Viasat Advances NASA Communications Demonstration With Maxwell Launch

10:28 AM EDT, 10/21/2026 (MT Newswires) -- Viasat (VSAT) said Wednesday it has advanced its NASA Communications Services Project demonstration with the successful launch of the Maxwell spacecraft aboard SpaceX's (SPCX) Bandwagon-5 rideshare mission on Tuesday. The mission is part of two NASA contracts worth a total of $81 million to develop space-based communications services as NASA prepares to retire its Tracking and Data Relay Satellite fleet, the company added. The company said that its government space team will test its Ka-band and L-band satellite relay services over the next five months, through March 2027. Rocket Lab (RKLB) built the Maxwell spacecraft and supplied key components, the company added. Price: 61.89, Change: +1.72, Percent Change: +2.85