Bard (PExT)

Bard (PExT) [York Space Systems]

Bard or PExT (Polylingual Experimental Terminal) is a microsatellite built by York Space Systems which will serve as a technology demonstrator for NASA's SCaN (Space Communications and Navigation) Program.

The primary objective of the Bard mission is to flight-demonstrate the Polylingual Experimental Terminal (PExT), a next-generation communications payload designed to enable real-time interoperability between legacy NASA relay systems and commercial relay networks. The capability is a key enabler for NASA's planned shift from government-owned Tracking and Data Relay Satellite System (TDRSS) assets to commercial space relay services by the 2030s.

PExT achieves this using wideband software-defined radios (SDRs) capable of dynamically switching between:

• Different frequency bands
• Multiple communications protocols
• Government-owned and commercial relay providers
• A direct-to-Earth (DTE) communications path

This makes Bard one of the first satellites to test multi-network, polylingual communication in an operational setting�effectively �translating� between different systems on the fly.