en.Wedoany.com Reported - NASA has completed a technical test aimed at verifying the interoperability of orbital satellite relay networks, with the Multilingual Experimental Terminal (PExT) successfully demonstrating the ability to transmit data across multiple systems.
Traditional satellite communications are often limited to a single network. The PExT project, utilizing the Ka-band spectrum, achieved data transmission between NASA's Tracking and Data Relay Satellite System and commercial networks operated by Viasat and SES. The terminal, launched into orbit last July aboard a satellite platform built by York Space Systems, was jointly developed by NASA and the Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Laboratory. Essentially a broadband terminal, its operation is similar to mobile phone roaming, allowing orbital spacecraft equipped with radios and broadband terminals to switch between different satellite relay networks.
NASA has confirmed it will conduct further tests and extend the PExT project through April 2027. Additionally, Google spin-off Aalyria Technologies has joined the project, aiming to demonstrate potential enterprise service operations through its Spacetime software. In further testing, PExT will support over 50 direct connections to Earth via partner ground stations of SSC Space (formerly Swedish Space Corporation) in Weilheim, Germany.
With growing demand for orbital connectivity in the commercial sector, NASA hopes to demonstrate through this project a more interoperable space network ecosystem, enabling government and commercial satellites to operate seamlessly together. In a statement, NASA said these demonstrations show how missions can flexibly route data—whether through relay satellites or directly to ground stations—to enhance resilience, coverage, and operational efficiency.
The PExT project also complements previous research by the U.S. Defense Innovation Unit and Aalyria on orbital interoperability under the Hybrid Space Architecture project. On the commercial front, satellite connectivity is becoming a key direction in the connectivity sector, with companies such as Amazon, Viasat, and AST SpaceMobile attempting to challenge SpaceX's Starlink. Meanwhile, operators AT&T, T-Mobile US, and Verizon are considering forming a satellite-focused joint venture to pool their respective spectrum resources. AT&T CEO John Stankey stated that if all parties act together, they can launch a more meaningful service that is available in more places and performs better, especially when paired with mid-band spectrum.
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