Viasat has selected San Francisco-based space infrastructure company Loft Orbital to host a demonstration of its Real-Time Space Relay service, a critical step in NASA’s transition from government-owned communications satellites to commercial networks.

Announced in a May 8, 2024, press release, the partnership will see Viasat integrate a newly developed space-qualified Ka-band terminal onto a Loft Orbital spacecraft. The mission, anticipated to launch in Fall 2025, is part of a $53 million award Viasat received under NASA’s Communications Services Project to evaluate commercial alternatives to the agency’s aging Tracking and Data Relay Satellite system.

Demonstrating commercial relay capabilities

The Real-Time Space Relay service is designed to provide low Earth orbit spacecraft with low-latency, on-demand connectivity for downlinking time-sensitive mission and telemetry data. By leveraging Viasat’s high-capacity geostationary network, the system aims to offer continuous communication links without relying on dedicated ground station passes.

Michael Maughan, Vice President of Space agencies and Mission Systems at Viasat Government Systems, stated the intersatellite link capability will provide significant value during and after the demonstration period. He noted that the multi-orbit service will offer government and commercial customers greater flexibility in downlinking data via the most timely or cost-effective path.

Loft Orbital operates by providing turnkey satellite platforms, flying customer payloads as a service to eliminate the need for clients to build or operate their own spacecraft. Loft Orbital CEO Pierre-Damien Vaujour said the addition of Viasat’s relay service will allow virtual mission customers deploying artificial intelligence applications to maintain continuous real-time access to their payloads.

Phasing out the TDRS network

The Tracking and Data Relay Satellite system has served as the backbone of NASA’s near-Earth space communications since the 1980s. With the current fleet approaching its anticipated end-of-life between 2029 and 2031, NASA initiated the Communications Services Project to shift reliance toward private industry. In November 2024, the agency officially announced that the legacy system will only support existing missions, mandating that new missions utilize commercial services.

In April 2022, NASA awarded six Funded Space Act Agreements totaling $278.5 million to commercial partners to develop near-Earth satellite relay communications. Alongside Viasat, the agency selected SES Space & Defense, Telesat, Amazon, SpaceX, and Kepler Communications. Competitors in the space relay demonstration include SpaceX, utilizing Starlink optical intersatellite links, and Amazon’s Project Kuiper.

Viasat has been expanding its multi-orbit capabilities, completing its acquisition of Inmarsat in May 2023. The company is also pursuing parallel demonstrations under the NASA program, announcing a partnership with Rocket Lab in March 2024 to utilize Viasat’s L-band network for telemetry, tracking, and command operations.

AirPro News analysis

NASA’s transition from operating bespoke communications infrastructure to purchasing commercial services mirrors its successful strategy with the Commercial Crew and Cargo programs. By acting as an anchor customer rather than an owner-operator, the agency is effectively subsidizing the development of a robust commercial space relay market. For companies like Viasat, the Communications Services Project represents a critical bridge. Proving these capabilities in orbit by 2025 positions them to capture long-term government contracts when the legacy network is fully decommissioned by the end of the decade, while simultaneously building infrastructure that can be sold to private low Earth orbit operators.

The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) and Space Exploration Technologies Corp. (SpaceX) are preparing for the return of the Crew-12 mission, targeting an October 7, 2026, undocking from the International Space Station to conclude a nearly eight-month scientific deployment.

The departure follows the successful arrival of the Crew-13 replacement team and a formal change of command aboard the orbital outpost, according to a media advisory issued by the space agency.

Departure timeline and recovery operations

NASA will begin live coverage of the departure sequence at 6:00 a.m. EDT on October 7, 2026, with hatch closure between the SpaceX Dragon spacecraft and the International Space Station (ISS) targeted for 6:20 a.m. EDT. The spacecraft is scheduled to undock from the space-facing port of the station’s Harmony module at 8:05 a.m. EDT.

Following a series of departure burns to move safely away from the orbital laboratory, the Dragon capsule will initiate its deorbit burn at 10:46 a.m. EDT on October 8, 2026. Splashdown is targeted for 11:34 a.m. EDT in the Pacific Ocean off the coast of California.

SpaceX utilizes three designated splashdown zones for Pacific returns, located near Los Angeles, Oceanside, and San Diego. Recovery vessels will be positioned in the primary zone to secure the capsule and extract the crew immediately following splashdown. NASA plans to host a post-splashdown briefing at 1:15 p.m. EDT to discuss the return operations.

The agency updated the departure timeline on October 5, 2026, shifting the undocking and splashdown times from an earlier preliminary schedule to optimize weather and recovery conditions.

Station handover and Crew-13 arrival

The Crew-12 departure marks the end of a brief handover period that began on October 1, 2026, with the arrival of the SpaceX Crew-13 mission. The docking of the Crew-13 Dragon spacecraft temporarily expanded the station’s population to 11 crew members, welcoming NASA astronauts Jessica Watkins and Luke Delaney, Canadian Space Agency astronaut Joshua Kutryk, and Roscosmos cosmonaut Sergey Teteryatnikov.

On October 4, 2026, the combined crews conducted a traditional change-of-command ceremony aboard the ISS. Departing Crew-12 Commander Jessica Meir of NASA officially transferred command of the station to Roscosmos cosmonaut Pyotr Dubrov. Dubrov will remain aboard the station until spring 2027.

In the days leading up to undocking, the Crew-12 astronauts completed final preparations for their return. The crew tested their Dragon pressure suits, packed personal items and scientific cargo, and conducted air and water quality checks aboard the spacecraft.

Commercial Crew Program operations

The Crew-12 mission is the 12th operational crew rotation flight conducted by SpaceX for NASA under the Commercial Crew Program. The initiative partners the space agencies with private industry to provide regular crew transportation to and from the ISS, with SpaceX serving as the primary operational provider.

The Crew-12 astronauts launched atop a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket on February 13, 2026, and docked with the station the following day. The international crew consists of NASA astronauts Jessica Meir and Jack Hathaway, European Space Agency (ESA) astronaut Sophie Adenot, and Roscosmos cosmonaut Andrey Fedyaev.

During their time in orbit as part of Expedition 74 and 75, the crew contributed to hundreds of scientific experiments and technology demonstrations. Their return clears the Harmony module’s space-facing port for future visiting vehicles and leaves the Crew-13 astronauts to continue the station’s primary research objectives.

The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) has assigned four international astronauts to the SpaceX Crew-14 mission to the International Space Station, with a targeted launch from Florida no earlier than spring 2027.

Announced in a September 24, 2026, press release, the assignment marks the 14th commercial crew rotation flight conducted by SpaceX under NASA’s Low Earth Orbit Program. The crew will launch aboard a SpaceX Crew Dragon spacecraft driven by a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket. During their time in orbit, the astronauts will conduct scientific investigations and technology demonstrations designed to prepare for future human exploration missions to the Moon and Mars.

Crew-14 assignments and backgrounds

NASA astronaut Kayla Barron will serve as spacecraft commander for the mission. Selected as a NASA astronaut in 2017, Barron is a U.S. Navy commander and submarine warfare officer holding degrees in systems and nuclear engineering. Crew-14 will be her second spaceflight. She previously spent 177 days in space during the SpaceX Crew-3 mission in 2021, where she completed two spacewalks and served as the lead robotics operator for a third.

NASA astronaut Chris Birch will serve as the mission pilot, marking her first spaceflight. Birch holds a doctorate in biological engineering from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and previously taught bioengineering at the University of California, Riverside, and the California Institute of Technology. Before her selection as a NASA astronaut candidate in 2021, Birch was a decorated track cyclist on the U.S. National Team. According to Outside Magazine, she won 11 national championships and two Pan American Games gold medals, and was named to the Olympic Long Team for the 2020 Tokyo Games.

Two mission specialists will join Barron and Birch, both making their first journeys to space. Makoto Suwa, selected by the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) in 2023, holds a doctorate in geosciences from Princeton University and previously spent nearly a decade working with the World Bank Group. Arutyun Kiviryan, selected by Roscosmos in 2021, is an engineer specializing in rocket science.

Commercial Crew Program progression

The Crew-14 mission continues the operational cadence established by NASA’s Commercial Crew Program. The initiative was established to facilitate the development of U.S. commercial space transportation capabilities, aiming for safe, reliable, and cost-effective access to and from the International Space Station and low-Earth orbit.

SpaceX, a primary partner in the program, received official NASA certification for its Crew Dragon spacecraft in 2020 and has maintained regular crewed flights since that milestone. The reliance on commercial partners has allowed NASA to maintain a continuous human presence in low-Earth orbit while focusing agency resources on deep space exploration objectives.

Upon docking with the International Space Station in spring 2027, the Crew-14 astronauts will integrate into Expedition 75 and Expedition 76 for a long-duration science expedition.

The Crew-14 announcement follows the successful arrival of the preceding rotation. On October 1, 2026, the SpaceX Crew-13 mission docked at the orbital laboratory, delivering NASA astronauts Jessica Watkins and Luke Delaney, Canadian Space Agency astronaut Joshua Kutryk, and Roscosmos cosmonaut Sergey Teteryatnikov to join Expedition 75.