NASA is gearing up for a future where commercial partnerships are fundamental in providing space communications and navigation services. With the impending retirement of the Tracking and Data Relay Satellite (TDRS) constellation, NASA is transitioning to using commercial space-based relay services for near-Earth communications over the next ten years.
Integrating New Technologies for Space Communication
The Space Communications and Navigation (SCaN) program is proactively working to ensure continuity in the communication infrastructure for future missions. A pivotal innovation supporting this infrastructure is the development of wideband polylingual terminals, which could provide universal roaming capabilities across various satellite communication (SATCOM) service providers. This is made possible through software defined radios (SDR) technology, which allows for on-orbit waveform modification. SDRs are not new, having been deployed on satellites for over a decade, facilitating post-launch radio adjustments. These tools are set to progress further with wideband terminals, enabling missions to leverage new commercial services as they emerge.
Interoperability to Advance Science
NASA’s Wideband User Terminal project seeks to connect government and commercial networks for improved near-Earth service. Inspired by cellular roaming technology, wideband terminals are expected to provide seamless transitions between networks, a functionality not previously available to space missions. In 2021, NASA’s Glenn Research Center in Cleveland, Ohio, successfully tested this roaming ability among multiple networks.
Commercialization Transition
The shift toward commercialization is underscored by the need for interoperability between government and commercial network providers. While the TDRS system has served NASA well for nearly four decades, it lacks built-in network interoperability. The SCaN program is developing wideband technology to facilitate the transition to commercial providers, with TDRS serving as a fallback during this decade-long development period. This transition aims to mitigate data loss and prevent communication delays, and also allows missions to choose from multiple network providers, avoiding vendor lock-in and ensuring missions remain on track.
PExT Demonstration
NASA has joined forces with Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory to test the prototype Polylingual Experimental Terminal (PExT). PExT will enable spacecraft to receive signals in different “languages” from commercial network operators during its orbit. It aims to establish interoperability and manage data flow between TDRS and three commercial relay networks. PExT will be launched on SpaceX Falcon 9 Transporter-11 flight in June 2024 and will undergo six months of varied mission scenario tests, including self-pointing and link handoffs.
NASA invites the mission user community to engage in extended operation experiments with Wideband technology, presenting a significant step towards advanced and integrated space communication systems.
