York Space Systems Successfully Launches BARD Mission, Demonstrating Next-Generation Communications Capabilities for NASA

DENVER--(BUSINESS WIRE)--York Space Systems (York), a defense technology company transforming how the United States builds and operates space-based capabilities, today announced the successful launch of its BARD mission. The satellite deployed successfully on July 23 from Vandenberg Space Force Base. York made contact on the first attempt, and all systems are healthy on orbit.

BARD was procured as a commercial mission from York and developed in collaboration with NASA’s Space Communications and Navigation (SCaN) Program and Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Laboratory (APL). The mission will flight-demonstrate the Polylingual Experimental Terminal (PExT), an advanced communications payload designed to enable real-time interoperability between government and commercial satellite relay networks—a first-of-its-kind capability supporting NASA’s shift toward a commercial communications architecture.

York is delivering at a pace and scale unmatched across the industry. The successful BARD launch comes only one month following the successful deployment of York’s Dragoon mission. Moreover, BARD is the second of five distinct missions York is executing in 2025 alone. From spacecraft design and manufacturing to full mission integration, launch, and operations, York’s end-to-end capabilities are enabling customers across the defense and commercial sectors to deploy critical space assets faster, more affordably, and with greater mission flexibility.

“The success of BARD reinforces York’s commitment to delivering impactful missions with speed, resilience, and performance,” said Melanie Preisser, GM and Executive VP of York. “From Dragoon to BARD, we’re delivering complete space missions that meet the most urgent operational needs of our customers. York continues to lead the way in redefining how space-based capabilities are developed, launched, and operated.”

With hundreds of satellites under production and a growing fleet on orbit, York is setting a new standard for rapid deployment of resilient space infrastructure to support national security, civil, and commercial customers.

About York Space Systems

York Space Systems is a defense technology company transforming how the United States builds and operates space-based capabilities. As the leading provider of proliferated warfighter space solutions, York delivers fully integrated, mission-ready systems, combining high-performance spacecraft, software-defined operations, and ground-based autonomy, at unmatched speed and value.

With a foundation in high-rate manufacturing and systems-level integration, York is driving the convergence of hardware, software, and mission autonomy to redefine how the U.S. executes national defense from space. By enabling real-time intelligence and resilient, scalable infrastructure, York empowers a smarter, faster, and more adaptive defense posture. Learn more at http://www.YorkSpaceSystems.com.