ANS-341 AMSAT News Service Weekly Bulletins

by

AMSAT News Service

ANS-341
December 7, 2025

In this edition:

* KSLV-II Mission Deploys 13 Satellites, Including New Amateur Radio Payloads
* ISS Deployment Added Five New Education-Focused Amateur Radio Missions
* ARISS Moves Series 30 SSTV Transmissions to RS-38S After Equipment Issue
* GridMasterMap Satellite Top 100 Rovers December 2025 Rankings
* Changes to AMSAT-NA TLE Distribution for December 5, 2025
* ARISS News
* AMSAT Ambassador Activities
* Satellite Shorts From All Over

The AMSAT® News Service bulletins are a free, weekly news and information service of AMSAT, The Radio Amateur Satellite Corporation. ANS publishes news related to Amateur Radio in Space including reports on the activities of a worldwide group of Amateur Radio operators who share an active interest in designing, building, launching and communicating through analog and digital Amateur Radio satellites.

The news feed on https://www.amsat.org publishes news of Amateur Radio in Space as soon as our volunteers can post it.

Please send any amateur satellite news or reports to: ans-editor [at] amsat.org

You can sign up for free e-mail delivery of the AMSAT News Service Bulletins via the ANS List; to join this list see: https://mailman.amsat.org/postorius/lists/ans.amsat.org/

KSLV-II Mission Deploys 13 Satellites, Including New Amateur Radio Payloads

South Korea recorded another significant achievement in its growing domestic space program with the successful nighttime launch of the Korea Space Launch Vehicle-II (KSLV-II), also known as Nuri, from the Naro Space Center in Goheung, South Korea. Liftoff occurred at 16:13 UTC on 26 November 2025 after a brief delay caused by an abnormal pressure-sensor signal in the rocket’s umbilical system. After the anomaly was resolved, Nuri ascended smoothly and became South Korea’s first orbital launch conducted during nighttime operations.

The vehicle performed nominally throughout ascent, completing stage separations on schedule and surpassing the 500 km mark roughly seven minutes after liftoff. Orbit insertion occurred approximately twelve minutes into the flight, followed one minute later by the deployment of CAS500-3, a 500-kilogram scientific satellite designed for highly light-sensitive Earth-observation missions. Korea Aerospace Administration (KASA) officials confirmed multiple ground-station contacts with CAS500-3 during its first day on orbit, including passes over the King Sejong Station in Antarctica.

Following the primary payload, Nuri deployed twelve CubeSats, nine of which operate in the amateur UHF bands. Of these, three satellites were fully IARU-coordinated. The twin SNUGLITE-III CubeSats—HANA (436.460 MHz) and DURI (436.788 MHz)—developed by Seoul National University, each carry a 9600-bps GMSK AX.25 digipeater, UHF beacons, and an S-band imaging payload at 2405.000 MHz. These spacecraft support amateur-radio training, GPS-RO technology demonstrations, and formation-flying experiments. The third coordinated payload, SPIRONE (436.650 MHz / 2425.100 MHz) from Sejong University, combines an environmental mission to detect marine plastic with a GMSK beacon and an S-band transponder intended for amateur-radio experimentation.

Student-built SNUGLITE-III HANA and DURI CubeSats are shown before their November 2025 launch. [Credit: Seoul National University]
Six additional CubeSats on the mission also used amateur-band downlinks but were not coordinated through the IARU. These include JACK-003, JACK-004 (both 436.300 MHz), BEE-1000 (436.500 MHz), PERSAT01 (437.125 MHz), K-HERO (437.165 MHz), and INHA-RoSAT (437.665 MHz). While uncoordinated, they remain of interest to amateur-radio satellite observers, particularly during early beacon activity and commissioning efforts as teams work to establish first contact.

This launch also reflects South Korea’s broader strategy of strengthening its commercial aerospace ecosystem. For the first time, primary launch-operation responsibility was handled by Hanwha Aerospace, marking a transition toward greater private-sector involvement in national space access. Despite a two-and-a-half-year gap since the previous Nuri flight, Hanwha and its partners maintained launch readiness and executed the mission successfully—an encouraging sign for Korea’s long-term space-industry development.

KASA plans at least two additional Nuri launches through 2027, with the goal of supporting annual flights thereafter and ultimately developing a next-generation booster capable of heavier payloads and deep-space missions. For the amateur-satellite community worldwide, the KSLV-II program’s demonstrated ability to deploy large numbers of small spacecraft—including coordinated amateur payloads—is a promising development, expanding future rideshare opportunities and adding new signals to monitor across UHF and S-band.

Read the full article at: https://www.koreaherald.com/article/10624440 and Libre Space discussion at: https://community.libre.space/t/kslv-2-cas500-3-mission-2025-11-26-16-13-utc/14043

[ANS thanks Kan Hyeong-woo, The Korea Herald, and the Libre Space community, for the above information]

ISS Deployment Added Five New Education-Focused Amateur Radio Missions

Seven satellites were deployed from the International Space Station on December 2, 2025, with release times spanning 08:10 UTC to 09:50 UTC in three batches using the Voyager Space NanoRacks CubeSat Deployer (NRCSD) system. Five of the deployed spacecraft—SilverSat, RHOK-SAT, Content-Cube, EagleSat-2, and Foras Promineo—operate on amateur radio frequencies and represent a broad collection of university, student-led, and educational missions. SatNOGS stations scheduled more than 700 observations during the first 24 hours as the satellites drifted away from the ISS to form their initial orbits, requiring careful Doppler evaluation and coordinated tracking during the early identification phase.

The first release at 08:10 UTC deployed the 6U DUPLEX satellite, which does not carry an amateur-radio payload. A second deployment window at 08:20 UTC released four 1U spacecraft: SilverSat, RHOK-SAT, Content-Cube, and CU-Alpha. Of these, CU-Alpha operates outside the amateur bands using LoRa at 915 MHz. The final release at 09:50 UTC deployed the two 3U amateur missions, EagleSat-2 and Foras Promineo, completing the NRCSD-29 sequence.

SilverSat, a 1U open-source CubeSat designed to inspire student interest in space science and engineering, was the first amateur satellite from NRCSD-29 to be positively heard on orbit. The spacecraft automatically relays images and telemetry to its ground network, which posts them to social-media platforms whenever a pass is received. European stations reported early carrier traces shortly after deployment, and the first confirmed CW beacon—sent at 16 WPM under the callsign “WP2XGW”—was received at approximately 14:46 UTC. SilverSat uses a UHF turnstile antenna oriented perpendicular to its magnetically stabilized axis, producing LHCP reception for most northern observers.

EagleSat-2, a 3U satellite, was successfully deployed early Tuesday morning from the NRCSD-29 system. [Credit: Voyager Space]

The 08:20 UTC deployment batch also included RHOK-SAT, Content-Cube, and a 1U CubeSat from Cornell University carrying a brief-duration light-sail experiment designed by students at the Space Systems Design Studio. The sail will be released during a later activation sequence following the CubeSat’s deployment and carries several ChipSat flight computers intended to transmit LoRa telemetry in the 70 cm amateur band during a short operational period. Because the timing of the sail’s release depends on mission conditions, additional details about the project and its ChipSat technology are available at alphacubesat.cornell.edu. Telemetry downlinks for this group include 435.425 MHz for RHOK-SAT (9600 FSK), 437.020 MHz for Content-Cube (9600 GMSK), and 437.400 MHz for the ChipSats, which may remain active only for hours to a few days before re-entry.

The two 3U satellites, EagleSat-2 and Foras Promineo, completed the deployments at 09:50 UTC. EagleSat-2, developed by undergraduate students at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University, carries two scientific experiments: the Cosmic Ray Payload, designed to track high-energy particle interactions across three observation phases, and the Memory Degradation Experiment, which compares radiation-induced error rates in several CMOS memory technologies. EagleSat-2 transmits on 437.165 MHz using 19k2 2-GFSK. Foras Promineo supports a public-outreach mission based on an interactive robotic-arm game that operates autonomously or under real-time command during ground passes, transmitting LoRa telemetry on 437.400 MHz.

As of the first day of operations, SatNOGS contributors reported active tracking of all five amateur satellites using preliminary TLEs derived from ISS deployment vectors. With the objects initially clustered closely together, early identification required coordinated Doppler measurements and community-supported observation campaigns. As tracking continues to refine and the satellites separate further, operators can expect more reliable beacon reception and additional opportunities for amateur participation as the missions begin their operational phases.

Read the NRCSD29 ISS Satellites Deployment Libre Space discussion at: https://community.libre.space/t/nrcsd29-iss-satellites-deployment-2025-12-02-08-28-utc/14045

[ANS thanks AMSAT-Francophone and the Libre Space community for the above information]

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ARISS Moves Series 30 SSTV Transmissions to RS-38S After Equipment Issue

Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) has released final scheduling details for the Series 30 Slow-Scan Television retransmission event, which will take place using the RS-38S satellite rather than the ISS. Transmissions are scheduled to begin on 5 December at 00:01 UTC (4 December at 7:01 PM ET) and continue through 13 December at 23:59 UTC. The images will be broadcast from RS-38S, also known as VIZARD-meteo and listed under NORAD 57189, on a downlink of 437.825 MHz with normal Doppler adjustments. Each image will be sent in Robot 36 mode for approximately 36 seconds, followed by a silence period of two to three minutes. Operators may upload their received images to the ARISS SSTV gallery to obtain a new Series 30-1 certificate tailored for the RS-38S event. The satellite can be monitored on amsat.org/status under its VIZARD-meteo entry, and pass-prediction tools are available at amsat.org/pass-prediction for those planning reception attempts.

The RS-38S retransmission provides amateurs an opportunity to receive all 12 Series 30 images after the ISS-based event in November was interrupted by a hardware issue. ARISS announced on 29 November that the RS-38S spacecraft would transmit the same Series 30 imagery during the period of 5–13 December, offering a complete replacement opportunity. This announcement was well received by participants who were unable to capture images during the short ISS transmission window on 12 November. As with previous SSTV events, stations may submit their best frames to the ARISS gallery and request corresponding certificates. The retransmission preserves the commemorative nature of Series 30 while operating entirely independent of ISS hardware. ARISS encourages operators worldwide to monitor its official channels for updates throughout the event period.

The satellite-based activity follows a series of technical difficulties that prevented completion of the original Series 30 event aboard the International Space Station. The ISS transmissions began on 12 November with approximately two hours of successful downlink activity, during which several stations worldwide decoded and uploaded clean images. Soon afterward, SSTV activity on 145.800 MHz FM abruptly stopped, prompting ARISS to acknowledge the outage and begin checking the system status with operations teams on the ground. Crew schedules and limited immediate access to the Service Module hardware initially slowed the troubleshooting process. Operators monitored the downlink throughout the day, but no additional frames were received. ARISS provided real-time updates confirming the outage and advising listeners that further checks were underway.

SSTV Series 30 images will be transmitted from the RS-38S satellite beginning December 5 throughout the event. [Credit: ARISS]

By 15 November, ARISS reported that the SSTV system had remained offline since the initial interruption and that ongoing solar activity added complexity to assessments of the Service Module equipment. U.S. teams awaited additional information, and only the early decodes from the opening hours of the event appeared in the official SSTV gallery. ARISS thanked operators for their continued patience and reminded them that certificates would still be issued for the initial images. Amateur radio stations worldwide continued to submit signal reports and monitor each ISS pass in hopes of renewed activity. Despite broad interest, no additional transmissions were detected. ARISS stated it would continue providing updates as new information became available.

On 16 November, after three days of analysis, ARISS confirmed that the ISS-based Series 30 event could not continue. The Kenwood D710GA transceiver in the Zvezda Service Module, which supports SSTV operations, appeared to have failed and was taken offline for further review. ARISS reported that the radio functioned normally for approximately two hours before the issue occurred, ending downlink activity for the remainder of the planned 12–20 November window. Operators who received images early in the event were encouraged to upload their frames before the submission deadline to qualify for Series 30 certificates. ARISS emphasized that those certificates would still be honored despite the shortened schedule. No additional transmissions were expected until testing of the affected hardware could be completed.

A follow-on update on 21 November clarified the status of the Service Module radio system. ARISS reported that the faulty Kenwood D710GA had been replaced with the onboard spare Kenwood D710E, which is now supporting scheduled Russian school contacts and required backup communications. Additional in-orbit testing of the original D710GA is planned to determine the cause of the failure and evaluate when APRS or SSTV capabilities might be restored. ARISS also confirmed that the Columbus module radio systems, including the cross-band FM repeater and HamTV equipment, continue to operate normally. Restoration of SSTV service from the ISS will depend on the results of continued hardware assessments. Until those evaluations are complete, ISS-based SSTV remains offline, and the RS-38S retransmission provides the primary means for operators to receive the full Series 30 imagery.

[ANS thanks Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) for the above information]

GridMasterMap Satellite Top 100 Rovers December 2025 Rankings

The December 2025 rankings for the Top 100 Rovers (Mixed LEO/MEO/GEO) in satellite operations, as determined by @GridMasterMap on Twitter, has been released. The ranking is determined by the number of grids and DXCC entities activated, taking into account only those grids where a minimum number of QSOs logged on the gridmaster.fr website have been validated by a third party. Grid numbers do not directly reflect the exact number of activations. Satellite operators are encouraged to upload their LoTW satellite contacts to https://gridmaster.fr in order to provide more accurate data.

Updated: 2025-12-02

1 ND9M 26 KX9X 51 KE0PBR 76 SP5XSD
2 NJ7H 27 KG5CCI 52 WD5GRW 77 DL4EA
3 UT1FG 28 DJ8MS 53 XE3DX 78 N6UTC
4 JA9KRO 29 N5BO 54 W7WGC 79 N4UFO
5 N5UC 30 ON4AUC 55 LU4JVE 80 VE7PTN
6 F5VMJ 31 K8BL 56 JK2XXK 81 PT2AP
7 DL6AP 32 KE4AL 57 PR8KW 82 VE1VOX
8 WI7P 33 KB5FHK 58 EB1AO 83 AA8CH
9 K5ZM 34 AC0RA 59 XE1ET 84 KB2YSI
10 DP0POL 35 PA3GAN 60 EA4NF 85 KI7UXT
11 OE3SEU 36 KI0KB 61 N6DNM 86 AF5CC
12 WY7AA 37 F4BKV 62 W8LR 87 KJ7NDY
13 N6UA 38 KI7UNJ 63 W1AW 88 BI1MHK
14 HA3FOK 39 VA3VGR 64 KI7QEK 89 PT9BM
15 LU5ILA 40 JO2ASQ 65 SM3NRY 90 FG8OJ
16 W5PFG 41 VE3HLS 66 KE9AJ 91 YU0W
17 AK8CW 42 BG7QIW 67 F4DXV 92 BG5CZD
18 N9IP 43 HJ5LVR 68 VE1CWJ 93 PU4CEB
19 AD0DX 44 LA9XGA 69 AA5PK 94 W8MTB
20 AD0HJ 45 VK5DG 70 AD7DB 95 N4DCW
21 DL2GRC 46 N7AGF 71 KM4LAO 96 WA9JBQ
22 N4AKV 47 K7TAB 72 M1DDD 97 BA8AFK
23 ND0C 48 DF2ET 73 HB9GWJ 98 VE3GOP
24 WD9EWK 49 JL3RNZ 74 VA7LM 99 JM1CAX
25 BA1PK 50 KE0WPA 75 N8RO 100 PS8BR

[ANS thanks @GridMasterMap for the above information]

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Changes to AMSAT TLE Distribution for December 5, 2025

Two Line Elements or TLEs, often referred to as Keplerian elements or keps in the amateur community, are the inputs to the SGP4 standard mathematical model of spacecraft orbits used by most amateur tracking programs. Weekly updates are completely adequate for most amateur satellites. TLE bulletin files are updated daily in the first hour of the UTC day. New bulletin files will be posted immediately after reliable elements become available for new amateur satellites. More information may be found at https://www.amsat.org/keplerian-elements-resources/.

The following satellites have been added to this week’s AMSAT TLE Bulletin:
SPIRONE NORAD Cat ID 66657
K-HERO NORAD Cat ID 66660

[ANS thanks Joe Fitzgerald, KM1P, AMSAT Orbital Elements Manager, for the above information.]

ARISS News

Amateurs and others around the world may listen in on contacts between amateurs operating in schools and allowing students to interact with astronauts and cosmonauts aboard the International Space Station. The downlink frequency on which to listen is 145.800 MHz worldwide.

Scheduled Contacts

+ Recently Completed

Istituto Di Istruzione Superiore “Il Tagliamento” Di Spilimbergo / Istituto Comprensivo “G. Mazzini”, Spilimbergo, Italy, telebridge via IK1SLD
The ISS callsign was OR4ISS
The scheduled crewmember was Zena Cardman KJ5CMN
The ARISS mentors were IZ2GOJ and IKØWGF
Contact was successful: Fri 2025-11-28 11:40:17 UTC
Congratulations to the Istituto Di Istruzione Superiore “Il Tagliamento” Di Spilimbergo (Pn) and Istituto Comprensivo “G. Mazzini” students, Zena, mentors IZ2GOJ and IKØWGF, and telebridge via IK1SLD!
Watch the Livestream at https://www.ariotti.com/ and https://www.youtube.com/live/MgG7kcYvxWM

Russian State Agrarian University – Moscow Agricultural Academy named after K.A. Timiryazev, Moscow, Russia, direct via TBD
The ISS callsign was RSØISS
The scheduled crewmember was Sergey Kud-Sverchkov
The ARISS mentor was RV3DR
Contact was successful: Fri 2025-12-05 11:00 UTC
Congratulations to the students of the Russian State Agrarian University – Moscow Agricultural Academy, Sergey Kud-Sverchkov, and mentor RV3DR on a successful contact!

Lincoln Magnet School, Springfield, Illinois, direct via K9OK
The ISS callsign was NA1SS
The scheduled crewmember was Jonathan (Jonny) Kim KJ5HKP
The ARISS mentor was AJ9N
Contact was successful: Fri 2025-12-05 15:29:41 UTC
Congratulations to the students of Lincoln Magnet School, Jonathan (Jonny) Kim KJ5HKP, and mentor AJ9N on a successful contact!

+ Upcoming Contacts

None currently scheduled

Many times a school may make a last-minute decision to do a Livestream or run into a last-minute glitch requiring a change of the URL but we at ARISS may not get the URL in time for publication.  You can always check https://live.ariss.org/ to see if a school is Livestreaming.

As always, if there is an EVA, a docking, or an undocking; the ARISS radios are turned off as part of the safety protocol.

The crossband repeater remains configured in the Columbus Module (145.990 MHz up {PL 67} & 437.800 MHz down). If a crewmember decides to pick up the microphone and turn up the volume, you may hear them on the air—so keep listening, as you never know when activity might occur.

The service module IORS is not currently in APRS configuration and is being used only for voice contacts at this time. HamTV in the Columbus Module is configured for scheduled digital amateur television operations on 2395.00 MHz.

Note, all times are approximate. It is recommended that you do your own orbital prediction or start listening about 10 minutes before the listed time.

The latest information on the operation mode can be found at https://www.ariss.org/current-status-of-iss-stations.html

The latest list of frequencies in use can be found at https://www.ariss.org/contact-the-iss.html

[ANS thanks Charlie Sufana, AJ9N, one of the ARISS operation team mentors for the above information.]

AMSAT Ambassador Activities

AMSAT Ambassadors provide presentations, demonstrate communicating through amateur satellites, and host information tables at club meetings, hamfests, conventions, maker faires, and other events.

AMSAT Ambassador Clint Bradford, K6LCS, says,

“Think a 75-minute presentation on “working the easy satellites” would be appropriate for your club or event? Let me know by emailing me at k6lcsclint (at) gmail (dot) com or calling me at 909-999-SATS (7287)!”

Clint has NEVER given the exact same show twice: EACH of the 150+ presentations so far has been customized/tailored to their audiences.

Scheduled Events

None currently scheduled.

For more information go to: https://www.amsat.org/ambassador/

[ANS thanks Bo Lowrey, W4FCL, Director – AMSAT Ambassador Program, for the above information.]

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Satellite Shorts from All Over

+ For the first time in its 25-year history, the International Space Station had all eight docking ports occupied following the reinstallation of Northrop Grumman’s Cygnus XL cargo spacecraft on the Unity module. The visiting spacecraft complement included two SpaceX Dragons, JAXA’s HTV-X1, Cygnus XL, two Soyuz crew vehicles, and the Progress 92 and 93 cargo ships. The Cygnus relocation was coordinated by NASA, Northrop Grumman, and Roscosmos to provide proper clearance for the Soyuz MS-28 spacecraft, which arrived last week. Cygnus XL will remain attached until no earlier than March 2026, when it is scheduled to depart with approximately 11,000 pounds of trash for a destructive re-entry. Meanwhile, the Expedition 73 crew continued a full schedule of research activities as the newly arrived Soyuz MS-28 crew members began long-duration studies focused on human physiology in microgravity. The station is expected to transition to Expedition 74 on December 8 when three MS-27 crew members—NASA astronaut Jonny Kim and Roscosmos cosmonauts Sergey Ryzhikov and Alexey Zubritsky—undock for their return to Earth. (ANS thanks NASA for the above information)

+ Ham Satting, a new multi-platform satellite-tracking and logging application developed by Yousuf Al Balushi, A46UNX, has officially launched on the Apple App Store, bringing a consolidated suite of real-time visualization, pass-prediction, and operating tools to amateur satellite enthusiasts. The app tracks the ISS and more than 20 amateur satellites using an interactive live map with dynamic icons, integrated N2YO data, and improved reliability features introduced in recent updates. Pass-prediction capabilities include precise AOS/LOS times, duration, azimuth, elevation, and quality indicators, complemented by a timeline view that organizes multiple satellite passes into clear, easy-to-read tables for mission planning. Operators can log QSOs locally, filter and export entries, map both home and mobile QTH locations, and track grid squares for VUCC award progress through built-in location-mapping tools. Additional utilities include smart notifications for upcoming passes, calendar integration, customizable satellite lists, and interface refinements aimed at streamlining portable operating and roving. While iOS marks the first full public release, beta versions are already available for Android, Windows, and macOS, with a Linux edition planned soon via unixeer.com. (ANS thanks Yousuf AL Balushi, A46UNX, for the above information)

+ NASA is once again offering the public a chance to “fly” around the Moon by submitting their names for inclusion on a digital boarding pass that will travel aboard Artemis II. The names will be stored on an SD card inside the Orion spacecraft when four astronauts—Reid Wiseman, Victor Glover, Christina Koch, and Canada’s Jeremy Hansen—undertake the first crewed flight of the Artemis program in 2026. Participants can sign up by providing a first name, last name, and a 4- to 7-digit PIN, which is needed later to retrieve the boarding pass. Artemis II will be a roughly 10-day mission launching from Kennedy Space Center, first performing system checkouts before sending the crew on a looping figure-eight trajectory around the far side of the Moon. The flight will evaluate Orion’s performance, carry research payloads on radiation and human health, and help prepare for future lunar surface missions. Sign-ups and details are available at https://www3.nasa.gov/send-your-name-with-artemis/. (ANS thanks NASA for the above information)

+ Time on Mars runs slightly faster than on Earth, according to new calculations by NIST researchers Neil Ashby and Bijunath Patla, who found that clocks on the Martian surface gain about 477 microseconds per day relative to terrestrial time. The difference arises from Mars’ weaker surface gravity, highly elliptical orbit, and changing distance from the Sun and the Earth–Moon system, all of which alter the rate at which clocks tick under general relativity. Although the offset amounts to less than a millisecond per day, modern navigation and communication systems—such as GPS and future Mars-based networks—require timing precision far tighter than a microsecond. The effect is also not constant: depending on Mars’ orbital position, the daily time gain can vary by as much as 226 microseconds. As planning advances for autonomous rover operations, relay satellites, and eventual crewed missions, engineers will need to incorporate these relativistic corrections to prevent timing drift and data inconsistencies. Ashby and Patla’s work, published December 1 in The Astronomical Journal, represents an early step toward establishing accurate and stable time standards for interplanetary operations. (ANS thanks Space.com for the above information)

Join AMSAT today at https://launch.amsat.org/

In addition to regular membership, AMSAT offers membership to:

  • Societies (a recognized group, clubs or organization).
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Contact info [at] amsat.org for additional membership information.

73 and remember to help Keep Amateur Radio in Space!

This week’s ANS Editor,

Mitch Ahrenstorff, ADØHJ
mahrenstorff [at] amsat.org

ANS is a service of AMSAT, the Radio Amateur Satellite Corporation, 712 H Street NE, Suite 1653, Washington, DC 20002
AMSAT is a registered trademark of the Radio Amateur Satellite Corporation.

ANS-334 AMSAT News Service Weekly Bulletins

by

AMSAT News Service
ANS-334
November 30, 2025

In this edition:

  • Registration is open for the 2025–2026 European Astro Pi Challenge
  • Optical Communications Systems Test the Limits of FCC Authority
  • A Protocol Extension for GOLF Operations
  • REALOP CubeSat to Test Hard Drives for ADC System
  • Changes to AMSAT-NA TLE Distribution for [date]
  • ARISS News
  • AMSAT Ambassador Activities
  • Satellite Shorts

The AMSAT(R) News Service bulletins are a free, weekly news and information service of AMSAT, the Radio Amateur Satellite Corporation. ANS publishes news related to Amateur Radio in Space including reports on the activities of a worldwide group of Amateur Radio operators who share an active interest in designing, building, launching and communicating through analog and digital Amateur Radio satellites.

The news feed on http://www.amsat.org publishes news of Amateur Radio in Space as soon as our volunteers can post it.

Please send any amateur satellite news or reports to: ans-editor [at] amsat.org .

Sign up for free e-mail delivery of the AMSAT News Service Bulletins via the ANS List. Join this list at: https://mailman.amsat.org/postorius/lists/ans.amsat.org/ .

Registration is open for the 2025–2026 European Astro Pi Challenge

Educators: Do you want to send your students’ computer programs to space with the European Astro Pi Challenge? Astro Pi Mission Zero and Mission Space Lab are now officially open for the 2025–2026 challenge.

Astro Pi is an ESA Education project run in collaboration with the Raspberry Pi Foundation and delivered nationally by the European Space Education Resource Offices (ESERO).

The project offers different levels of complexity:

Mission Zero – for beginners (up to 19 years old) to learn to write a simple program that will run in space. Mission Zero, well suited for beginners, offers a chance for young people to create a piece of pixel art and have it displayed for astronauts to see on two special Raspberry Pi computers, called Astro Pis, aboard the ISS. The deadline for Mission Zero submissions is 23 March 2026.

Mission Space Lab – for more experienced coders (up to 19 years old) to carry out a scientific task using a program that will run in space. For more experienced coders, Mission Space Lab returns with a real-world scientific task: calculate the speed of the ISS as accurately as possible using the Astro Pi’s sensors or camera. Teams of two to six young people need to write a Python program that collects data from the Astro Pi computers on the ISS to perform this calculation.

Every team that submits a program that complies with the official guidelines will be awarded a participation certificate.The submission deadline for Mission Space Lab is 16 February 2026.

What is Astro Pi?

The European Astro Pi Challenge, or Astro Pi for short, is a free educational project. It has two missions that young people up to 19 years old can participate in, depending on their programming abilities. Both missions use Python programming to create short computer programs that will be run on the International Space Station (ISS).

The Astro Pi school project platform offers educators a comprehensive suite of resources to engage students in space science and coding activities, as well as support and community engagement activities.

Read the complete story at https://astro-pi.org/?utm_source=rpf&utm_medium=website&utm_campaign=homepage .

[ANS thanks RaspberryPi.org for the above information.]

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Celebrate the 40th Anniversary of Amateur Radio on Human Spaceflight
Help Support GOLF and FoxPlus.

Annual memberships start at only $120
Join the AMSAT President’s Club today and help
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Optical Communications Systems Test the Limits of FCC Authority

As the U.S. regulator of non-Federal radio spectrum, the FCC has become one of the most important overseers of commercial space activity. No satellite system can realistically gain access to the U.S. market without prior FCC approval and oversight: the agency licenses space and Earth stations and coordinates U.S. filings with the International Telecommunication Union (ITU).

But optical communications systems—particularly optical ground stations—do not fit neatly within the FCC’s statutory authority to regulate communications by “wire or radio.” Optical transmissions are not “radio.” Rather, free-space optical communications, or “lasercoms,” use optical wavelengths—generally in the near-infrared portion of the spectrum—to transmit data between user terminals.

Traditionally, satellite communication systems have relied on radio frequency (RF) transmissions within designated spectrum bands to relay signals either between satellites or from satellites to Earth. While these systems remain reliable and widely used, RF spectrum has inherent limitations – most notably finite bandwidth, increasing congestion, and atmospheric attenuation.

Optical communications offer a different path. By transmitting optical wavelengths, typically in the near-infrared range, free-space optical links can provide much higher data rates than RF.

One key component is the optical ground station. Unlike a traditional RF ground station with a dish antenna, an optical ground station uses a telescope and optoelectronic components to transmit and receive laser signals.

Still, lasercom poses unique technical challenges. The same narrow beam that enhances security also imposes constraints: RF signals can blanket wide areas.

Atmosphere attenuation also remains a major challenge to lasercom: atmospheric attenuators such as dust, smoke, fog, haze, and inclement weather impair the technology’s ability to transmit information.

The FCC has long indicated that it does not have jurisdiction over optical inter-satellite links because they do not involve RF spectrum. If the FCC lacks authority over lasercom, it might be unable to apply licensing requirements, enforce technical standards, or impose other space access conditions such as orbital debris mitigation plans and post-mission disposal requirements.

Uncertainty also carries real risks – operators do not know whether FCC licensing will eventually be required, what conditions might apply, or whether or how the U.S. might ultimately coordinate internationally. Lack of clarity could also complicate global harmonization: other jurisdictions may set their own rules, creating inconsistent standards.

Read the complete story at http://satmagazine.com/story.php?number=2088275968 .

[ANS thanks SatMagazine.com for the above information.]

Need new satellite antennas?
Purchase M2 LEO-Packs from the AMSAT Store.

When you purchase through AMSAT, a portion of the proceeds goes towards
Keeping Amateur Radio in Space.
https://amsat.org/product-category/hardware/

A Protocol Extension for GOLF Operations

At the recent AMSAT Space Symposium held in Phoenix, Arizona, AMSAT Software Engineer Heimir Thor Sverrisson, W1ANT/TF3ANT, presented on the protocol extension he has been developing for satellite command and control systems, focusing specifically on improvements needed for the GOLF satellite project. The existing setup, utilizing the AMCOM program, has been successfully operational since 2015, primarily employing straightforward commands such as those for transitioning the spacecraft into safe or health modes. However, the GOLF project necessitates a more complex command structure to handle longer payloads, especially those involving Automated Thermal Controls (ATCs), which require orbital parameters to be sent as a cohesive unit.

The discussion underlined the importance of maintaining the proven AMCOM infrastructure, proposing to leverage existing telemetry tools like FoxTelem. The proposal includes utilizing five bits of telemetry data to provide feedback on command status, thus ensuring that commands are transmitted successfully and effectively, addressing the limitations of the current system.

A pivotal part of the discussion revolved around the concept of “multipart commands.” Heimir illustrated a plan to modify the AMCOM command structure to allow the transmission of multiple segments in a single command, using a sequential numbering system to keep track of these packets. The extension would also involve designating specific bits to indicate whether a command is multipart and which piece of the command is being acknowledged or is missing.

Heimir elaborated on the technical elements of the transmission protocol, detailing how to manage packet loss and potential sequence issues via a robust acknowledgment system. The system would require two threads of execution at the ground station — one for sending commands and another for handling incoming telemetry. This dual threading is crucial as it allows for more efficient communications and processing, maintaining system integrity in the event of packet loss or transmission delays.

A key component of the protocol will be adjusting how command data is structured and transferred, with new formats proposed for command definitions. The transition from a CSV format to a more flexible and human-readable JSON format was suggested to accommodate the new capabilities, making it easier for engineering teams to integrate the changes into their workflows.

The presentation included a demonstration of a simulator designed to visually represent the command transmission process, showcasing how the protocol would function under various conditions, including different rates of packet loss. The simulator was created in Python and is hosted on Heimir’s GitHub repository, making it accessible for further exploration.

During the question and answer section, audience members raised concerns related to the security of satellite communications, particularly regarding potential cyber threats. Heimir reassured participants that encryption and digital signature protocols are already in place for uplink communications, although downlink encryption remains restricted by FCC regulations against obscured transmissions.

The meeting concluded with a reflection on the practicality and challenges of implementing these proposed changes, emphasizing the continuous need for advancements in satellite communication protocols to cater to growing operational complexities and security requirements. Follow-up actions were identified, including finalizing the simulation details and incorporating feedback from the engineering team into the command structure proposal. Thankful remarks were exchanged, acknowledging the collaborative efforts required for successful implementation.

You can read Heimer’s complete paper at https://www.amsat.org/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/SS-43_Sverrisson.pdf .

[ANS thanks AMSAT Software Engineer Heimir Thor Sverrisson, W1ANT/TF3ANT, for the above information.]

REALOP CubeSat to Test Hard Drives for ADC System

The University of California, Davis will fly its REALOP 2U CubeSat mission with two goals in mind.

The primary goal of the mission will be to provide students with the educational opportunity to design, build, and test a satellite. Students will gain hands-on knowledge of the different subsystems of the satellite and they will learn about the use of amateur radio and how to use RF in order to communicate with spacecraft.

The secondary goal of the mission is to demonstrate the feasibility of using hard disk drives as a low cost alternative to reaction wheels for CubeSat attitude detection and control. This has the potential to reduce the financial barrier of entry into CubeSat development.

A UHF GMSK downlink with a 96 kHz symbol rate on 437.400 is proposed. Telemetry packets will use HDLC framing and a rate 1/2 convolutional forward error correction. Deployment from the ISS is planned for June 2026.

[ANS thanks the IARU for the above information.]

Changes to AMSAT-NA TLE Distribution for November 28, 2025

Two Line Elements or TLEs, often referred to as Keplerian elements or keps in the amateur community, are the inputs to the SGP4 standard mathematical model of spacecraft orbits used by most amateur tracking programs. Weekly updates are completely adequate for most amateur satellites. TLE bulletin files are updated daily in the first hour of the UTC day. New bulletin files will be posted immediately after reliable elements become available for new amateur satellites. More information may be found at https://www.amsat.org/keplerian-elements-resources/ .

This week there are no additions or deletions to the AMSAT TLE distribution.

[ANS thanks Joe Fitzgerald, KM1P, AMSAT Orbital Elements Manager for the above information.]

Want to fly the colors on your own grid expedition?
Get your AMSAT car flag and other neat stuff from our Zazzle store!

25% of the purchase price of each product goes towards
Keeping Amateur Radio in Space
https://www.zazzle.com/amsat_gear

ARISS NEWS

Amateurs and others around the world may listen in on contacts between amateurs operating in schools and allowing students to interact with astronauts and cosmonauts aboard the International Space Station. The downlink frequency on which to listen is 145.800 MHz worldwide.

  • Successful Contacts

South-West State University, Kursk, Russia, direct via UB3WCL.
The ISS callsign was RSØISS.
The crewmember was Sergey Ryzhikov.
The ARISS mentor was A.R.C. ENERGIA, RV3DR.
Contact was successful on Saturday, November 22, 2025 at 14:54 UTC.

Moscow Aviation Institute, Moscow, Russia direct via R2AS.
The ISS callsign was RSØISS.
The crewmember was Oleg Platonov
The ARISS mentor was A.R.C. ENERGIA, RV3DR.
Contact was successful on Mon 2025-11-24 14:56 UTC.

  • Upcoming Contacts

Lincoln Magnet School, Springfield, Illinois, direct via K9OK.
The ISS callsign is presently scheduled to be NA1SS.
The scheduled crewmember is Jonathan (Jonny) Kim, KJ5HKP.
The ARISS mentor is Charlie Sufana.AJ9N.
Contact is go for Friday, December 5, 2025 at 15:29 UTC.

Russian State Agrarian University – Moscow Agricultural Academy named after K.A. Timiryazev, Moscow, Russia, direct via TBD.
The ISS callsign is presently scheduled to be RSØISS.
The scheduled crewmember is Sergey Kud-Sverchkov.
The ARISS mentor is A.R.C. ENERGIA, RV3DR.
Contact is go for Friday, December 5, 2025 at 11:00 UTC.

  • The crossband repeater continues to be active (145.990 MHz up {PL 67} & 437.800 MHz down). If any crewmember is so inclined, all they have to do is pick up the microphone, raise the volume up, and talk on the crossband repeater. So give a listen, you just never know.
  • The packet system is also active (145.825 MHz up & down).
  • As always, if there is an EVA, a docking, or an undocking; the ARISS radios are turned off as part of the safety protocol.
  • Note, all times are approximate. It is recommended that you do your own orbital prediction or start listening about 10 minutes before the listed time.
  • The latest information on the operation mode can be found at https://www.ariss.org/current-status-of-iss-stations.html .
  • The latest list of frequencies in use can be found at https://www.ariss.org/contact-the-iss.html .

[ANS thanks Charlie Sufana, AJ9N, one of the ARISS operation team mentors for the above information.]

AMSAT Ambassador Activities

AMSAT Ambassadors provide presentations, demonstrate communicating through amateur satellites, and host information tables at club meetings, hamfests, conventions, maker faires, and other events.

AMSAT Ambassador News Logo

None currently scheduled.

[ANS thanks Bo Lowrey, W4FCL, Director – AMSAT Ambassador Program, for the above information.]

Satellite Shorts From All Over

  • ARISS is excited to premier a new video all about Amateur Radio on the International Space Station! Thanks to Nichole Ayers KJ5GWI (@Astro_Ayers on X) who recorded this during her time on the International Space Station. Join them on Tuesday, December 2 at 1800 UTC (1:00 PM EST) for the big reveal! Watch it on https://YouTube.com/ARISSlive . [ANS thanks AMSAT-UK for the above information.]

  • Looking to kick back over the holidays and build and fly your own rockets? Well reviewed spaceflight simulators are available for your Android and iOS phones. A free app named Spaceflight Simulator by Team Curiosity can be found at the Google Play and the Apple Apps stores. You can build any rocket you like from available parts and explore the planets in our solar system as you wish.

Join AMSAT today at https://launch.amsat.org/

In addition to regular membership, AMSAT offers membership to:

  • Societies (a recognized group, clubs or organization).
  • Primary and secondary school students are eligible for membership at no charge.
  • Memberships are available for annual and lifetime terms.

Contact info [at] amsat.org for additional membership information.

73 and remember to help Keep Amateur Radio in Space!

This week’s ANS Editor, Frank Karnauskas, N1UW.
f.karnauskas [at] amsat [dot] org

ANS is a service of AMSAT, the Radio Amateur Satellite Corporation, 712 H Street NE, Suite 1653, Washington, DC 20002.
AMSAT is a registered trademark of the Radio Amateur Satellite Corporation.

ANS-327 AMSAT News Service Weekly Bulletins

by

AMSAT News Service

ANS-327
November 23, 2025

In this edition:

  • September/October 2025 Edition of The AMSAT Journal Now Available
  • New AMSAT CubeSatSim Lite Available on AMSAT Store Sunday
  • Happy 12th Birthday to AO-73 (FUNcube-1)
  • Successful Reception of CatSat 10 GHz Downlink
  • SO-124 Nears End of Orbital Life
  • Changes to AMSAT TLE Distribution for October 10, 2025
  • ARISS News
  • AMSAT Ambassador Activities
  • Satellite Shorts From All Over

The AMSAT News Service bulletins are a free, weekly news and information service of AMSAT, The Radio Amateur Satellite Corporation. ANS publishes news related to Amateur Radio in Space including reports on the activities of a worldwide group of Amateur Radio operators who share an active interest in designing, building, launching and communicating through analog and digital Amateur Radio satellites.

The news feed on https://www.amsat.org publishes news of Amateur Radio in Space as soon as our volunteers can post it.

Please send any amateur satellite news or reports to: ans-editor [at] amsat.org

You can sign up for free e-mail delivery of the AMSAT News Service Bulletins via the ANS List; to join this list see: https://mailman.amsat.org/postorius/lists/ans.amsat.org/

September/October 2025 Edition of The AMSAT Journal Now Available

The September/October 2025 issue of The AMSAT Journal is now available to members on AMSAT’s Member Portal.

Click here to download your copy now

The AMSAT Journal is a bi-monthly digital magazine for amateur radio in space enthusiasts, published by the Radio Amateur Satellite Corporation (AMSAT). Each issue is your source for hardware and software projects, technical tips, STEM initiatives, operational activities, and news from around the world.

Inside the Current Issue:

  • Apogee View – Drew Glasbrenner, KO4MA
  • Educational Relations Update – Alan Johnston, KU2Y
  • AMSAT Education and CubeSat Simulator Project Update – Alan Johnston, KU2Y
  • The STAR Project and the CubeSatSim Lite – Mark Samis, KD2XS
  • The Next Time We Might Receive a Message From the Stars – Joe Kornowski, KB6IGK
  • Bridging Orbit and Classroom: SatNOGS and CubeSatSim Activities – Frederic Rabb, KK6NOW

[ANS thanks AMSAT for the above information]

AMSAT Remove Before Flight Key Tags Now Available
Yes, These are the Real Thing!

Your $20 Donation Goes to Help Fly a Fox-Plus Satellite
Includes First Class Postage (Sorry – U.S. Addresses Only)
Order Today at https://www.amsat.org/product/amsat-remove-before-flight-keychain

New AMSAT CubeSatSim Lite Available on AMSAT Store Sunday

The new AMSAT CubeSatSim Lite will be available on the AMSAT Store starting on Sunday November 23 at 7:00 pm U.S. Eastern Time. The product page can be found at https://www.amsat.org/product/cubesatsim-lite–complete/

The CubeSatSim Lite comes fully assembled and includes a Pi Zero 2W with CubeSatSim micro SD card installed, SMA antennas, USB sound card, Pi Camera, and USB power cord and plug. Just plug it into a power outlet and you will receive simulated telemetry in seven modes including the new FUNcube mode and Cross Band Repeater Mode.
This is a small initial batch – the next batch should be available early in the new year.

CubeSatSim Lite Complete

[ANS thanks Alan Johnston, KU2Y, AMSAT Vice President – Educational Relations, for the above information]

The 2025 AMSAT President’s Club Coins Are Here!
Celebrating the 40th Anniversary of Amateur Radio on Human Spaceflight
Help Support GOLF and Fox Plus.
Join the AMSAT President’s Club today!

Happy 12th Birthday to AO-73 (FUNcube-1)

AO-73 celebrated its 12th birthday on November 21, 2025. The satellite is still operating well in full-time transponder mode.

On November 21, 2013 FUNcube-1 (AO-73) was launched from the Yasny launch base located in the Orenburg Region, Russia on a Dnepr Launch Vehicle into a 600 km, 97.8º inclination sun-synchronous orbit. In this orbit the satellite passes over the British Isles and Europe approximately 3 times in the morning, and 3 in the evening, every day, perhaps allowing the morning passes to be used for educational purposes and the evening passes for Amateur Radio communications.

FUNcube carries a UHF to VHF linear transponder that has 300 mW PEP output and which can be used by Radio Amateurs worldwide for SSB and CW communications.

Communication subsystem:
• 145.935 MHz BPSK Telemetry 30/300 mW
• Inverting SSB/CW transponder 300 mW
– 435.150 – 435.130 MHz Uplink
– 145.950 – 145.970 MHz Downlink

The passband may be up to 15 kHz higher depending on on-board temperatures. Low temperatures give higher frequencies

As of writing, ground stations from around the world have collected 11,631,536 frames of telemetry throughout the satellite’s life. The satellite’s recently received telemetry values can be found on AMSAT-UK’s Data Warehouse at http://data.amsat-uk.org/ui/fc1-fm.

 

[ANS thanks AMSAT-UK for the above information]

Successful Reception of CatSat 10 GHz Downlink

Mike Seguin, N1JEz, reports the successful reception of the University of Arizona’s CatSat’s 10 GHz downlink on 10.47 GHz on the morning of November 21, 2025. The satellite’s  linear transponder uses 10 GHz down and 5 GHz up. More information is available at https://catsat.arizona.edu/

Mike reports that signals were quite good in FN34xn in Vermont! His next step is to try the uplink on 5 GHz on 5.663 GHz.

Below is a link to a portion of the pass. It is an I&Q file recorded with HDSDR using the Winrad format.

https://drive.google.com/file/d/15cuuhi-U5WDkVjiKHJeuP_argBhH0Cpz/view?usp=drive_link

Congrats to the CatSat team!!

[ANS thanks Mike Seguin, N1JEZ, and the University of Arizona’s CatSat Team for the above information]

SO-124 Nears End of Orbital Life

Simulations indicate that the decay of our satellite HADES-R (SO–124) is approaching and will likely occur during the first two weeks of January 2026. If you can, take the opportunity to make use of this satellite, which has been working very well and has brought much joy to radio amateurs around the world. Any old FM equipment will work, since the repeater is level-activated and does not require a sub-tone.

The frequencies and operating modes are as follows:

SO-124

145.925 MHz uplink, Modes: FM voice (no sub-tone) and FSK 200 bps, AFSK, AX.25, APRS 1200 / 2400 bps
436.888 MHz downlink,  Modes: FM voice, CW, FSK 200–2400 bps

[ANS thanks Félix Páez, EA4GQS, AMSAT-EA for the above information]

Changes to AMSAT TLE Distribution for November 21, 2025

Two Line Elements or TLEs, often referred to as Keplerian elements or keps in the amateur community, are the inputs to the SGP4 standard mathematical model of spacecraft orbits used by most amateur tracking programs. Weekly updates are completely adequate for most amateur satellites. TLE bulletin files are updated daily in the first hour of the UTC day. New bulletin files will be posted immediately after reliable elements become available for new amateur satellites. More information may be found at https://www.amsat.org/keplerian-elements-resources/.

This week there are no changes to the AMSAT TLE Distributions.

[ANS thanks Joe Fitzgerald, KM1P, AMSAT Orbital Elements Manager, for the above information]

Need new satellite antennas?
Purchase an M2 LEO-Pack from the AMSAT Store!

When you purchase through AMSAT, a portion of the proceeds goes towards Keeping Amateur Radio in Space.

ARISS News

Amateurs and others around the world may listen in on contacts between amateurs operating in schools and allowing students to interact with astronauts and cosmonauts aboard the International Space Station. The downlink frequency on which to listen is 145.800 MHz worldwide.

Scheduled Contacts

Istituto Di Istruzione Superiore “Il Tagliamento” Di Spilimbergo (Pn), Spilimbergo, Italy, telebridge via IK1SLD

AND

Istituto Comprensivo “G. Mazzini”, Livorno, Italy, telebridge via TBD

The ISS callsign is presently scheduled to be OR4ISS
The scheduled crewmember is Zena Cardman KJ5CMN
The ARISS mentor is IZ2GOJ

Contact is go for: Fri 2025-11-28 11:40:17 UTC 34 deg

Due to the scheduled docking of the Soyuz scheduled for Thu 2025-11-27 12:38 UTC, the radios will be powered down.  Here is the schedule for power down and power up:

Service module radio power down Thu 2025-11-27 10:35 to 10:40 UTC

Columbus module radio power down Thu 2025-11-27 10:40 to 10:45 UTC

Service module radio power up Fri 2025-11-28 10:15 to 10:20 UTC

Columbus module radio power up Fri 2025-11-28 10:20 to 10:25 UTC

Many times a school may make a last minute decision to do a Livestream or run into a last minute glitch requiring a change of the URL but we at ARISS may not get the URL in time for publication.  You can always check https://live.ariss.org/ to see if a school is Livestreaming.

As always, if there is an EVA, a docking, or an undocking; the ARISS radios are turned off as part of the safety protocol.

The crossband repeater continues to be active (145.990 MHz up {PL 67} & 437.800 MHz down),  If any crewmember is so inclined, all they have to do is pick up the microphone, raise the volume up, and talk on the crossband repeater. So give a listen, you just never know.

Note, all times are approximate. It is recommended that you do your own orbital prediction or start listening about 10 minutes before the listed time.

The latest information on the operation mode can be found at https://www.ariss.org/current-status-of-iss-stations.html

The latest list of frequencies in use can be found at https://www.ariss.org/contact-the-iss.html

[ANS thanks Charlie Sufana, AJ9N, one of the ARISS operation team mentors for the above information]

Want to fly the colors on your own grid expedition?
Get an AMSAT car flag and other neat stuff from our Zazzle store!
25% of the purchase price of each product goes towards Keeping Amateur Radio in Space

AMSAT Ambassador Activities

AMSAT Ambassadors provide presentations, demonstrate communicating through amateur satellites, and host information tables at club meetings, hamfests, conventions, maker faires, and other events.

AMSAT Ambassador Clint Bradford, K6LCS, says,

“Think a 75-minute presentation on “working the easy satellites” would be appropriate for your club or event? Let me know by emailing me at k6lcsclint (at) gmail (dot) com or calling me at 909-999-SATS (7287)!”

Clint has NEVER given the exact same show twice: EACH of the 150+ presentations so far has been customized/tailored to their audiences.

Scheduled Events

No events currently scheduled

Interested in becoming an AMSAT Ambassador? AMSAT Ambassadors provide presentations, demonstrate communicating through amateur satellites, and host information tables at club meetings, hamfests, conventions, maker faires, and other events.

For more information go to: https://www.amsat.org/ambassador/

[ANS thanks Bo Lowrey, W4FCL, Director – AMSAT Ambassador Program, for the above information]

Satellite Shorts from All Over

+ China is set to launch an uncrewed Shenzhou spacecraft to the Tiangong space station to provide the Shenzhou-21 astronauts with a means of returning home. An airspace closure notice issued Nov. 17 indicates that China is preparing the Shenzhou-22 spacecraft and a Long March 2F rocket for launch at around 04:10z. on Nov. 25. (ANS thanks SpaceNews Weekly for the above information)

+ Reports indicate the Lobachevsky (RS83S) will be launched in late December. Although the IARU coordination request indicated that it would carry a digital repeater, the satellite’s website indicates that it carries an FM transponder with a 70cm uplink and a 2m downlink. (ANS thanks SpacePi and PV8DX for the information)

Join AMSAT today at https://launch.amsat.org/

In addition to regular membership, AMSAT offers membership to:

  • Societies (a recognized group, clubs or organization).
  • Primary and secondary school students are eligible for membership at one-half the standard yearly rate.
  • Post-secondary school students enrolled in at least half time status shall be eligible for the student rate for a maximum of 6 post-secondary years in this status.
  • Memberships are available for annual and lifetime terms.

Contact info [at] amsat.org for additional membership information.

73 and remember to help Keep Amateur Radio in Space!

This week’s ANS Editor,

Paul Stoetzer, N8HM
n8hm [at] arrl.net

ANS is a service of AMSAT, the Radio Amateur Satellite Corporation, 712 H Street NE, Suite 1653, Washington, DC 20002

ANS 320 AMSAT News Service Bulletins

by

AMSAT News Service

ANS-320
November 16, 2025

In this edition:

* BOTAN Digipeater Schedule a Challenge for U.S. Hams
* Launch Scrubbed Due to ‘Highly Elevated Solar Activity’
* Alarm Over Reductions at Goddard Space Flight Center
* Comet Photos Plagued by Satellite Streaks
* Changes to AMSAT-NA TLE Distribution
* ARISS SSTV Event Continues
* ARISS News
* AMSAT Ambassador Activities
* Satellite Shorts From All Over

The AMSAT® News Service bulletins are a free, weekly news and information service of AMSAT, The Radio Amateur Satellite Corporation. ANS publishes news related to Amateur Radio in Space including reports on the activities of a worldwide group of Amateur Radio operators who share an active interest in designing, building, launching and communicating through analog and digital Amateur Radio satellites.

The news feed on https://www.amsat.org publishes news of Amateur Radio in Space as soon as our volunteers can post it.

Please send any amateur satellite news or reports to: ans-editor [at] amsat.org

You can sign up for free e-mail delivery of the AMSAT News Service Bulletins via the ANS List; to join this list see: https://mailman.amsat.org/postorius/lists/ans.amsat.org/

BOTAN Digipeater Schedule a Challenge for U.S. Hams

BOTAN, a 1U cubesat built by students of the Chiba Institute of Technology in Japan, was deployed from the International Space Station (ISS) on October 10 via the Japanese Space Agency (JAXA) “Kibo” module. The satellite carries an earth-observation camera downloading images upon ground station command at 437.375 MHz. These downloads occur primarily when the satellite is over Japan.

Information on the satellite may be found at
https://sites.google.com/p.chibakoudai.jp/gardens-04/home-english?authuser=0

BOTAN also carries an APRS digipeater operating on 146.825 MHz. The digipeater is also activated by ground station command. Although the original design specifications called for the digipeater to remain active for 720 minutes (12 hours) after activation, observations have shown that it currently times out after 480 minutes (8 hours).

As a result, when the digipeater is activated by the command station in Japan, it has timed out before passing over portions of North America. Although the Chiba Institute has asked amateurs around the world for telemetry downloads, the attempts to make use of the satellite’s services have been frustrating for North American amateurs.

BOTAN is next scheduled for digipeater activation on 2025-11-16 at 08:53 UTC (although current Keplerian data does not show the bird over Japan until approximately half an hour after that time). Far west coast U.S. and Mexican stations would be in the footprint briefly in the first hour thereafter. The eight hour activation would end at 16:53 UTC. During that period the satellite will pass over Asia, Australia, Africa, Europe, and South America — but not over Central or North America. Interested operators are encouraged to watch for schedule changes.

Masahiro Sanada, JI1IZR, has posted a nice blog about the station setup he is using for BOTAN operation. The post may be found at https://ji1izr.cocolog-nifty.com/

[ANS thanks Chiba Institute of Technology and Masahiro Sanada, JI1IZR,  for the above information.]

AMSAT Remove Before Flight Key Tags Now Available
Yes, These are the Real Thing!

Your $20 Donation Goes to Help Fly a Fox-Plus Satellite
Includes First Class Postage (Sorry – U.S. Addresses Only)
Order Today at https://www.amsat.org/product/amsat-remove-before-flight-keychain

Launch Scrubbed Due to ‘Highly Elevated Solar Activity’

After terrestrial weather forced Blue Origin to scrub its Sunday attempt to launch its 98-meter-tall (321 ft) New Glenn rocket, unacceptable space weather prevented a launch attempt on Wednesday from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station.

In a post on social media, the company said NASA made the call to stand down “due to highly elevated solar activity and its potential effects on the ESCAPADE spacecraft.”

On Tuesday afternoon, NOAA’s Space Weather Prediction Center forecast a G4 Severe Watch connected to a coronal mass ejection first detected on Sunday, Nov. 9. It noted that this is just the fourth G4 Watch issued this solar cycle, making it “very rare,” and added that impacts are expected “about midday on Nov. 12.”

Aurora were visible across North America on the evening of November 11. Photo credit: Doug Arntson, KØPX

A severe (G4) geomagnetic storm lit up skies across the Northern Hemisphere overnight (Nov. 11-12), with vivid northern lights visible across Canada, the U.S, and as far south as Mexico.

The incredible display followed the arrival of multiple coronal mass ejections (CMEs) — eruptions of magnetic field and plasma from the sun — launched by sunspot AR4274, one of the most energetic sunspot groups of the current solar cycle. The ongoing storm ranks among the strongest of Solar Cycle 25 and last night’s peak at G4 clocked in as the third strongest geomagnetic storm this solar cycle. The first two CMEs struck in quick succession last night, compressing Earth’s magnetic field and unleashing spectacular aurora shows that lasted well into the night.

New Glenn lifts off from Launch Complex 36 at Cape Canaveral, carrying twin Mars probes for NASA. Image: Michael Cain/Spaceflight Now.

Blue Origin finally launched its second heavy-lift New Glenn rocket Thursday, Nov. 13, putting two small NASA satellites onto a long, looping course to Mars to learn more about how the sun has slowly blown away the red planet’s once thick atmosphere.

[ANS thanks spaceflight now and space.com for the above information. Read the full articles at:
https://spaceflightnow.com/2025/11/11/live-coverage-blue-origin-targets-nov-12-new-glenn-launch-following-weekend-weather-scrub/
https://www.space.com/stargazing/auroras/severe-geomagnetic-storm-sparks-northern-lights-across-north-america-and-as-far-south-as-mexico-photos.]

Only 6 Weeks Left to Get Your Coin!
Celebrating the 40th Anniversary of Amateur Radio on Human Spaceflight

Help Support GOLF and Fox Plus.
Annual memberships start at only $120
Join the AMSAT President’s Club today!

Alarm Over Reductions at Goddard Space Flight Center

Alarm is growing among federal workers at NASA’s iconic Goddard Space Flight Center’s main campus in Greenbelt, Maryland — the nerve center for groundbreaking missions like the Hubble and James Webb space telescopes — as more than a dozen buildings on the campus are being emptied and padlocked during the federal shutdown, with very little notice to employees, said four sources who spoke to CNN on the condition of anonymity for fear of retribution. NASA leadership has pushed back against those concerns.

In one instance, furloughed employees were given just days to temporarily return to work and help empty entire buildings of highly specialized equipment, according to sources and internal emails obtained by CNN. In the communications, NASA managers wrote that equipment not moved in time — including one-of-a-kind hardware — could be thrown away or donated.

A Hubble Space Telescope composite image shows a supernova explosion designated SN 2014J in the galaxy M82.
Photo Credit: NASA Goddard

In a statement, a NASA spokesperson said the building closures are part of a “strategic consolidation” plan mapped out by Goddard leaders that should not impact ongoing projects.

One document reviewed by CNN, which was compiled by more than a dozen Goddard workers concerned about the steps taken at the campus, states that 13 buildings are being shuttered, including about 100 laboratories. The roughly 1,270-acre campus includes more than 30 large buildings and dozens of smaller structures.

The changes described by sources have the space agency’s engineers concerned they could permanently lose access to equipment and facilities that are crucial to keeping current and future projects on track.

[ANS thanks the CNN  for the above information. Read the full story at https://www.cnn.com/2025/11/04/science/nasa-goddard-building-closures-government-shutdown]

Comet Photos Plagued by Satellite Streaks

Recent months have seen space fans revel in a wealth of spectacular astrophotography depicting the evolution of Comet Lemmon’s glowing coma and twisting tail as it journeyed through a Northern Hemisphere night sky swarming with satellites.

While many photographers opted to post sanitized views of Comet Lemmon, others intentionally compiled their images to reveal the incredible number of satellites that crossed the night sky over the course of multiple exposures.

A composite image of Comet Lemmon revealing where bright pixels were rejected by an image-stacking algorithm. (Image credit: Dan Bartlett via Space.com)

“Photographically, if someone is attempting to take a single image of a target and needs the image to be ‘clean’ — free of manmade objects — well, that image is nearly impossible to obtain,” astrophotographer Dan Bartlett told Space.com in an email. “Every single subframe I take (prior to stacking) now contains at least one, and usually more than one satellite streak.”

There are currently about 13,000 operational satellites orbiting Earth, of which about 8,900 are SpaceX Starlink craft. This number is set to exponentially increase, with SpaceX alone aiming to orbit up to 42,000 of its internet-beaming spacecraft, while competing companies aim to add thousands more satellites to their own “megaconstellations.”

Astrophotographers combat satellite streaks by capturing a multitude of short exposures over the course of a single session. The images are then combined and subjected to an algorithm that determines a median value for each pixel before rejecting outlier pixels with values that exceed set parameters.

[ANS thanks Space.com for the above information. Read the full article at https://www.space.com/stargazing/astrophotography/comet-lemmon-photos-are-plagued-by-satellite-streaks-heres-how-amateur-astronomers-face-the-problem .]

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Changes to AMSAT TLE Distribution for November 14, 2025

Two Line Elements or TLEs, often referred to as Keplerian elements or keps in the amateur community, are the inputs to the SGP4 standard mathematical model of spacecraft orbits used by most amateur tracking programs. Weekly updates are completely adequate for most amateur satellites. TLE bulletin files are updated daily in the first hour of the UTC day. New bulletin files will be posted immediately after reliable elements become available for new amateur satellites. More information may be found at https://www.amsat.org/keplerian-elements-resources/.

The following satellite has been removed from this week’s AMSAT distribution:

ENSO — NORAD Cat ID 58470 Decayed from orbit on or about 09 November 2025

The following satellite has been added to this week’s AMSAT distribution:

CEVROSAT1 — Provisional ID 98526 Note: Resource constraints at USSF 18SDS evidently are preventing generation of TLE for this satellite. The element set provided is unusally poor, expect the satellite to pass a minute or more away from predictions.

[ANS thanks Joe Fitzgerald, KM1P, AMSAT Orbital Elements Manager, for the above information.]

ARISS SSTV Event Continues

The worldwide Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) team and the global family of ham radio enthusiasts celebrated 25 years of continuous amateur radio operations on the International Space Station (ISS) on November 13, 2025.

Only eleven days after the Expedition 1 crew took up residence on ISS the crew turned on the ham radio system and began speaking with teams in Star City Russia, the NASA Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland, and the NASA Johnson Space Center in Houston, Texas.

Throughout it all volunteer ARISS team members have worked side by side with space agencies and astronauts and cosmonauts around the world to develop, certify, launch and operate the ham radio systems that enable creation of an amateur radio bridge between people on earth and spacefarers in orbit.

During 25 years of continuous operations, ARISS has connected 1 million kids in classrooms and information educational settings to the ISS through nearly 1,800 ham radio contacts. It’s all about Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) educational opportunities. Maximum value is added by working with educators to ensure that their students learn about space science, living and working in space, ISS research and radio communications. This educational element starts 4-6 months before the ARISS contact.

When the time comes for their once-in-a-lifetime radio contact with the ISS, they use an amateur radio ground station at their host organization or one of our international ground stations to talk directly to the astronauts and cosmonauts on ISS—LIVE!

There are two amateur radio stations on ISS, one in the Columbus Module and one in the Service Module, supporting 24/7 communications with hams on the ground via voice and digital repeaters in space. ARISS also provides opportunities for youth and radio amateurs to downlink pictures, called Slow Scan Television (SSTV), from ISS as well as standard Television downlinks using our HamTV system and our L/S-Band antennas.

It’s important to note that these amateur radio systems are completely independent from the ISS communications systems. Because of that, they also serve as a pivotal ISS backup communications capability. If the main ISS communications systems fail or are rendered unusable, our flight hardware and ground operations team is ready to spring into action 24/7.

As we cross the threshold of 25 years of continuous operations on ISS and look forward to many more, ARISS will begin a one-year commemoration of its achievements. Several interactive initiatives for youth, educators, ham radio operators and the public are planned. Stay tuned to the ARISS website and social media channels to find out what what is planned. As reported in AMSAT News Service bulletins last week, the first commemorative event is already underway—an SSTV (picture downlink) event that started November 12 and runs through November 19.

[ANS thanks Frank Bauer, KA3HDO, ARISS International Chair, ARISS-USA Executive Director,  for the above information.]

ARISS News

Amateurs and others around the world may listen in on contacts between amateurs operating in schools and allowing students to interact with astronauts and cosmonauts aboard the International Space Station. The downlink frequency on which to listen is 145.800 MHz worldwide.

Recently Completed

Colegio Del Faro, Benavídez, Tigre, Argentina, direct via LU4BB
The ISS callsign was OR4ISS
The scheduled crewmember was Mike Fincke KE5AIT
The ARISS mentor was VE3TBD
Contact was successful: Tue 2025-11-11 18:18:56 UTC 51 degrees maximum elevation
Congratulations to the Colegio Del Faro students, Mike, mentor VE3TBD, and ground station LU4BB!

Scheduled Contacts

SPACE Academy of Azercosmos, Baku, Azerbaijan, direct via 4K4AZE
The ISS callsign is presently scheduled to be OR4ISS
The scheduled crewmember is Mike Fincke KE5AIT
The ARISS mentor is SP3QFE
Contact is go for: Sun 2025-11-16 14:53:03 UTC 28 degrees maximum elevation

Russian school TBD, direct via TBD
The ISS callsign is presently scheduled to be RSØISS
The scheduled crewmember is Oleg Platonov
The ARISS mentor is RV3DR
Contact is go for Tue 2025-11-18 10:10 UTC

Escuela Jose Marti, Mexico City, Mexico, telebridge via IK1SLD
The ISS callsign is presently scheduled to be TBD
The scheduled crewmember is Zena Cardman KJ5CMN
The ARISS mentor is VE3TBD
Contact is go for: Wed 2025-11-19 15:34:03 UTC 55 degrees maximum elevation

Russian school TBD, direct via TBD
The ISS callsign is presently scheduled to be RSØISS
The scheduled crewmember is Oleg Platonov
The ARISS mentor is RV3DR
Contact is go for Thu 2025-11-20 14:50 UTC

Many times a school may make a last minute decision to do a Livestream or run into a last minute glitch requiring a change of the URL but we at ARISS may not get the URL in time for publication.  You can always check https://live.ariss.org/ to see if a school is Livestreaming.

As always, if there is an EVA, a docking, or an undocking; the ARISS radios are turned off as part of the safety protocol.

The crossband repeater continues to be active (145.990 MHz up {PL 67} & 437.800 MHz down),  If any crewmember is so inclined, all they have to do is pick up the microphone, raise the volume up, and talk on the crossband repeater. So give a listen, you just never know.

Packet operations (145.825 MHz up & down) suspended for SSTV (145.800 MHz down)​​ until November 20.

Ham TV is configured for​​​ scheduled digital amateur television operations (2395.00 MHz).

Note, all times are approximate. It is recommended that you do your own orbital prediction or start listening about 10 minutes before the listed time.

The latest information on the operation mode can be found at https://www.ariss.org/current-status-of-iss-stations.html

The latest list of frequencies in use can be found at https://www.ariss.org/contact-the-iss.html

[ANS thanks Charlie Sufana, AJ9N, one of the ARISS operation team mentors for the above information.]

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AMSAT Ambassador Activities

AMSAT Ambassadors provide presentations, demonstrate communicating through amateur satellites, and host information tables at club meetings, hamfests, conventions, maker faires, and other events.

None currently scheduled.

Interested in becoming an AMSAT Ambassador? AMSAT Ambassadors provide presentations, demonstrate communicating through amateur satellites, and host information tables at club meetings, hamfests, conventions, maker faires, and other events.

For more information go to: https://www.amsat.org/ambassador/

[ANS thanks Bo Lowrey, W4FCL, Director – AMSAT Ambassador Program, for the above information.]

Satellite Shorts from All Over

+ Amazon is rebranding its “Project Kuiper” constellation of satellites in low Earth orbit. The program will now be known as “Amazon Leo.” There are now 153 Kuiper satellites satellites in orbit, intended to provide high-speed internet connections worldwide. (ANS thanks Amazon for the above information.)

+ LambdaVision, a biotech company, has flown nine missions to the ISS, where it produced a 200-layer protein thin film as a precursor to an artificial retina implants. Most recently, the company won a NASA Phase 2 In Space Production Applications award in September to continue developing the company’s in-space manufacturing process — in this case, in partnership with microgravity research firm Space Tango. (ANS thanks PayloadSpace.com for the above information. See the full article at https://payloadspace.com/lambdavision-closes-7m-seed-round-to-make-retinas-in-leo/.)

+ Three Chinese astronauts returned from their nation’s space station Friday after more than a week’s delay because the return capsule they had planned to use was damaged, likely from being hit by space debris. The team left their Shenzhou-20 spacecraft in orbit and came back using the recently arrived Shenzhou-21, which had ferried a three-person replacement crew to the station, China’s Manned Space Agency said. The original return plan was scrapped because a window in the Shenzhou-20 capsule had tiny cracks, most likely caused by impact from space debris, the space agency said Friday. (ANS thanks the Associated Press for the above information. Read the full story at https://apnews.com/article/china-space-station-stranded-crew-shenzhou-e266f7106491b587e60d303068973761)

+ SpaceX launched another batch of Starlink broadband satellites November 10 on a Falcon 9 rocket. It was the 94th orbital mission so far this year from Cape Kennedy, breaking 2024’s record of 93 launches. A SpaceX executive said at a conference recently that he expected the company to finish the year with 165 to 170 Falcon 9 launches, which would also be a record. The total number of Starlink satellites launched so far in 2025 is 2,600. And the year’s not over yet. (ANS thanks SpaceNews Editor’s Choice newsletter for the above information.)

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73 and remember to help Keep Amateur Radio in Space!

This week’s ANS Editor,

Mark Johns, KØJM
mjohns [at] amsat.org

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