York Space Systems Demonstrates Wideband Communications Capabilities with Successful PExT Payload Mission
Photo Credit: York Space Systems
DENVER, December 19, 2026 (TECH INFO SCENE) — Space and defense company York Space Systems has announced the successful completion of all planned demonstration objectives for the Polylingual Experimental Terminal (PExT) payload aboard the BARD mission.
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York, in collaboration with NASA’s Space Communications and Navigation (SCaN) Program and Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Laboratory (APL), reported that the payload achieved 48 consecutive days of full mission operations. The demonstrations marked a milestone in the development of next-generation wideband space communications technologies designed to operate across commercial and government networks.
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According to the company, PExT has completed more than 100 communication activities, establishing wideband links with SES/MpowerF8, SES/MpowerF5, TDRS-12, and InmarsatF1. These activities validated the payload’s interoperability across geostationary and medium Earth orbit regimes and demonstrated the spacecraft’s capability to deliver dynamic tracking requirements necessary for MEO operations.
“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. We’re proud of how the team has outperformed at every step, and we’re excited for the even more advanced demonstrations ahead,” said Mike Lacjzok, Chief Technology Officer at York Space Systems.
A recent technical demonstration conducted by York and Johns Hopkins APL included multi-vendor, multi-constellation data transfer. Test data uploaded to InmarsatF1 was acquired by PExT aboard the BARD spacecraft and relayed to TDRS-12 in near real time, demonstrating cross-network and cross-orbital data relay capabilities.
The company states that upcoming mission phases will test Surface Point Tracking, enabling direct communication links with ground stations. This mode increases spacecraft agility and accuracy requirements and introduces higher Doppler effects, which the company reports the York platform is equipped to manage based on performance from previous missions.
Launched in July 2025, the BARD mission remains fully operational as extended demonstrations continue.
For more information, visit www.yorkspacesystems.com.
Source: York Space Systems
