# Viasat’s Maxwell Satellite Reaches Orbit for NASA Communications Tests

By Simon Yoon

Canonical URL: https://www.tokenpost.com/news/technology/37218
Published: 2026-10-22T00:17:15.000Z
Updated: 2026-10-22T00:17:15.000Z
Section: Technology

> The spacecraft is scheduled to test relay and direct-to-ground links for five months, through March 2027.

Viasat’s Maxwell demonstration spacecraft reached low Earth orbit after a Tuesday launch from Cape Canaveral, Florida, putting a five-month test of commercial communications links for future NASA missions on course.

Maxwell lifted off at 7:04 a.m. ET (11:04 UTC) Oct. 20 aboard SpaceX’s Bandwagon-5 rideshare mission. Two NASA-funded commercial communications demonstrations reached low Earth orbit on the mission.

Viasat plans to test relay and direct-to-ground communications through March 2027. Relay tests will use Ka-band and L-band links to route data among Maxwell, Viasat satellites in geosynchronous orbit and ground stations. Direct-to-ground tests will use S-, X- and Ka-band links.

The test will examine how data can travel between a spacecraft in low Earth orbit, satellites farther from Earth and ground stations. The project is testing commercial networks for future low Earth orbit missions while NASA phases out its Tracking and Data Relay Satellite fleet.

NASA awarded $278.5 million in 2022 through the project to develop commercial satellite services for space missions. Rocket Lab built the spacecraft and provided its L-band radio.

“Yesterday’s launch represents the culmination of years of innovation, engineering and collaboration across Viasat, NASA and our industry partners,” said John Reeves, vice president of space and mission systems at Viasat Government.