Frank Karnauskas

ANS-166 AMSAT News Service Weekly Bulletins

June 16, 2025June 15, 2025 by Frank Karnauskas

In this edition:

Hotel Reservations for 43rd AMSAT Space Symposium and Annual General Meeting Now Available
Hard Copy Getting Started in Amateur Satellites Now Available
Bankston Introduces Hamvention 2025 AMSAT Forum
Burns Fisher – The Legacy of AMSAT Flight Software
SkyRoof – A Specialized Satellite Tracking Program for SDR’s
VUCC Satellite Standing June 2025
DXCC Satellite Standing June 2025
Changes to AMSAT-NA TLE Distribution for June 13, 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 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 [dot] org.

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/

Hotel Reservations for 43rd AMSAT Space Symposium and Annual General Meeting Now Available

Book your room now! The 43rd Annual AMSAT Space Symposium & Annual General Meeting will be held Thursday, October 16th through Sunday, October 19th. The site of the 2025 event will be the Holiday Inn & Suites Phoenix Airport North.

For your planning purposes, the overall schedule for the event is as follows:

Thursday, October 16th
0900 – 1700 Board of Directors Meeting

Friday, October 17th
0900 – 1200 Board of Directors Meeting
1300 – 1700 Symposium Presentations
1800 – 2100 Reception & Auction

Saturday, October 18th
0900 – 1200 Symposium Presentations
1300 – 1500 Symposium Presentations
1500 – 1700 Annual General Meeting
1800 – 1900 Reception
1900 – 2100 Banquet

Sunday, October 19th
0800 – 1000 Members Breakfast

Credit: Holiday Inn Suites Phoenix Airport North

The Holiday Inn & Suites Phoenix Airport North is located minutes away from Phoenix Sky Harbor airport and features:

Free airport shuttle and parking
Resort-style facility with beautiful courtyard, outdoor pool, brew pub.
Free breakfast
Fully updated rooms
All rooms are two-room suites with choice of 2 Queen beds or 1 King Bed
Affordable rates of only $129 plus tax.

Make your reservations now!
You must make your reservation directly with the hotel to enjoy this special rate.

Group Code: P7C
Group Name: AMSAT

BY PHONE
Reservations: 877-424-2449

ON LINE
https://www.ihg.com/holidayinn/hotels/us/en/phoenix/phxff/hoteldetail
(Under Rate Preference: Select the “Group Rate” button and enter “P7C” then press “Enter” before continuing.)

[ANS thanks AMSAT for the above information.]

Hard Copy Getting Started in Amateur Satellites Now Available

The hard copy edition of AMSAT’s completely updated Getting Started With Amateur Satellites is back in stock! This is the complete guide to get you working the amateur satellites including tracking applications, choosing an antenna, radio selection, and step-by-step operating instructions for the FM, SSB, and digital satellites. This book is for the beginner through the veteran satellite operator. In addition to practical tips and tricks, the book includes operating techniques so that you sound like an experienced operator.

The chapters include:

Introduction to Satellites
Satellite Basics
Locating Amateur Satellites
Your Antenna System
Your Radio System
Operating the FM Satellites
Operating the SSB/CW Satellites
Receiving Satellite Digital Data
Operating the Digital Satellites
International Space Station
Reference Material
Upgrading Your Amateur Satellite Station

This completely updated version is spiral-bound so it lays flat for easy reading The book is printed in full color and is 128 pages.

Order your copy at https://www.amsat.org/product/getting-started-with-amateur-satellites-hard-copy/.
Sorry, U.S. mailing addresses only.

[ANS thanks AMSAT for the above information.]

Your 2025 AMSAT President’s Club Coin Is Waiting!
Celebrating the 40th Anniversary of Amateur Radio on Human Spaceflight
Help Support GOLF and Fox-Plus.

Join the AMSAT President’s Club today and help
Keep Amateur Radio in Space!

https://www.amsat.org/join-the-amsat-presidents-club/

Bankston Introduces 2025 Hamvention AMSAT Forum

AMSAT President Robert Bankston greeted attendees of the Hamvention Saturday, May 17, 2025 AMSAT Forum, kicking off the session which included short presentations by several AMSAT Engineering leaders.

Bankston explained that the organization was officially formed in 1969 saying, “We’ve been keeping Amateur Radio in space for more than 50 years starting with OSCAR 1 in 1961.” OSCAR-1 was launched on December 12, 1961 as a secondary payload on the Thor-Agena rocket with a US Air Force mission. OSCAR-1 was the first satellite ever to be deployed as a secondary payload from a launch vehicle.

“The bureaucratic efforts required to secure permission to launch OSCAR-1 greatly exceeded the effort required to build the satellite. It established the precedent for all subsequent secondary payload launches for the next five decades.”

“Speaking of the fun of being a part of AMSAT,” Bankston said, “Our primary goal is to have Amateur Radio available in space for you to operate with. And if you haven’t done it before, it’s a blast. You’re chasing that little chunk of radio, flying through space at 17,000 miles an hour and trying to keep up with it, whether it be by hand or with automated azimuth and elevation tracking antennas. Accomplishing that is great stuff.”

Bankston told the audience that even more than operating via satellite communications, many AMSAT members get the opportunity to design and build a satellite that goes up into space. “AMSAT has a lot to offer to everybody. We are looking forward to enhanced relationships with school-aged students and their teachers via our new Youth Initiative which includes online self-learning.

“Currently AMSAT has about 4,000 members, the majority of whom are in the United States. AMSAT members also are in some 53 countries. There are other AMSAT organizations around the world, in such countries as the UK, Spain, Germany, Japan, Brazil and many others.

“AMSAT shares a strategic relationship with the U.S. Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) organization. That group facilitates worldwide space-oriented education programs primarily in middle and high schools. Student activities in the ARISS program culminate with a capstone of a live question and answer session via Amateur Radio with an astronaut aboard the International Space Station (ISS). More than 100 astronauts have obtained and use an Amateur Radio license issued by their home country to legally transmit via radios installed on the ISS.”

The forum session provided an update on current activities. Bankston said, “the most important part of today’s update is what our AMSAT engineers are working on.” The lineup of engineering professionals who presented talks began with Jerry Buxton, AMSAT VP of Engineering and his team. Buxton spoke about the importance of AMSAT’s volunteer engineers and an overview of current AMSAT projects.

[ANS thank Robert Bankston, AMSAT President for the above information.]

Burns Fisher – The Legacy of AMSAT Flight Software

Note; Burns Fisher, WB1FJ, AMSAT Senior Software Engineer spoke at the 2025 Hamvention AMSAT Forum about his involvement in the development of flight software for AMSAT satellites and progress to date. His non-technical presentation helped attendees understand the scope of AMSAT software advancements during the past 15 years. This is Par 1 of a 2 Part series.

“I began working on Fox-1 software during 2010. The Fox-1 series of cubesats progressed from A through B, C, D and E. Software for each new satellite is based on that original Fox-1A software, including the five FOX-1 satellites as well as those flown by University of Washington and University of Maine. This is because we make AMSAT radios and processors available to universities so our software is used to control the AMSAT boards.

“Fox-1A was launched in 2015. Since then we’ve refined, added to and reused the same fundamental programs, although each satellite features different capabilities and many other individual program refinements. Specific variations include satellite bus data configurations connecting new subsystems or improved modules within the flight computer. We almost always discover a few bugs in the current satellite which we try to fix in the next one.

“Commands transmitted from a ground station control the Amateur Radio repeater or transponder receive and transmit functions as well as other satellite functions. These commands use encryption to securely authenticate that commands are coming from an AMSAT ground station. Controlling devices like satellites is the only time that encryption is allowed in Amateur Radio.

“In addition, the flight software collects telemetry data from various systems in the satellite, combines it and transmits it back to earth so we can read and use the data to monitor our satellites and the investigators who provided science experiments can get their results.”

“FoxTelem Software for Windows, Mac, and Linux platforms can demodulate, store and analyze telemetry signals from AMSAT cubesats. FoxTelem users, who do not have to be licensed amateurs can upload received telemetry data to the AMSAT server so that it can be used by scientists and researchers whose experiments fly AMSAT satellites as well as by AMSAT engineers monitoring the health of the spacecraft.” (More details or download here: https://www.amsat.org/foxtelem-software-for-windows-mac-linux/)

Burns continued, “If you want to know what the flight software does, the easiest way to see this is to look at the tasks within it. You can think of tasks as being like applications on your phone. This chart shows the list of current flight software tasks.

“One flight task example is a diagnostic task for debugging and testing systems on the bench. Another software task controls experiments such as the Vanderbilt University radiation experiment and the Virginia Tech camera.

The yellow boxes represent two new tasks coordinating multiple processors, and controlling a new electrical bus called CAN. GOLF flight software is still based on the original Fox-1 software but is more complicated and required an enormous amount of additional programming.

“GOLF satellites have a Controller Area Network bus (CAN bus) designed to enable efficient communication between processors and other devices. The CAN bus concept originated in the Automotive Industry to connect automotive ECUs (Electronic Control Units). Its purpose is to reduce the complexity and cost of electrical wiring in automobiles by multiplexing different kinds of data. Multiplexing combines multiple input signals into a single output signal for transmission over a shared channel. There are multiple processors on GOLF.”

While Fox satellites are all in Low Earth Orbits between approximately 500 km and 800 km altitudes, Burns needs to test newly added functions required for navigation and propulsion, part of AMSAT’s strategic goals involving highly elliptical orbits for wide access satellite missions.

(Note: Part 2 of this series will appear in next week’s ANS Weekly Bulletin.)

[ANS thanks Burns Fisher, WB1FJ, AMSAT Senior Software Engineer 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/

SkyRoof – A Specialized Satellite Tracking Program for SDR’s

SkyRoof , developed by Alex Shovkoplyas, VE3NEA, is a satellite tracking and radio control program that focuses on software design radio (SDR) operation. The program supports SDR-based SSB/CW/FM receivers with RIT and Doppler tracking. Frequency tuning is done visually with a mouse.

It provides detailed information about all satellites that transmit in the ham bands while all satellite traces on the waterfall are labeled with satellite names, and the boundaries of the transponder segments.

SkyRoof provides the usual pass prediction for selected satellites and visual representation of the current satellite position and future passes in several formats including Sky View – the view of the sky from your location; Earth View – the view of the Earth from the satellite; Time Line – the satellite passes on the time scale; and Pass List – the details of the predicted passes. The SDR-based waterfall display covers the whole satellite segments on the VHF and UHF bands, with zoom and pan.

The program supplies audio and I/Q output to external programs via a virtual audio cable (VAC). CAT control of an external transceiver is also said to be provided along with antenna rotator control.

SkyRoof is currently available only for MS Windows. It is open source and can be downloaded for free at https://ve3nea.github.io/SkyRoof/index.html.

[ANS thanks Alex Shovkoplyas, VE3NEA for the above information.]

VUCC Satellite Standing June 2025

Here is the VUCC Satellite Award/Endorsement Change Summary for May 01, 2025 to June 01, 2025.

Call	May	June
DL2GRC	1501	1650
AA5PK	1500	1524
OZ9AAR	1100	1300
EA2AA	1050	1085
JN2QCV	1016	1075
W8LR	900	905
AA8CH	876	901
WD9EWK-(DM43)	774	779
AF5CC	651	656
RA3S	107	654
KA9CFD	500	608
AD2DD	517	604
HB9GWJ	575	602
AB5SS	411	549
HC2FG	413	477
K3HPA	350	375
N4QWF	336	350
WD9EWK-(DM41)	229	235
SV8CKM	140	215
WD9EWK-(DM31)	206	210
N6UTC-(DM15)	150	177
DH0GSU	156	170
OH3DP	New	150
OE6JWD	New	101
WB5TX	New	101
W6OR	New	100

Congratulations to the new VUCC Satellite holders!
OH3DP
OE6JWD
WB5TX
W6OR

OH3DP is first VUCC Satellite holder from Finland and KP10.
OE6JWD is first VUCC Satellite holder from JN77.

[ANS thanks Jon Goering, N7AZ for the above information.]

DXCC Satellite Standing June 2025

Here is the DXCC Satellite Award/Endorsement Change Summary for
May 01, 2025 to June 01, 2025.

Call	May	June
DL2GRC	184	188
F4BKV	171	187
SA5IKN	100	184
OZ9AAR	153	173
HB9RYZ	157	163
DL6GBM	157	160
YO9HP	131	157
IK1IYU	146	153
IK5CBE	141	143
TF1A	112	113
W8LR	108	112
YL2GC	New	101

Congratulations to the new DXCC Satellite holder!
YL2GC

YL2GC is first DXCC Satellite holder from Latvia and KO26.

[ANS thanks Jon Goering, N7AZ 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

Changes to AMSAT-NA TLE Distribution for June 13, 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 TLE distribution:

NOAA-18 NORAD Cat ID 28654 Decommissioned 1740 UTC 06/06/2025

[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.

Completed Contacts

Aznakaevo students, Aznakaevo, Republic of Tatarstan, Russia, direct via RC4P
The ISS callsign was RSØISS.
The crewmember was Sergey Ryzhikov.
The ARISS mentor was RV3DR.
Contact was successful Sunday, June 8, 2025 at 09:07 UTC.

Mountain Creek State High School, Mountain Creek, Queensland, Australia, telebridge via IK1SLD
The ISS callsign was OR4ISS.
The crewmember was Takaya Onishi, KF5LKS.
The ARISS mentor was VK4KHZ.
Contact was successful Monday, June 9, 2025 at 08:10 UTC.

Upcoming Contacts

Axiom 4 group 3 telebridge via ON4ISS
Rzeszow University of Technology, Rzeszow Poland.
The ISS callsign is presently scheduled to be OR4ISS.
The scheduled crewmember is Slawosz Uznanski-Wisniewski, SQ7AS.
The ARISS mentor is K4RGK.
Contact is go for Tuesday.June 17, 2025 at 09:39 UTC.

Axiom 4 group 4 telebridge via ON4ISS
University of Wroclaw, Wroclaw, Poland.
The ISS callsign is presently scheduled to be OR4ISS.
The scheduled crewmember is Slawosz Uznanski-Wisniewski, SQ7AS.
The ARISS mentor is K4RGK.
Contact is go for Wednesday, June 18, 2025 at 08:50 UTC.

Axiom 4 group 1 telebridge via IK1SLD
Hungarian Scout Association, Budapest, Hungary.
Debrecen – Bánki Reformed Primary School, Technical College and Vocational Training School, Debrecen, Hungary
Mezoberényi Petofi Sándor Evangélikus Gimnázium, Kollégium és Általános Iskola, Mezöberény, Hungary
Budapesti Muszaki Szakképzési Centrum Puskás Tivadar Távközlési és Informatikai Technikum, Puskás Radio Amateur Club – HA5KHC, HA5KBF, Budapest, Hungary.
The ISS callsign is presently scheduled to be TBD.
The scheduled crewmember is Tibor Kapu, HA5TRO.
The ARISS mentor is ON6TI.
Contact is go for Wednesday, June 18, 2025 at 10:28 UTC.

Axiom 4 group 2 telebridge via IK1SLD
MOBILIS Közhasznú Nonprofit Kft., Gyor, Hungary
Széchenyi István University of Gyor – SZESAT, Gyor, Hungary.
The ISS callsign is presently scheduled to be OR4ISS.
The scheduled crewmember is Tibor Kapu, HA5TRO.
The ARISS mentor is ON6TI.
Contact is go for Thursday, June 19, 2025 at 09:39 UTC.

Youth On The Air 2025, Denver, Colorado, direct via WØY
The ISS callsign is presently scheduled to be NA1SS.
The scheduled crewmember is Nichole Ayers, KJ5GWI.
The ARISS mentor is N7GZT.
Contact is go for: Thursday, June 19, 2025 at 17:25 UTC.
Watch for Livestream at https://youtube.com/live/I7JFXlzjrKc?feature=share

Axiom 4 group 5 telebridge via ON4ISS
UR Rao Satellite Centre (URSC), Dept. of Space, Govt. of India, Bengaluru, Karnataka, India.
The ISS callsign is presently scheduled to be OR4ISS.
The scheduled crewmember is Shubhanshu Shukla, VU2TNI.
The ARISS mentor is AA6TB.
Contact is go for Saturday, June 21, 2025 at 08:01 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.

June 21, 2025
Rochester Amateur Radio Association Hamfest 2025
Barnard Fire Field
410 Maiden Lane Rochester, NY 14616
KB2YSI

August 21-24, 2025
Northeast HamXposition (HamX) & New England ARRL Convention
Best Western Royal Plaza & Trade Center
181 Boston Post Road W
Marlborough, MA 01752
http://www.HamX.org
W1EME, WD4ASW, WB1FJ

September 6, 2025
Greater Louisville Hamfest
Paroquet Springs Conference Centre
395 Paroquet Springs Drive
Shepherdsville, KY 40165
W4FCL

October 16 – 19, 2025
AMSAT Board of Directors Meeting and 43rd Annual AMSAT Space Symposium & Annual General Meeting
Holiday Inn & Suites Phoenix Airport North
1515 North 44th Street
Phoenix, Arizona 85008
Details at https://www.amsat.org/2025-symposium/

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

Satellite Shorts From All Over

- From September 19-21, 2025, the Bochum radome will once again be dedicated to satellite and space research. In cooperation with the Bochum Observatory, AMSAT-Deutschland e.V. is offering a varied and informative program aimed at AMSAT members and all space enthusiasts. The focus is on current developments and future prospects for national and international amateur radio satellites and other space projects. Lectures, presentations and exciting discussions will provide participants with valuable insights into the latest technologies, missions and research projects in space travel. As was the case last year, the Space Days begin on Friday with a general “come together” and end on Sunday with the General Assembly. The exact schedule and further plans here on the website as soon as possible. Anyone interested in giving a presentation is welcome to contact them in advance at [email protected].

- The SpaceX launch of four private astronauts has been delayed again. The Axiom Space’s Axiom Mission 4 (Ax-4) mission to the International Space Station (ISS) had been scheduled to launch atop a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket from Florida’s Space Coast on Wednesday morning, June 11, but a propellant leak in the Falcon 9 booster nixed that plan. And now, another leak — this one in a leaky module at Ax-4’s destination, the ISS — has further postponed the liftoff indefinitely. This is the first flight for the Dragon spacecraft supporting this mission. This will be the second flight for the first stage booster supporting this mission, which previously launched a Starlink mission. [ANS thanks SpaceX.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).

- 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 [dot] org for additional membership information.

73 and remember to help Keep Amateur Radio in Space!

This week’s ANS Editor is 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-110 AMSAT News Service Weekly Bulletins

April 20, 2025 by Frank Karnauskas

In this edition:

Volunteer for Engineering Drawings Needed
AMSAT at Hamvention 2025 – Volunteer at the AMSAT Booth
AMSAT Forum on Saturday, May 17th
TAPR/AMSAT Banquet on Friday, May 16th
Dinner at Tickets Party on Thursday, May 15th
Sonate-2 SSTV Scheduled
Changes to AMSAT TLE Distribution for April 18, 2025
Results of Fram2Ham Competition Announced
JPL Lays Off Its K-12 Education Team
ARISS News
Upcoming Satellite Operations
AMSAT Ambassador Activities
Satellite Shorts From All Over

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 [dot] 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/

ANS-110 AMSAT News Service Weekly Bulletins

To: All RADIO AMATEURS
From: Radio Amateur Satellite Corporation
712 H Street NE, Suite 1653
Washington, DC 20002

DATE 2025 APR 20

Volunteer for Engineering Drawings Needed

As the AMSAT engineering team prepares to build an engineering prototype of its GOLF 3U CubeSat with deployable solar panels, its mechanical engineers could use a bit of help creating drawings for the satellite solar panels, antennas, and associated small parts. You will work directly with the engineer who created the parts.

When asked to make a drawing, the engineer will provide you with the AutoCAD Inventor file of the part plus the assembly model where the part is used. From the assembly model you can learn the function of the assembly and the role of-the part in the assembly. This information will help you determine how to dimension the part and chose tolerances so that it is machined properly. Also, the engineer will provide written instructions for guidance and be available to answer questions.

If you have some spare time to create about 20 drawings, each consisting of a latch, spring, bushing, structural post, antenna mount, PCBs, etc., AMSAT engineers could use your help to stay on schedule. The time estimate that a drawing might require is 1-3 hours of time. Their modelling software is AutoCAD Inventor. They can provide access to an Inventor license if you need it.

For more information please send your email with a short description of your experience to volunteer [at] amsat [dot] org.

[ANS thanks AMSAT for the above information.]

The 2025 AMSAT President’s Club coins are here now!
Celebrating the 40th Anniversary of Amateur Radio on Human Spaceflight
Help Support GOLF and Fox Plus

Join the AMSAT President’s Club today and help
Keep Amateur Radio in Space!
https://www.amsat.org/join-the-amsat-presidents-club/

AMSAT at Hamvention 2025 – Volunteer at the AMSAT Booth

The 2025 Dayton Hamvention will be held at Greene County Fairgrounds in Xenia, OH on May 16-18, 2025! AMSAT will have our usual robust presence and after-hours activities. (AMSAT is one of the larger exhibitors at Hamvention, occupying booths 1007-1010 & 1107-1110 in Building 1.

AMSAT is actively seeking volunteers to assist with booth activities and invites enthusiasts to dedicate their time. Last year, around 20 volunteers played crucial roles in fostering meaningful interactions with attendees. Volunteers, whether able to commit a few hours or the entire weekend, are warmly encouraged to participate.

For those eager to be part of AMSAT’s presence at Dayton Hamvention or request more information about volunteering, contact Phil Smith, W1EME, AMSAT Hamvention Team Leader.

To volunteer or inquire further, individuals can reach out to Phil via email at w1eme [at] astrocom [dot] net. Your involvement not only enriches the event but also contributes to the vibrant amateur radio community.

[ANS thanks AMSAT for the above information.]

AMSAT Forum on Saturday, May 17th

The AMSAT Forum will take place in Forum Room 2 at 1:35 PM – 3:10 PM EDT on Saturday, May 17th. This will immediately follow the ARISS Forum in the same room at 12:40 PM EDT, so get there early and see both presentations!

[ANS thanks AMSAT for the above information.]

TAPR/AMSAT Banquet on Friday, May 16th

The 16th annual TAPR/AMSAT Banquet will be held at the Kohler Presidential Banquet Center on Friday, May 16th at 18:30 EDT. This dinner is always a highlight of the TAPR (Tucson Amateur Packet Radio) and AMSAT (Radio Amateur Satellite Corp.) activities during the Dayton Hamvention. This year’s banquet speaker will be Phil Karn, KA9Q, who will highlight developments and use cases for his ka9q-radio software suite.

The Kohler Presidential Banquet Center is located at 4548 Presidential Way, Kettering, Ohio – about 20 minutes away from the Greene County Fairgrounds.

Tickets ($70 each) may be purchased from the AMSAT store at https://www.amsat.org/product/2025-tapr-amsat-friday-night-banquet-registration/.

The banquet ticket purchase deadline is Monday, May 12th at 17:00 EDT / 21:00 UTC. Banquet tickets must be purchased in advance and will not be sold at the AMSAT booth. There will be no tickets to pick up at the AMSAT booth. Tickets purchased on-line will be maintained on a list with check-in at the door at the banquet center.

Seating is limited to the number of meals reserved with the Kohler caterers based on the number of tickets sold by the deadline.

[ANS thanks AMSAT 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/

AMSAT Dinner at Tickets – Thursday, May 15th

The annual AMSAT “Dinner at Tickets” party will be held at Tickets Pub & Eatery on Thursday, May 15th from 6:00 PM to 8:00 PM EDT. There is no program or speaker – just good conversation. Everyone is invited regardless of whether or not they helped with setup or plan to work in the booth.

Tickets has a great selection of Greek and American food and great company! Food can be ordered from the menu; drinks (beer, wine, sodas and iced tea) are available at the bar.

Come as you are; no reservations required. Bring some friends and have a great time the night before Hamvention. Tickets Pub & Eatery is located at 7 W. Main St, Fairborn, OH 45324. (Telephone (937) 878-9022)

[ANS thanks AMSAT for the above information.]

Sonate-2 SSTV Scheduled

Kees Habraken, PD2CH, reports on Discord that Sonate-2 will transmit SSTV from April 18-20. Two images are transmitted sequentially at these times. Due to unforeseen circumstances, the scheduled times may change at short notice.

A detailed operating schedule can be seen on the SSTV pulldown at https://www.informatik.uni-wuerzburg.de/en/space-technology/projects/active/sonate-2/information-for-radio-amateurs/.

[AMSAT thanks Kees Habraken, PD2CH, 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

Changes to AMSAT TLE Distribution for April 18, 2025

The following satellites have been added to this week’s AMSAT TLE distribution:

HYDRA-W NORAD Cat ID 63490
HADES-ICM NORAD Cat ID 63492

Please note that Two/Three Line Element (TLE or 3LE) sets for spacecraft launched in the near future will not be available, and new formats will be used instead. The essence of the problem is that the US Space Force is running out of five digit numbers to catalog new satellites, see https://celestrak.org/NORAD/documentation/gp-data-formats.php for details.

AMSAT will continue to disseminate TLE for satellites currently in orbit indefinitely as we do now, but we seek comments regarding the best way to support the amateur satellites of the future.

For example, is there any need to augment the weekly e-mail with a new list in one or more of the new formats or is on line access via www.celestrak.org or www.amsat.org sufficient? Please send your comments using the form at www.amsat.org/webmaster-contact/ on the AMSAT web site.

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

Results of Fram2Ham Competition Announced

Rabea Rogge, LB9NJ/KD3AID, has announced the three teams that scored the highest in the Fram2Ham SSTV competition for students.

“Dear @everyone,
first of all: Thank you to everyone participating! It was such fun seeing the engagement and having this direct connection to you all on the ground – literally. These were the best moments on the mission: sending down the pictures, looking down at Earth and knowing that there is someone right there looking up at the same moment. We have seen great submissions to the SSTV gallery and quiz submissions. Without further ado, the three teams that scored the highest are the following:

1st Place – Grand Prize: Team ARISStocats! Active countries: Lithuania, Italy, US (Pennsylvania), Switzerland, US (California)

2nd Place: Team W1HLO-LA1K! Active countries: US (Connecticut), Norway, US (Pennsylvania), Germany

3rd Place: Team GuufyFram! Active countries: Greece, US (Pennsylvania), France, US (Kentucky), US (New York)

“The winning teams will be contacted by email in the next days.

“Well done everyone – we loved to see that all the teams were very international. My hope is that some friendships have formed, the passion for technology has been kindled and that most of all everyone had fun.

“For everyone who is not listed above – don’t forget to claim your digital SSTV certificate! We are looking forward to seeing all the pictures of your setups and hearing the stories.”

Further information on the Fram2Ham mission is available at https://amsat-uk.org/2025/04/01/fram2-mission-launched/.

[ANS thanks AMSAT-UK 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

JPL Lays Off Its K-12 Education Team

For years, the K-12 education team at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory worked to get students to see themselves. Now teachers lament how to fill the gap.

The team made hundreds of lesson plans around major space events. They facilitated workshops for teachers, created a high school internship, took meteor rocks to local campuses, and much, much more. All of these activities were meant to foster the next generation of STEM professionals.

In 2018, JPL’s K-12 education team was part of a group that won an Emmy for its coverage of the Cassini mission’s Grand Finale at Saturn. (Courtesy NASA/JPL-Caltech)

But during the latest round of layoffs at JPL, the tiny team was among the 325 let go. And though some parts of the educational program remain, educators across the country mourn what was lost.

The program was for teachers, by teachers. Three of the K-12 education team’s four members are former classroom teachers. That experience helped them know what to do — and what not to do — to make their materials useful. “We wanted to make sure that teachers didn’t have to figure out how to get our stuff in,” said Ota Lutz, former manager for STEM elementary and secondary education, and a former math teacher.

The education team served as a pipeline, taking the missions, discoveries, and engineering innovations that happened at JPL and turning them into resources for teachers.

The team’s efforts proved fruitful. The JPL education website “drove about 30% of [the research center’s] annual web traffic, to the tune of about a little over two million visits annually,” Lutz said. Read the complete story at https://tinyurl.com/ANS-110-JPL-K12-Education.

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

ARISS NEWS

Completed Contacts

Magnet Innovation Center, Inlet Beach, Florida, telebridge via AB1OC
The ISS callsign was NA1SS .
The crewmember is Nichole Ayers, KJ5GWI.
The ARISS mentor is David Jordan, AA4KN .
Contact was successful on Thursday April 17, 2025.
Pan-African Citizen Science e-lab, Africa, telebridge via IK1SLD
The ISS callsign was OR4ISS.
The crewmember was Nichole Ayers, KJ5GWI.
The ARISS mentor is Peter Kofler, IN3GHZ
Contact was successful: Friday, April 18, 2025.

Upcoming Contacts

Karabaglar Municipality Nasreddin Hodja Child Culture and Science Center, Izmir, Turkey, telebridge via IK1SLD
The ISS callsign is presently scheduled to be OR4ISS.
The scheduled crewmember is Takuya Onishi KF5LKS.
The ARISS mentor is Peter Kofler, IN3GHZ
Contact is go for: Tuesday, April 22, 2025 at 08:50:43 UTC.
Kars on the Rideau School, Kars, Ontario, Canada, telebridge via AB1OC
The ISS callsign is presently scheduled to be NA1SS.
The scheduled crewmember is Nichole Ayers, KJ5GWI.
The ARISS mentor is Steven McFarlane, VE3TBD.
Contact is go for: Tuesday, April 22, 2025 at 13:28:02 UTC.
Oakwood High School, Morgan Hill, CA, direct via KK6OAK
The ISS callsign is presently scheduled to be NA1SS.
The scheduled crewmember is Jonathan (Jonny) Kim, KJ5HKP.
The ARISS mentor is Charles Sufana, AJ9N.
Contact is go for: Friday, April 25, 2025 at 17:22:58 UTC.

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.]

Upcoming Satellite Operations

EI49; April 19-25
Paulo, PV8DX, and company will operate HD8G from grid EI49uf in the Galapagos Islands, April 19-25, using IO-86, RS-44, and possibly AO-07. Watch @HD8G on X.com for updates. Website is https://www.labre-rr.org/galapagos2025.html
EP28; April 30-May 3
Mark Saurman, N8TLV, will be operating as VYØSAT in Gjoa Haven, Nunavut in northern Canada, grid EP28, from 30-April/2025 1840Z to 3-May/2025 1945Z, weather and logistics permitting. Watch @VO1ONE on X.com for updates.

A growing number of satellite rovers are currently engaged in sharing their grid square activations on https://hams.at. By visiting the website, you gain easy access to comprehensive information about the operators responsible for activating specific grid squares. Additionally, you have the ability to assess the match score between yourself and a particular rover for a given pass, while also being able to identify the upcoming satellite passes that are accessible from your location.

[ANS thanks Ian Parsons, K5ZM, AMSAT Rover Page Manager, and Alex Ners, K6VHF, 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.

Denton County Amateur Radio Association (DCARA) – Monday, April 28 at 7 p.m. CDT
Denton Count Administrative Courthouse
1 Courthouse Drive
Denton, TX 76208
Also online. See https://dcara.net/club-calendar/ for link
AMSAT Ambassador: Tom Schuessler, N5HYP

Dayton Hamvention – May 16th thru 18th, 2025
Greene County Fair and Expo Center
210 Fairground Road
Xenia, OH 45385
https://hamvention.org/

June 21, 2025
Rochester Amateur Radio Association Hamfest 2025
Barnard Fire Field
410 Maiden Lane Rochester, NY 14616
AMSAT Ambassador: Don Rhodes, KB2YSI

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

PD2CH Kees H. reports on Discord that Sonate-2 will transmit SSTV pictures from April 18 through April 21. Two images are transmitted sequentially at these times. Due to unforeseen circumstances, the scheduled times may change at short notice. The SSTV pulldown on the following link has a detailed schedule: More information at https://tinyurl.com/ANS-110-Sonate-2-SSTV. [ANS thanks Kees Habraken, PD2CH for the above information.
SWL operators wishing to enter reception reports on the AMSAT Live OSCAR Satellite Status Page can now do so again. After the AMSAT IT team tightened up the security for the “Your Callsign” field, SWL identifiers were no longer allowed. At the request of SWL’er Christian Mayer, the IT team was able to accept callsigns in the format of “OE” followed by 8 numerical digits. AMSAT looks forward to many observations from the Styrian Mountains in Austria as well as the rest of the world. [ANS thanks Joe Fitzgerald, KM1P, AMSAT Information Technology, 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).
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 [dot] 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-068 AMSAT News Service Weekly Bulletins

March 9, 2025 by Frank Karnauskas

AMSAT NEWS SERVICE
ANS-068

In this edition:

Another Batch of CubeSatSim Kits Available Soon in AMSAT Store
GOLF-TEE Advances: Flight Software and Bus Status
New Textbook Featuring GNU Radio Published
ISS Astronauts Reject Call for Early Retirement of the Station
VUCC Satellite Standing March 2025
DXCC Satellite Standing March 2025
Changes to AMSAT TLE Distribution for March 7, 2025
ARISS News
Upcoming Satellite Operations
AMSAT Ambassador Activities
Satellite Shorts From All Over

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 [dot] 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/

ANS-068 AMSAT News Service Weekly Bulletins

To: All RADIO AMATEURS
From: Radio Amateur Satellite Corporation
712 H Street NE, Suite 1653
Washington, DC 20002

DATE 2025 Mar 09

Another Batch of CubeSatSim Kits Available Soon in AMSAT Store

A new batch of twenty CubeSatSim Kits will be available for purchase in the AMSAT Store on Wednesday, March 12, 2025, at 7:00 PM US EDT (2300 UTC). Priced at $400 with shipping included for U.S. addresses, the CubeSatSim Kit offers a hands-on learning experience with no soldering and some assembly, making it ideal for both educational use and public demonstrations.

The CubeSatSim Kit includes:

Fully assembled and tested PCBs (Main, Solar, and Battery Boards)
Raspberry Pi Zero 2 with a Pi Camera and fully programmed micro-SD card, along with a fully programmed Raspberry Pi Pico WH
AMSAT logo Remove Before Flight tag switch
3D printed frame, nylon screws, and nuts, with a mini screwdriver included for assembly
Metal standoffs, stacking headers, and JST jumpers for stacking the PCBs and Pi Zero 2
10 solar panels with pre-soldered JST connectors and mounting tape
BME280 sensor (pressure, temperature, altitude, humidity) and MPU6050 IMU/gyro pre-soldered
Two 6? SMA coax cables and two SMA antennas

The kit also comes with an instruction sheet, parts inventory, and links to online instructions. Assembly time is estimated to be under two hours, with scissors and the provided mini screwdriver.

The v2.0 CubeSatSim features improvements over v1.2, such as an FM transceiver, Raspberry Pi Pico microcontroller, and RF command and control using DTMF or APRS packets. It can also be modified to function as a 500mW high altitude balloon payload.

For those interested in creating their own CubeSatSim, v2.0 blank PCB sets are available at the AMSAT Store for $35. These require additional components, which can be purchased for approximately $300 using the provided Bill of Materials.

Additional resources include:

Kit Instructions https://cubesatsim.org/kit
it Videos https://cubesatsim.org/kit-videos
Discussion Forum https://github.com/alanbjohnston/CubeSatSim/discussions
Quick Start Guide https://cubesatsim.org/qsg

For more information or to borrow a loaner CubeSat Simulator, contact Alan Johnston, AMSAT VP Educational Relations, at ku2y [at] arrl [dot]net.

How to Order
Kits will be sold exclusively on the AMSAT Store website.
Only U.S. shipping addresses are eligible; orders with non-U.S. addresses will be refunded and closed.

About CubeSatSim
CubeSatSim is a low-cost satellite emulator powered by solar panels and batteries. It transmits UHF radio telemetry and can be expanded with additional sensors and modules, making it ideal for educational and public demonstrations.

The 2025 AMSAT President’s Club coins are here now!
Celebrating the 40th Anniversary of Amateur Radio on Human Spaceflight
Help Support GOLF and Fox Plus

Join the AMSAT President’s Club today and help
Keep Amateur Radio in Space!
https://www.amsat.org/join-the-amsat-presidents-club/

GOLF-TEE Advances: Flight Software and Bus Status

Burns Fisher, WB1FJ recently presented a review of the progress being made on the GOLF-TEE flight software, and an overview of the satellite electrical busses and telemetry.

This next generation of GOLF satellites (Greater Orbit – Larger Footprint) marks a new era of communications satellites. The GOLF series of satellites requires technologies that are new to AMSAT’s CubeSat program. The first satellite of this ambitious effort is called GOLF-TEE for Technology Exploration Environment. As an experimental mission, GOLF-TEE is designed to fly in an readily available and low cost low-earth orbit. Its purpose is to test technologies that will be used in later GOLF satellites.

*Figure 1 shows a 3D printed model of the circuit boards for the GOLF-TEE satellite* *built by Tom Karnauskas, N0UW, AMSAT mechanical engineer.*

Fisher showed the audience a new 3D printed model of GOLF-TEE and its circuit board mockups to be secured on aluminum rails. GOLF Project Engineers are optimizing placement of the circuit boards so a model of each board is a big help. They are confronting the challenges that satellite designers face when trying to fit stacks of circuit boards, batteries, complex control systems, and experimental payloads inside a 10cm x 10cm x 30cm spaceframe that is the core of a three-unit CubeSat. He explained that the four fold-out solar panels are expected to generate about 36 Watts of power in full-sun. Fisher commented, “That’s a surprising amount of power.”

But, before GOLF-TEE is ready to fly, several earth-bound versions of the satellite are used by AMSAT engineers. A “flatsat” is a generic term describing the first attempt at interconnecting the circuit boards to be used in the satellite. The components are spread out on a table for easier access to subsystems. At this point, the circuit boards may not even look like what the final items will look like. The flatsat is used for initial testing and development of the circuits as well as the software that runs and communicates with the systems.

*Figure 2 shows a device under test in the WB1FJ shack. It illustrated why the term flatsat is used to describe how prototypes are initially assembled for development and testing.*

The project uses an AMSAT Linear Transponder Module (LTM) for command/control, telemetry, and a V/U linear transponder as well as a newly designed Radiation-Tolerant processor (the RT-IHU). The satellite will utilize a real-time operating system controlling three microprocessors. He said, “Processor coordination is new to GOLF. It keeps watch over processing monitoring for failures. It copes with failures by switching processors.”

GOLF-TEE uses a number of different electrical busses, including I2c and SPI. The purpose of any bus is to communicate among different electrical units while reducing wiring complexity,

Fisher described the eight software programs, also called tasks, that the Real-Time operating system manages:: Downlink Control; Telemetry Collection; Diagnostic Console; Receiver/Transmitter Control; Commanding; Experiment Control; Processor Coordination; and CAN Support.

*Figure 3 identifies the circuit boards that must communicate with each other via different electrical busses and their stacking arrangement.*

Fisher’s work includes tests of the CAN bus and the Central Interface Unit connecting various subsystems. The CAN bus is a controller area network that is a vehicle bus standard designed to enable efficient communication primarily between electronic control units. The CAN bus is new to the AMSAT CubeSat program.

GOLF-TEE will carry a Vanderbilt University a RadFx (Radiation Effects) experiment using I2C data communication format. Vanderbilt University’s Institute for Space and Defense Electronics analyzes radiation-hardened electronics, develops test methods and plans for assuring radiation hardness, and develops solutions to system-specific problems related to radiation effects.

An upcoming feature of a future GOLF satellite will be the ability to comply with NASA’s Orbital Debris and Collision Avoidance Requirements for satellites flying at higher orbits. This means carrying not only an attitude detection and control system but a possible propulsion system needed to de-orbit the satellite at the end of its useful life.

Burns Fisher credited technical contributions to the program by Chris Thompson, VE2TCP, Rich Gopstein, KD2CQ, and Bill Schell, W2WZ. Fisher is a life member of AMSAT and the volunteer lead flight software developer for GOLF Satellites.

[ANS thanks Burns Fisher, WB1FJ, AMSAT GOLF Lead Flight Software Developer for the above information.]

New Textbook Featuring GNU Radio Published

The GNU Radio community announces the publication of a new textbook dedicated to GNU Radio and its applications. Communication Systems Engineering with GNU Radio: A Hands-on Approach explores a wide range of topics, including RADAR, GNSS reception, satellite communication, and digital communications. This book encapsulates over 12 years of experience working with GNU Radio and provides a structured, hands-on approach for students, educators, and practitioners alike.

Software-defined radio (SDR), which emerged in the 1990s, has become a core development method in certain high-profile fields, including military and space communications. High cost and problems with hardware availability, however, prevented this technology from being widely disseminated. The advent of low-cost hardware beginning in the 2010s, however, has made GNU Radio the leading open-source software toolkit for developing SDR systems an increasingly viable and even critical tool for a new generation of radio frequency communication engineers.

Communication Systems Engineering with GNU Radio provides an accessible overview of this toolkit and its applications. Beginning with the fundamentals of using GNU radio for digital signal processing, the volume then moves to the practicalities of decoding data and the advantages of accessing raw data normally unavailable in hardware-defined radio frequency receivers. The result is a potentially crucial tool for engineers looking to adopt this cost-effective and flexible standard for transmitting and processing radio frequency signals.

Readers will find a careful balance of radio communications theory with GNU Radio practicalities, practical implementation examples employing well-developed open-source GNU Radio platforms and extensive accompanying documentation and explanation.

We also encourage educators looking to connect with the GNU Radio community to join #edu on chat.gnuradio.org, or reach out via email at [email protected].

Communication Systems Engineering with GNU Radio is ideal for graduate and undergraduate students in communications systems courses, as well as professionals working in SDR.

The GNU Radio community extends its gratitude to the authors, Jean-Michel Friedt and Herve Boeglen, for their work making this resource available.

More information is available at https://www.gnuradio.org/news/2025-01-29-gnuradio-textbook.

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

ISS Astronauts Reject Call for Early Retirement of the Station

Astronauts on the International Space Station said they disagreed with Elon Musk’s claim that the station was past its prime and should be deorbited in as soon as two years.

Speaking to reporters March 4, NASA astronauts Suni Williams, KD5PLB, and Butch Wilmore, who have been on the station since June on a flawed Starliner test flight, and Nick Hague, KG5TMV, the commander of the Crew-9 mission that will bring the two back with him later this month, addressed political issues like an early retirement of the ISS and Musk’s claim he offered NASA an early return of the Starliner crew.

That included comments on social media by Musk on Feb. 20 where he said the ISS “has served its purpose” and has “very little incremental utility.” Musk called for deorbiting the ISS as soon as possible, which he said should be in two years. NASA’s current plans call for operating the ISS to 2030.

“I actually was extremely impressed coming up here and seeing how much science is going on,” Williams said when asked about Musk’s comments. “I would say we’re actually in our prime right now. We’ve got all the power, all the facilities, up and operating.”

“I would think that right now was probably not the right time to call it quits,” she concluded. “We have probably until 2030 in our agreements, and I think that’s probably really accurate, because we should make the most of this space station for our taxpayers and for all of our international partners, and hold our obligations.”

NASA is instead proceeding with its plan announced in August to have Wilmore and Williams return on the Crew-9 Crew Dragon spacecraft, which launched with two empty seats to provide room for their return. NASA did not consider bringing that capsule back early to ensure there would be an overlap with the Crew-10 mission launching as soon as March 12

“When I launched in late September, our planned return date was the end of February,” Hague said. “Given the amount of training that’s required to get a crew ready and the complexities associated with getting a spacecraft ready to launch and operate in space, targeting a March return is pretty much on target.”

Because Williams and Wilmore did not launch as part of a planned Crew Dragon mission, they do not have customized pressure suits, using instead suits either on the station or brought up on cargo spacecraft.

That means, Williams said, they don’t have their names on them like a typical Crew Dragon suit. “But that’s ok. We’re just Butch and Suni and everybody knows who we are by now.”

“We do have Sharpies up here,” Wilmore added, “so my suit might have a name on it.”

[ANS thanks spacenews.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

VUCC Satellite Standing March 2025

VUCC Satellite Award/Endorsement Change Summary for
February 01, 2025 to March 01, 2025.

Call	Feb.	March
WC7V1611	1619
F4BKV	1200	1300
YO2CMI	1003	1170
N3GS	1103	1122
JK2XXK	1086	1103
EA2AA	1026	1050
N9FN	700	752
HB9GWJ	553	575
PA7RA	495	534
N8URE(FM19)	450	471
KB3IAI	358	400
DF5SF	217	301
K5WO	255	270
WD5GRW	205	213
WD5GRW(EM13QC)	New	213
BI4IA	New	110

Congratulations to the new VUCC Satellite holders.

[ANS thanks Jon Goering, N7AZ, for the above information.]

DXCC Satellite Standing March 2025

DXCC Satellite Award/Endorsement Change Summary for
February 01, 2025 to March 01, 2025.

Call	Feb.	March
OE9DGV	213	214
HB9BZA	188	196
YO2CMI	174	180
G4GIR	171	172
HB9AOF	151	163
YO2KHK	156	158
HB9RYZ	153	155
F6AOJ	143	145
W0NBC	124	142
A65BR	112	117
LA0FA	112	117
ON6AA	New	114
TF1A	103	112
DJ7NT	105	110
IK8YTA	100	107
DL6JZ	New	101
G0MRF	New	100

Congratulations to the new DXCC Satellite holders.

ON6AA is first DXCC Satellite holder from JO11

[ANS thanks Jon Goering, N7AZ, 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

Changes to AMSAT TLE Distribution for March 7, 2025

NOTICE: In an effort to minimize confusion between sources of two line element sets, AMSAT is adopting the convention of listing the USSF/NORAD Satellite Catalog name first, followed by any secondary name or names in parentheses. For example “POEM 4 (BGS ARPIT)” was added recently where “POEM 4” is the name that appears in the US Space Force Satellite Catalog, and “BGS ARPIT” is the name best known within the amateur satellite community. Expect name changes for affected satellites in the coming weeks as this change is fully implemented.

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

FO-118 NORAD Cat ID 54684 Decayed from orbit on or about 6 March 2025

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

ARISS NEWS

Upcoming Contacts
No upcoming contacts scheduled.

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.]

Upcoming Satellite Operations

No operations listed.

[ANS thanks Ian Parsons, K5ZM, AMSAT Rover Page Manager, and Alex Ners, K6VHF, 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.

March 22, 2025
Midwinter Madness Hamfest
Buffalo Civic Center
1306 County Rd 134
Buffalo MN 55313
https://k0ltc.org/midwinter-madness/
Hosts: K0JM, AD0HJ, KE0PBR

April 4-5, 2025
Southeastern VHF Conference 2025
Quality Inn
3095 Wilma Rudolph Blvd
Clarksville, TN 37040
Host: W4FCL

April 5, 2025
RARSfest
Jim Graham Building
NC State Fairgrounds
Youth Center Drive, Gate 5
Raleigh NC
https://www.rarsfest.org/index.php
Hosts: K4EB, N4AEW, W1DCM, KK4HG, N4HF

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

Are the kiddies bored and driving you crazy? Have you read the last issue of the ANS Weekly Bulletins ten times and you still have nine hours to go before the next useable pass of the ISS? How about spending some time with a rocket-oriented coloring book? Get your kids and their crayons out and navigate to https://mondaymandala.com/rocket-coloring-pages. Here you’ll find 24 printable coloring book pages with ready-to-color images of everything from the Space Shuttle, SLS, Soyuz, SpaceX Heavy and so much more. What? Done already? Go to https://mondaymandala.com/astronaut-coloring-pages/ for another twenty coloring book pages of astronauts! Did you color out of the lines? No worry. Print as many pages as you like. These pages are totally FREE! [ANS thanks mondaymanda.com for the above information.]

Run out of crayons? Time to sit back and relax with one or two of sixteen NEW videos of the 2023 AMSAT Space Symposium. David Beaujean, N8EPF, has broken the hours-long You Tube videos of two days worth of Symposium presentations into separate, easy-to-click programs. Topics range from CubeSat propulsion systems to space qualified antenna systems and everything in between. David is working on the 2024 Symposium presentations and will be available soon. So, grab a beverage, a bowl of pretzels and navigate to https://tinyurl.com/ANS-068-Videos. Choose from the topics in the right-hand column. Thank you, Dave, for your tireless work in helping to make AMSAT members aware of what AMSAT is doing to Help Keep Amateur Radio in Space! [ANS thanks AMSAT for the above information.]

Still looking for something to do? The AMSAT News Service can use one or two more rotating weekly editors to help keep its members and other satellite enthusiasts up-to-date. Rotating Editors are expected to make a commitment of once a month or so to get their issue of the ANS Weekly Bulletin out on time. Each issue basically requires six hours or so of reviewing a variety of news sources, copying and editing published stories into the ANS format. Some weeks or chock full of news and some are on the thin side so a bit of original writing maybe be needed. You’ll work with a small group of fellow editors trading stories and pitching in. If you want more information or want to talk to Mark Johns, K0JM, AMSAT News Service Editor-in-Chief, drop a note at volunteer [at] amsat [dot] org. and we’ll get you connected.

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 [dot] 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-026 AMSAT News Service Weekly Bulletins

January 26, 2025 by Frank Karnauskas

In this edition:

AMSAT Fox-Plus CubeSat Moves Toward CDR Milestone
Hacking a Motorized RV Satellite Dish for Tracking LEO Satellites
AMSAT Thanks 2024 President’s Club Members
ARISS News
Upcoming Satellite Operations
AMSAT Ambassador Activities
Satellite Shorts From All Over

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 [dot] 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/

ANS-026 AMSAT News Service Weekly Bulletins

To: All RADIO AMATEURS
From: Radio Amateur Satellite Corporation
712 H Street NE, Suite 1653
Washington, DC 20002

DATE 2025 Jan 26

AMSAT Fox-Plus CubeSat Moves Toward CDR Milestone

Critical Design Review (CDR) of the new AMSAT FOX-Plus CubeSat concept is expected to occur during late May 2025 according to Mike Moore, K4MVM, AMSAT Fox Plus Systems Engineer. Launch of the newly-designed CubeSat is planned for late 2025.

Moore explained, “The purpose of the Fox-Plus Amateur Radio satellite is to continue and augment the success of the original Fox series of AMSAT 1U CubeSats. We want to have units ready to fly experimental payloads on short notice.” The term “1U” refers to the standard size CubeSat, also known as a nanosat, measuring 10x10x10 centimeters, weighing one to 1.33 kilograms.

According to Moore, “To expedite the development, commercial off the shelf (COTS) components were selected. The components included the frame, electrical power system (EPS), solar panels, and antenna system (AntS) from ISISPACE.” Netherlands-based ISIS describes itself as “Disruptive Space Solutions For A Better Tomorrow” provider turn-key missions, launch services and components.

AMSAT concentrates on the Linear Transponder Module (LTM) which includes Legacy Internal Housekeeping Unit (LIHU), Improved Command Receiver (ICR) and receiver/transmitter (RX/TX) subsystem. The CubeSat Power Integrated Unit (PIU) consists of three subsystems deriving electrical energy from solar panels stored in a power battery pack (PBP).

AMSAT’s Fox-Plus A began during 2022 with a Concept of Operations (ConOps) presentation on February 11, 2022. ISIS produced components were received during 2023 then evaluated and tested during 2024. EM build and test began in the later part of 2024 and continues into 2025.

Mike Moore was first licensed in March of 2018 and earned his extra class license in November of the same year. In addition to his AMSAT work he is the ARES Emergency Coordinator for Culpeper County, Virginia and a member of the Culpeper Amateur Radio Association. He is a charter member of the Rappahannock-Rapidan Regional Emergency Communications, also known as R3EMCOMM, an all-volunteer community-wide public service organization. He uses an Icom 9700 for satellite work.

In addition to Moore, the Fox-Plus Engineering Team includes Andrew Robinson, KA3WDW (Mechanical & Structural Engineer), Cliff Jenkins, KE8JAE (Software), Will Brozovic (Software), Leandra MacLennan, AF1R (Electrical Engineer, Hardware), and Patrick Thomas, KB8DGC (System Engineer & PACSAT Liaison).

Fox CubeSat Program Background
AMSAT’s Fox CubeSat program is aligned with the U.S. National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) CubeSat Launch Initiative. This provides opportunities for CubeSats built by U.S. educational institutions, and non-profit organizations to fly on upcoming launches.

Also known as the Educational Launch of Nanosatellites (ELaNa) program, NASA’s innovative technology partnerships provide CubeSat developers a low-cost pathway to conduct scientific investigations and technology demonstrations in space, thus enabling students, teachers, and faculty to obtain hands-on flight hardware design, development, and build experience.

Fox-1A (now designated AO-85) was among the earliest CubeSats launched by NASA. Fox-1 is a 1-Unit CubeSat with U/V FM repeater operating at up to 800mw along with experimental pay-loads facilitating STEM learning.

Ham Radio Now Episode 85 show host Gary Pierce, KN4AQ reveals the early days of the Fox program in his July 9, 2013 YouTube video. The show included an interview of Tony Montiero AA2TX (AMSAT VP Engineering) and Mark Hammond N4MH (AMSAT VP Education). They provided background information about the Fox-1 Satellite and talked about the AMSAT transition from purely Amateur Radio satellites to becoming a platform and communications provider for educational space science experiments.

AMSAT FoxTelem software for Windows, Mac and Linux operating systems is used to transmit satellite telemetry signals. It was developed by Christopher Thompson, G0KLA/AC2CZ/VE2TCP. Thompson also has developed other Amateur Radio Satellite software.

Payloads included a Penn State University capstone project for 2011-2012 academic year, senior engineering students. They developed a 3-axis Micro-Electro-Mechanical-System (MEMS) gyroscope to measure the spin and wobble of the satellite.

The second payload was developed by Vanderbilt University students. It recorded occurrences of radiation-induced bit upsets in modern commercial-off-the-shelf memory chips that exhibit a sensitivity to low-energy protons. The mission contributed to the validation of ground-based test methods for hardness assurance and error rate predictions.

An offshoot of the Penn State University experiment on Fox-1, Mark Spencer, WA8SME wrote about an Attitude Determination Experiment Simulator (Wobbler) in the AMSAT Journal July/August 2013 issue.

[ANS thanks Mike Moore, K4MVM, AMSAT Fox Plus Systems Engineer for the above information.]

The 2025 AMSAT President’s Club coins are here now!
Celebrating the 40th Anniversary of Amateur Radio on Human Spaceflight
Help Support GOLF and Fox Plus

Join the AMSAT President’s Club today and help
Keep Amateur Radio in Space!
https://www.amsat.org/join-the-amsat-presidents-club/

Hacking a Motorized RV Satellite Dish for Tracking LEO Satellites

Over on the SaveItForParts YouTube channel, Gabe Emerson, KL1FI, has uploaded a new video showing how he’s hacking an old motorized Winegard RV satellite dish for tracking low earth orbit satellites, such as the NOAA and Meteor weather satellites as well as the US Military’s DMSP system.

The motorized RV satellite dish was originally intended for tracking TV satellites, but by connecting to the serial port on the control unit, Gabe is able to control the satellite dish through his own code.

Gabe reports, “In this video I’m creating a motorized satellite tracker for S-Band signals. S-Band includes NOAA weather satellites and the US Military’s DMSP system (it’s also the radio band for WiFi, which I might look at later).

“I’m using a Winegard brand “Trav’ler” antenna designed for use on campers and recreational vehicles. It has a built-in three-axis motor system for pointing at TV satellites, but I wanted to use it for tracking satellites closer to earth. Since a low-orbit satellite like NOAA 18 or DMSP passes overhead in about 10 minutes, I need to move the dish faster and more precisely then it was intended for.

“This project is still ongoing, and I don’t yet have the code up on Github. When I do, it will be available at https://github.com/saveitforparts/ alongside the code for some similar antennas I’ve hacked in the past.

“The serial cable I’m using is described here: https://saveitforparts.wordpress.com/2023/12/29/another-portable-radio-telescope/.”

[ANS thanks rtl-sdr.com for the above information.]

AMSAT Thanks 2024 President’s Club Members

Now that the books are being closed for the 2024 calendar year, AMSAT would like to extend its deepest thanks to those individuals and organizations for their extraordinary gifts to AMSAT during the past year. The President’s Club recognizes these generous donors, who together, have provided over $45,000 during 2024. The AMSAT Officers and Board of Directors thank the following:

Titanium Level ($4,800+)
Barry Baines, WD4ASW
Alan Biddle, WA4SCA
William Brown, K9LF

Platinum Level ($2,400+)
Ray Crafton, KN2K
M2 Antenna Systems
Quarter Century Wireless Association

Gold Level ($1,200+)
Anonymous
Anonymous
Burns Fisher, WB1FJ
Mark Hammond, N8MH
John Kludt, K7SYS
Glenn Miller, AA5PK
Michael Stipick, KC4RI

Silver Level ($600+)
John Boehme, K4PRK
Donald Coker, KM6TRZ
Richard Dittmer, KB7SAT
Warren Fugate, W3WE
Mark Johns, K0JM
Joseph, Lynch,N6CL
Bruce Paige, KK5DO
Peter Prendergast, W2PP
Jason Schwarz, N4JJS
Jim Tittsler, 7J1AJH

Bronze Level ($300+)
Keith Baker, KB1SF
George Gallis, AL7BX
Edward Krome, K9EK
Donald Lum, WA6ICW
Donald Pettigrew, K9ECT
Barbara Simpson, KA5CFB
Dave Taylor, W8AAS
Ronald Verweerdt, ZS6RVC
David Vine, WA1EAW

Core Level ($120+)
Oscar Alonzo, N6PAZ
Anonymous
Alan Arrison
David Batzle, N2VDY
Robert Beatty, WB4SON
Alan Boggs, K7IIV
Carlos Cardon, W7QL
James Gallagher III, KB3SQS
George Gallis, AL7BX
David Hartrum, WA3YDZ
Steven Husey, KB1UOJ
Brian Lopeman, KI7WXP
Doug Papay, K8DP
William Pesci, N4WLP
Carlos Picoto, AD7NP
Tim Pierce, N9PN
Larry Schroeder, KD4HSL
Martin Shinko, KB3AEV
Paul Stoetzer, N8HM
Owen Trott, KF5BLK
Stefan Wagener, VE4SW
Wayne Wagner, AG1A

Frank Karnauskas, N1UW, AMSAT VP-Development comments, “AMSAT receives contributions of all sizes from members and other supporters who appreciate the work that AMSAT is doing to keep Amateur Radio in Space. Every donation, big or small, is essential to AMSAT’s success. But, it is this group of donors, representing only 1.3% of AMSAT membership, that do the heavy lifting for AMSAT fund raising.

“Donations of whatever amount that makes sense for each member is especially important for 2025. After years of design work by AMSAT’s Engineering Team, they are now buying tens-of-thousands of dollars worth of parts and beginning to build the actual Fox Plus and GOLF satellites that we will have the benefit of enjoying. If you can, please donate through the members’ portal or the AMSAT Store https://www.amsat.org/product-category/amsat-presidents-club-donations/.”

[ANS thanks AMSAT 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/

ARISS NEWS

Upcoming Contacts

Pine View School, Osprey, FL, direct via W4AC
The ISS callsign is presently scheduled to be NA1SS.
The scheduled crewmember is Sunita Williams, KD5PLB.
The ARISS mentor is Phillip Shreves, N7GZT.
Contact is go for Tuesday, January 28, 2025 at 17:21 UTC.
Watch for Livestream at:
https://www.youtube.com/@SarasotaSchools
https://www.facebook.com/sarasotaschools (Possibly)

Kyoto Municipal Shimogamo Junior High School, Kyoto-city, Japan direct via JL3ZPU
The ISS callsign is presently scheduled to be OR4ISS.
The scheduled crewmember is Nick Hague, KG5TMV.
The ARISS mentor is Satoshi Yasuda, 7M3TJZ.
Contact is go for Friday, January 31, 2025 at 09:09 UTC.

Aznakaevsky district of the Republic of Tatarstan, Russia, direct via TBD
The ISS callsign is presently scheduled to be RS0ISS.
The scheduled crewmember is Ivan Vagner.
The ARISS mentor is A.R.C. “ENERGIA, RV3DR.
Contact is go for Saturday, February,1 2025 at 11:15 UTC.

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 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/

Upcoming Satellite Operations

NA-002; January 28 – February 2, 2025
VP5, Caicos Islands: Tony, KD8RTT, pays Providenciales Island a visit from Jan. 28 until Feb. 2. QRV as VP5/KD8RTT with a focus on satellites. QSL via his home callsign. (Per DARC DX Newsletter)

[ANS thanks Ian Parsons, K5ZM, AMSAT Rover Page Manager, and JoAnne Maenmpaa, K9JKM, 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.

Saturday February 1, 2025 (rescheduled from January 11, 2025)
Gwinnett Amateur Radio Society – TechFest
Gwinnett County Fairgrounds
Expo Center Building
2405 Sugarloaf Pkwy.
Lawrenceville, GA 30045
K4RGK

Friday, Saturday, Sunday February 7-9, 2025
Hamcation 2025 and ARRL Southeastern Division Convention
Central Florida Fairgrounds and Expo Park
4603 W. Colonial Dr.
Orlando, FL 32808
https://www.hamcation.com/
KE4AL

February 14-15, 2025
Yuma HAMCON and Southwestern Division Convention
Yuma County Fairgrounds
Yuma, AZ
https://www.yumahamfest.com/
N1UW

April 4 – 5, 2025
Southeastern VHF Conference 2025
Quality Inn
3095 Wilma Rudolph Blvd
Clarksville, TN 37040
W4FCL

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

HamSCI has announced Personal Space Weather Station sessions via zoom. The Personal Space Weather Station (PSWS) network is a distributed series of receivers designed to measure the space environment. These stations are built by professionals, citizen scientists, and ham radio operators. HamSCI and its partners are constantly at work on expanding the network, improving the PSWS data collection hardware and software, growing the network infrastructure for data storage and retrieval, as well as meeting HamSCI’s ultimate goal, analysis of the collected data. HamSCI has announced a recurring series of Zoom based sessions to help those interested in the project. Sessions occur each Thursday at 10:00 AM Eastern. More information is available on the HamSCI website https://hamsci.org/get-involved. [ANS thanks hamweekly.com for the above information.]
The High-frequency Active Auroral Research Program (HAARP) will be conducting a research campaign January 27-31 UTC, with operating times specified in the table below. Operating frequencies will vary, but all HAARP transmissions will be between 2.75 MHz and 10 MHz. Actual transmit days and times are highly variable based on real-time ionospheric and/or geomagnetic conditions. All information is subject to change. Research topics for this campaign include VLF generation and ducting, studies on STEVE airglow, and space debris detection. This campaign will also support the GIRAFF rocket launch from Poker Flat Research Range, which is investigating the mechanisms that cause flickering and pulsing within the aurora. Note that a number of experiments will be conducted based on the critical frequency (f0F2) determined by the Gakona ionosonde. The included transmission notice supplement contains information on the frequencies HAARP is authorized to transmit. HAARP transmissions will only occur on our authorized frequencies. More information is available at https://tinyurl.com/ANS-026-HAARP. [ANS thanks hamweekly.com for the above information.]
Electric propulsion is being increasingly used on space missions and could ultimately replace thrusters using chemical rockets. Spacecraft powered by electric propulsion could soon be better protected against their own exhaust, thanks to new supercomputer simulations. Electric propulsion is a more efficient alternative to traditional chemical rockets, and there are even plans to use electric propulsion on NASA’s Lunar Gateway space station. The idea behind electric propulsion is that an electric current ionizes (i.e. removes an electron from) atoms of a neutral gas, such as xenon or krypton, stored on board a spacecraft. The ionization process produces a cloud of ions and electrons. Then a principle called the Hall effect generates an electric field that accelerates the ions and electrons and channels them into a characteristically blue plume that emerges from the spacecraft at over 37,000 mph (60,000 kph). Hence an electric propulsion system is also referred to as an ion engine. More information at https://tinyurl.com/ANS-026-ION. [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).
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 [dot] 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