AMSAT-NAAMSAT-NAAMSAT-NA is the Radio Amateur Satellite Corporation, the North American branch of the international amateur radio satellite community.
What is AMSAT? - Bylaws - Articles of Incorporation - Annual Report
Mission Statement and Strategic Plan
See also AMSAT-NA Press Releases.
AMSAT-NA publishes The AMSAT Journal bimonthly. This membership journal features both technical and non-technical articles from AMSAT volunteers, including selected reprints of the best articles from other AMSAT organizations (translated to English if necessary). An index to the AMSAT Journal is available courtesy of Gould Smith, WA4SXM. Please refer to the AMSAT Journal Author's Guide (PDF) if you'd like to submit material for the Journal.
AMSAT-NA also publishes a variety of books and software. See the AMSAT-NA Catalog for details on all these products.
AMSAT-NA's Field Operations department consists of dozens of local Area Coordinators, volunteers who make themselves available to serve as ambassadors to the community.
AMSAT-NA also operates this web site, www.amsat.org, an FTP archive at ftp.amsat.org, and an email host on the Internet, AMSAT.ORG. This machine hosts a set of mailing lists and mail aliases for the amateur satellite community.
AMSAT-NA operates a QSL Bureau for exchange of QSL cards for amateur radio satellite contacts. Be sure to read The Rules for the QSL Bureau.
AMSAT-NA sponsors a number of regular activities and awards.
The Amateur Satellite Service is authorized by international agreements through the International Telecommunication Union (see the ITU page on the Amateur and Amateur-Satellite Service) and (in the United States) by Federal Communications Commission regulations under the authority of the Communications Act passed by Congress. AMSAT-NA keeps a vigilant eye on current events in these regulatory bodies, and when appropriate contributes to the process, in cooperation with other amateur radio groups. For example, see AMSAT's Comments on the IARU Future of the Amateur Service Discussion Paper.
In February 1997, the AMSAT-NA Board of Directors approved a paper entitled Background Information for Prospective Owners and Operators of Satellites Utilizing Frequencies Allocated to the Amateur-Satellite Service. If you are contemplating a satellite project, please read this document.
AMSAT is active in U.S. government rulemaking proceedings. See the archive of filings before the Federal Communications Commission and other government agencies.
AMSAT also administers the assignment of OSCAR numbers.
AMSAT-NA is a 501(c)(3) not-for-profit corporation. If you are a U.S. taxpayer who itemizes deductions, your contributions to AMSAT-NA should be tax deductible. Volunteer organizations with lofty goals are always in need of money, but right now AMSAT-NA has an especially urgent need. Please send donations to AMSAT Headquarters or use the PayPal buttons below.
See also the AMSAT-NA President's Club.
AMSAT's 2003 Annual Report contains a summary of AMSAT's activities for the year, including financials.
See AMSAT's audited financial statement for 2001-2002.
You may inspect AMSAT-NA's tax returns for 1999, 2000, 2001, and 2002. (PDF, large)
In December 2003, the AMSAT Board established an Endowment Fund Committee (PDF).
The AMSAT logo and the name "AMSAT" are registered trademarks of the Radio Amateur Satellite Corporation. Use of the logo requires written permission from headquarters. Artwork of the logo is available for authorized uses.
Keith Baker, KB1SF, and Dick Jansson, WD4FAB, presented a paper entitled Space Satellites from the World's Garage -- The Story of AMSAT at the National Aerospace and Electronics Conference in Dayton, Ohio in May 1994.
Updated 1 March 2004. Feedback to KB5MU.
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