links with SES/MpowerF8, SES/MpowerF5, TDRS-12, and InmarsatF1. These operations highlight PExT’s reliable interoperability across both commercial and government networks—including geostationary (GEO) and the more challenging medium Earth orbit (MEO) regimes—and validate the payload’s capacity for flexible, cross-network wideband communications. Operating in MEO, in particular, requires the York spacecraft to deliver significantly more dynamic and precise tracking, an area where the spacecraft continues to excel.
“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, Chief Technology Officer at York Space Systems. “We’re proud of how the team has outperformed at every step, and we’re excited for the even more advanced demonstrations ahead.”
A recent multi-vendor, cross-constellation demonstration showcased the mission’s technical sophistication. Test data from the Johns Hopkins APL was uploaded to InmarsatF1, then acquired by PExT aboard BARD, and relayed to TDRS-12 in near real time—demonstrating agile, responsive in-orbit data transfer across multiple spacecraft and partners.
Looking ahead, the mission will conduct Surface Point Tracking, enabling direct communications with ground stations. This mode requires significantly greater spacecraft agility and accuracy, and the ability to handle increased Doppler effects—capabilities inherent to the York spacecraft and proven on previous missions, including Bane and Checkmate. Launched in July 2025, BARD is a collaboration between York, NASA, and Johns Hopkins APL. The BARD Mission remains fully operational as extended demonstrations begin, reinforcing York’s ability to deliver high-performance, scalable systems across the space domain.
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