NASA Accelerates Shift to Commercial Satellite Relay Services for Near‑Earth Missions

NASA is rapidly advancing demonstrations of commercial satellite relay services that could replace its Tracking and Data Relay Satellite (TDRS) system for near‑Earth science missions. The agency’s Communications Services Project (CSP), managed by the SCaN program and Glenn Research Center, awarded funded Space Act Agreements in 2022 to six U.S.

companies to develop and test next‑generation relay capabilities. Partners are demonstrating a range of services: real‑time launch tracking, telemetry and command, and high‑rate scientific data transfers, including optical (laser) links not available through TDRS. Amazon’s Amazon LEO for Government is preparing early‑2026 tests of optical communications over its low‑Earth‑orbit relay network to validate pointing, acquisition, and tracking.

SES Space & Defense has run recent flight tests with Planet Labs showing uninterrupted, high‑capacity relays across GEO and MEO, and has validated both low‑rate tracking/telemetry/command via GEO C‑band and high‑rate data over its O3b mPOWER Ka‑band constellation. More demonstrations are planned for early 2026.

SpaceX has demonstrated on‑orbit optical relays with Starlink since 2024, including during the Polaris Dawn and Fram2 human spaceflight missions using an optical terminal on Dragon. Telesat Government Solutions is developing the Lightspeed LEO network, with launches planned for late 2026 and space‑to‑space optical demonstrations, including an end‑to‑end Planet Labs relay, slated for 2027.

Key Topics

Tech, Nasa, Communications Services Project, Tdrs, Amazon Leo, Starlink