York Space Systems' Bard Mission Ready for Launch, Demonstrating Future Communications Capabilities for NASA

DENVER, May 14, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- York Space Systems (York), the Denver-based aerospace company dedicated to the rapid deployment of complete space mission solutions, today announced its Bard mission is ready for launch. Bard will flight-demonstrate the Polylingual Experimental Terminal (PExT), an advanced communications technology developed in collaboration with the Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Laboratory (APL) and NASA's SCaN (Space Communications and Navigation) Program. The terminal is designed to enable real-time interoperability between government and commercial satellite relay networks—a first-of-its-kind capability as NASA shifts toward a commercial satellite relay communications architecture.

Bard is one of five distinct missions York is launching this year, reinforcing the company's leadership in deploying spacecraft that support a wide range of government, civil, and commercial customers. The mission reflects York's growing role as a critical enabler of national space infrastructure, capable of delivering operational systems and experimental technologies on rapid timelines and at unmatched scale.

Built on York's flight-proven platform, Bard is set to demonstrate the power of wideband polylingual terminals—equipped with software-defined radios that can dynamically switch across frequency bands, protocols, and relay providers.

The on-orbit demonstration will conclude April 2026, after validating the ability to communicate seamlessly with both NASA's legacy Tracking and Data Relay Satellites (TDRS) and multiple commercial networks, as well as a direct-to-Earth link. This dynamic communications capability represents a critical risk reduction activity as emerging NASA missions transition towards acquiring commercial space relay services by 2031.

"Bard is yet another proof point that York continues to deliver a full spectrum of missions and customers—from high-performance constellations to critical pathfinder demonstrations," said Melanie Preisser, GM and Executive VP of York. "This is just another example of how York has become the provider of choice for deploying next-generation capabilities with the speed, scale, and operational readiness that customers demand."

The Bard mission also showcases the same spacecraft operations backbone powering York's growing constellation portfolio. Operated through the company's secure, cloud-based Multi-Mission Operations Center (MMOC), Bard will demonstrate York's ability to support real-time command and control for multiple simultaneous missions, all from a single, autonomous infrastructure.

About York Space Systems

York Space Systems was founded on and is dedicated to achieving increasingly rapid delivery of reliable and affordable spacecraft. The Denver-based aerospace company is a beacon in the industry, enabling and spearheading next-generation space mission operations globally. Specializing in the swift production of mission-ready spacecraft platforms, York integrates commercial methodologies to deliver across a spectrum of government and commercial missions. Their comprehensive solutions encompass spacecraft production, payload and system integration, launch and ground segment services, and mission operations. Harnessing York's technology suite ensures customers achieve seamless orbit deployments, enhancing their customers' competitive edge. York's S-CLASS, LX-CLASS, and the new M-CLASS platforms allow it to perform a wide variety of space missions ranging from ISR, remote proximity, weather, to communications. York's platforms are compatible with a broad spectrum of launch vehicles and ground segment providers. Their cloud-based mission tasking paired with an autonomous operations center provides an unparalleled, cost-effective solution for real-time data acquisition and analysis. Learn more at http://www.YorkSpaceSystems.com.

SOURCE York Space Systems