Mark Johns

AMSAT News Service

ANS-039
February 8, 2026

In this edition:

* FO-29 Approaches Full Sunlight
* Gridmaster Top 100 Rovers for February 2026
* VUCC Satellite Standing February 2026
* DXCC Satellite Standing for February 2026
* SpaceX Grounds its Falcon 9 Rocket
* Declassifying JUMPSEAT: An American Pioneer in Space
* Changes to AMSAT-NA TLE Distribution
* Kenya to Represent Africa in ARISS Program 2026
* 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/

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FO-29 Approaches Full Sunlight

Fuji-OSCAR 29 (JAS 2) will soon enter a season of orbits in full sunlight, making it once again available for worldwide use.

JAS-2 was successfully launched on August 17, 1996. It orbits the Earth in a polar orbit at 1300 km altitude in a time of 112 minutes. The inclination is 98°. The transmission power of the beacon is 100 mW, the transponder 1 watt. The linear transponder downlink is from 435.800 MHz – 435.900 MHz (USB, CW), with uplink from 145.900 MHz – 146.00 MHz (LSB, CW). CW beacon frequency is 435.795 MHz.

Fuji-OSCAR 29 (JAS 2) Credit: JAMSAT

Designated as Fuji-OSCAR 29 after achieving orbit, JAS 2 has long been one of the most popular and most useful linear satellites available to amateurs. However, as the satellite approaches 30 years of age, its batteries have long-since failed. It only continues to operate while the sun is illuminating its solar panels.

On March 9, FO-29 will begin orbiting in full sunlight, without periodic eclipses.

In mid-February, the duration of the shadow decreases from about 20 minutes to about 1 minute per day. Therefore, FO-29’s transmitter may suddenly come to life unexpectedly. Amateurs are encouraged to monitor the satellite and to update its activity on the AMSAT OSCAR Satellite Status page, https://www.amsat.org/status/.

Please enjoy using FO-29 while it remains available!

[ANS thanks Akira Kaneko, JA1OGZ, of JAMSAT for the above information.]

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The 2026 President’s Club Coin is Now Available!
Help Support GOLF and FoxPlus.

Annual memberships start at only $120
Join the AMSAT President’s Club today and help
Keep Amateur Radio in Space!
https://www.amsat.org/join-the-amsat-presidents-club/

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VUCC Satellite Standing February 2026

VUCC Satellite Award/Endorsement Change Summary for January 01, 2026 to February 01, 2026.

Call	Jan	Feb
DF2ET	1700	1801
DG7RO	1504	1600
PS8ET	1000	1216
EA2AA	1135	1170
JL1SAM	905	1008
JS1LQI	808	825
PA7RA	534	604
XE2YWH	595	600
HB9BIN	356	460
WO3T	437	450
OH3DP	352	401
IK8YTA	300	332
PU5DDC	254	258
EA4DEI	200	250
XE1R	105	237
G4BWP	200	220
I2OIM	155	206
WB5TX	160	165
W1AW	103	134
PU4FAR	New	100
YB0OSU	New	100

Congratulations to the new VUCC Satellite holders.

PU4FAR
YB0OSU

PU4FAR is first VUCC Satellite holder from GH83

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

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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/

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DXCC Satellite Standing for February 2026

DXCC Satellite Award/Endorsement Change Summary for January 01, 2026 to February 01, 2026.

Call	Jan	Feb
HB9BZA	196	204
PY2RN	166	192
YO2CMI	185	186
VU2LBW	166	174
ON4AOI	156	167
HB9GWJ	150	154
EA3GP	103	153
LA7XK	118	119
IK8YTA	107	118
K6FW	102	104

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

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SpaceX Grounds its Falcon 9 Rocket

SpaceX has temporarily grounded its workhorse Falcon 9 rocket, which is slated to launch four astronauts next week.

A Falcon 9 delivered 25 of SpaceX’s Starlink satellites into low Earth orbit (LEO) as planned on Monday (Feb. 2). But, after deploying the payloads, the rocket’s upper stage failed to perform its deorbit burn, which was designed to bring it down for controlled destruction in Earth’s atmosphere.

Northrop Grumman’s Cygnus XL cargo craft lifts off atop SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket from Florida’s Cape Canaveral Space Force Station
to the International Space Station in September, 2025. Credit: NASA+

The Falcon 9 is the world’s busiest rocket by far. It launched a record-breaking 165 times in 2025 and already has 14 liftoffs until its belt this year.

The rocket is incredibly reliable, too. All of last year’s missions were successful, and just a single one — a Starlink launch on March 3 — experienced a significant anomaly.

It’s unclear how long this new launch hiatus will last. But both SpaceX and NASA doubtless hope the issue is resolved soon, for a very high-profile Falcon 9 launch is coming up — that of the Crew-12 astronaut mission to the International Space Station (ISS).

Crew-12 is scheduled to include NASA astronauts Jack Hathaway, KJ5NIV, and Jessica Meir, as well as French astronaut Sophie Adenot, KJ5LTN, and Russian cosmonaut Oleg Artemyev. Their SpaceX Dragon capsule has been scheduled for launch atop a Falcon 9 rocket on February 11.

[ANS thanks Space.com for the above information. See the full article at https://www.space.com/space-exploration/launches-spacecraft/spacex-grounds-its-falcon-9-rocket-after-a-problem-with-its-upper-stage-will-the-crew-12-astronaut-mission-be-affected]

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Declassifying JUMPSEAT: An American Pioneer in Space

The director of the National Reconnaissance Office (NRO) recently declassified the existence of JUMPSEAT: the United States’ first-generation, highly elliptical orbit (HEO) signals-collection satellite.

Launched from 1971 to 1987 under mission numbers 7701 to 7708, JUMPSEAT was the product of the United States Air Force’s (USAF) program at the NRO. Developed under a program called “Project EARPOP,” JUMPSEAT offered the U.S. a way of collecting intelligence during unprecedented geopolitical change and Cold War tensions that lasted until the early 1990s.

JUMPSEAT Model_2_1 Credit: NRO

The NRO and USAF, collaborating as a part of NRO’s “Program A,” were tasked with developing a foundational HEO signals collection satellite to bolster the U.S. government’s space intelligence portfolio. Named JUMPSEAT, the new satellite would be capable of operating in a highly ellipical, or Molniya, orbit. [Editor’s Note: These orbits are very similar to those that were used by amateur radio satellites AO-10, AO-13, and AO-40 in the 1980s and -90s.]

Together, the NRO and the USAF launched the first JUMPSEAT mission in 1971 from Vandenberg Air Force Base (now Vandenberg Space Force Base) in California. Once in orbit, JUMPSEAT successfully collected electronic emissions and signals, communication intelligence, and foreign instrumentation intelligence: invaluable information that was downlinked to ground processing facilities within the U.S. From there, the data was provided to the Department of Defense, the National Security Agency, and other national security elements.

Over the decades, JUMPSEAT satellites continued to prove their worth to signals intelligence, finally operating in transponder mode until they were taken out of service in 2006.

[ANS thanks the National Reconnaissance Office for the above information. Read the full article at https://www.nro.gov/news-media-featured-stories/news-media-archive/News-Article/Article/4392223/declassifying-jumpseat-an-american-pioneer-in-space/]

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Changes to AMSAT TLE Distribution for February 6

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.]

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Kenya to Represent Africa in ARISS Program 2026

Kenya is set to make history in 2026 after being selected to host the Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) program, a global initiative that enables the public to communicate live with astronauts aboard the International Space Station (ISS).

The Kenya Space Agency announced the selection, positioning the country at the heart of an international effort to advance space education and public engagement in science. Kenya is the only African nation chosen for the 2026 ARISS cycle, a milestone expected to spark interest in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) and inspire innovation across the country.

According to the agency, the hosting window will run between July and December 2026. During this period, Kenyan students, professionals and members of the public will take part in live radio sessions with astronauts on the ISS. Participants will have the opportunity to ask questions and receive real-time answers about daily life in orbit, scientific research conducted on board and the realities of living and working in space.

The Kenya Space Agency will oversee preparations for the event in collaboration with Pan-African Citizen Science e-Laboratory mentor and agency liaison Harold Safary. Planning efforts will include technical coordination, public outreach and the selection of participants, with an open call to be issued for interested individuals and institutions wishing to take part in the live ISS contacts.

The 2026 ARISS program will offer Kenyans a rare opportunity to speak directly with astronauts aboard the ISS, marking a significant step in the country’s engagement with global space initiatives and space education.

[ANS thanks Satellite Pro Middle East for the above information. Read the full article at https://satelliteprome.com/news/kenya-to-represent-africa-in-iss-ariss-programme-2026/]

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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
School No. 4, Semenov, Nizhny Novgorod Region, Russia, direct via UB3TBX
The ISS callsign was scheduled to be RSØISS
The scheduled crewmember was Sergey Kud-Sverchkov
The ARISS mentor was RV3DR
Contact was successful for Thu 2026-02-05 09:14 UTC
Congratulations to the School No. 4 students, Sergey, mentor RV3DR, and ground station UB3TBX!

FBU Im. I. Kant, Kaliningrad, Russia, direct via R2FDB
The ISS callsign was scheduled to be RSØISS
The scheduled crewmember was Sergey Mikaev
The ARISS mentor was RV3DR
Contact was successful for Thu 2026-02-05 10:49 UTC
Congratulations to the FBU Im. I. Kant students, Sergey, mentor RV3DR, and ground station R2FDB!

Klimop Tongeren, Tongeren-Borgloon, Belgium, telebridge via ON4ISS
The ISS callsign was scheduled to be OR4ISS
The scheduled crewmember was Chris Williams, KJ5GEW
The ARISS mentor was ON6TI
Contact was successful for: Thu 2026-02-05 12:21:51 UTC 82 degrees maximum elevation
Congratulations to the Klimop Tongeren students, Chris, mentor ON6TI, and telebridge station ON4ISS!

UPCOMING
Hilltop Elementary, Canfield, OH, telebridge via K6DUE
The ISS callsign is presently scheduled to be NA1SS
The scheduled crewmember is Chris Williams, KJ5GEW
The ARISS mentor is KD8COJ
Contact is go for Mon 2026-02-09 18:44:58 UTC 57 deg
Watch for Livestream at https://www.youtube.com/@ARISSlive/videos and https://live.ariss.org/

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.

The packet system (145.825 MHz up & down) was scheduled for repair on February 5.

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

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

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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.

February 13-15, 2026
Hamcation 2026
Central Florida Fairgrounds and Expo Park
Colonial Drive
Orlando, Florida
AMSAT will have a table and many items available for purchase
Contact Dave Jordan, AA4KN to volunteer n4csitwo [at] bellsouth.net

March 21, 2026
Midwinter Madness Hamfest 2026
Maple Grove Radio Club
Buffalo Civic Center
1306 County Rd 134
Buffalo, Minnesota 55313
https://k0ltc.org/midwinter-madness/
KØJM, ADØHJ, KEØPBR

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.]

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Satellite Shorts from All Over

+ In September 2025, AMSAT-DL and the Bochum Observatory jointly organized the “Bochum Space Days 2025” conference in the radome under the 20-metre antenna. The Radom was all about satellite and space research. A varied and informative program was offered, aimed at AMSAT members as well as all space enthusiasts and makers. The presentations are now available on the AMSAT-DL YouTube channel. The language of the presentation is mixed German/English and subtitles can also be optionally activated in the respective translation. Begin at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IW384KY6lBo&list=PLbIhjH2wj12GfMJGRwbYPFEjU7ECtjzzO (ANS thanks AMSAT-DL for the above information.)

+ The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Space Weather Follow On – Lagrange 1 (SWFO-L1) satellite has reached its final destination—nearly one million miles away from Earth toward the sun and has been renamed SOLAR-1. The observatory is expected to begin space weather operations in Spring 2026. Read more at http://bit.ly/4bUIY1K. (ANS thanks NOAA for the above information.)

+ Edge of Space Sciences, a ham radio club in Englewood, Colorado, has been monitoring three amateur radio pico balloons as they continue to circumnavigate the globe. Two balloons were released at HamCon Colorado on October 25, 2025. EOSSP-3 has completed 5 circumnavigations and is currently lost somewhere “up north.” No signal has been heard for 4 days. EOSSP-4 has completed 7 circumnavigations and is currently approaching India. Meanwhile, EOSSP-2, launched September 18, completed its 10th circumnavigation at 19:05 UTC on February 4. The balloons can be tracked on aprs.fi at https://aprs.fi/#!call=a%2FEOSSP-2%2Ca%2FEOSSP-4%2Ca%2FEOSSP-3&timerange=259200&tail=86400. More information can be found on the club’s website, www.eoss.org. (ANS thanks ARRL for the above information.)

+ NASA is no longer planning a February launch of the Artemis 2 mission after encountering hydrogen leaks during a fueling test of the Space Launch System. In a statement early Feb. 3, NASA said it completed a wet dress rehearsal for Artemis 2 but determined the vehicle will not be ready to launch during the February window, which closes Feb. 11. Several other issues occurred during the test. A valve in Orion’s hatch pressurization system was accidentally vented during closeout work, requiring additional time to repressurize the system. Unseasonably cold temperatures, which had already delayed the rehearsal by two days, caused further issues, including delays in tanking operations and problems with cameras and other pad equipment. NASA also reported intermittent audio dropouts in communications among ground teams. The next launch period for Artemis 2 runs from March 6 to 11, with five two-hour windows available. Another launch opportunity extends from April 1 to 6. (ANS thanks SpaceNews for the above information. Read the full article at https://spacenews.com/artemis-2-slips-to-march/)

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

In addition to regular membership, AMSAT offers membership to:

• Societies (a recognized group, clubs or organization).
• Students are eligible for FREE membership up to age 25.
• 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,

Mark Johns, KØJM
mjohns [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.

AMSAT News Service

ANS-011
January 11, 2026

In this edition:

* NASA Ends Crew 11 Mission Due To ‘Medical Concern’ With An Astronaut
* REMINDER: AMSAT Membership Now Includes “Getting Started” Guide
* NASA Marks 50 Years Of GOES Satellites
* VUCC Satellite Standings for January, 2026
* DXCC Satellite Standings for January, 2026
* Changes to AMSAT-NA TLE Distribution
* Two U.S. Schools/Organizations Moved Forward in ARISS Selection Process
* 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/

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NASA Ends Crew 11 Mission Due To ‘Medical Concern’ With An Astronaut

NASA is bringing some of the crew aboard the International Space Station (ISS) back to Earth early due to medical concerns with one the astronauts.

NASA officials announced on Wednesday, January 7, that they had decided to cancel an upcoming spacewalk due to a medical issue with an undisclosed crew member. Hours later, the agency indicated that it wasn’t ruling out an early end to Crew-11’s mission, and confirmed that the unnamed crew member was in a stable, non-emergency condition. NASA officials finalized the decision to bring the astronauts home in an announcement on Thursday, January 8.

Mike Fincke, KE5AIT, and Zena Cardman, KJ5CMN, had been scheduled to step outside the International Space Station (ISS) on Thursday at about 13:00 UTC, kicking off a roughly 6.5-hour extravehicular activity (EVA). But that spacewalk was postponed.

A follow-up statement from NASA said, “Safely conducting our missions is our highest priority, and we are actively evaluating all options, including the possibility of an earlier end to Crew-11’s mission.” That crew includes both Cardman and Fincke, as well as Japanese astronaut Kimiya Yui, KG5BPH, and Russian cosmonaut Oleg Platonov. The crew was launched on August 1, 2025 and was not scheduled for return until mid-February, following the arrival of Crew-12.

The crew of NASA’s SpaceX Crew-11 mission pose for a photo during a training session on July 3, 2025 at SpaceX facilities in Florida.
From left: Oleg Platonov, Mike Fincke, KE5AIT, Zena Cardman, KJ5CMN, and Kimiya Yui, KG5BPH. (Credit: SpaceX)

The early return of Crew-11 shouldn’t cause any delays in the preparations to rollout and launch the agency’s Space Launch System (SLS) rocket for Artemis 2 — the first crewed mission to the moon in over 50 years — NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman said on Thursday, January 8. Artemis 2 is slated to roll to the launchpad for a liftoff no earlier than February 5.

[ANS thanks Space.com for the above information. Read the full story at https://www.space.com/space-exploration/international-space-station/iss-astronaut-evacuation-shouldnt-interfere-with-upcoming-artemis-2-moon-mission-nasa-chief-says.]

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The 2026 President’s Club Coin is Now Here!
Help Support GOLF and FoxPlus.

Annual memberships start at only $120
Join the AMSAT President’s Club today and help
Keep Amateur Radio in Space!
https://www.amsat.org/join-the-amsat-presidents-club/

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NASA Marks 50 Years Of GOES Satellites

NOAA’s Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellites, or GOES programme started a revolution in meteorology and weather forecasting. With GOES-1, satellite-sourced weather data could be sourced without waiting for the satellite to pass overhead. Previous satellites could only provide data at the times they were passing overhead.

The first three GOES satellites carried an instrument called Visible and Infrared Spin-Scan Radiometer (VISSR). This instrument enabled meteorologists to collect a wider range of data as well as a fuller set of data than ever before. GOES-1 went up in 1974, with the next two arriving in the next five years

The second generation of GOES satellites added important weather observation instruments. With these, our understanding of phenomena such as El Niño and tropical storms improved greatly. Furthermore, beginning with GOES-7, an RF receiver was added as part of the Search and Rescue Satellite-Aided Tracking (SARSAT) system.

Timeline of GOES launches including key technological developments associated with each “generation” of satellites. (Figure credit: NOAA/NASA)

From 1994-2001, the third generation GOES satellites reached orbit. Innovations included the ability to narrow the area under observation to better understand local weather events. GOES-12 also included the Solar X-ray Imager (SXI) instrument, which added full-disk X-ray observations of the Sun to the toolkit of space weather watchers.

Gen 4 satellites, called GOES-N, ushered in improvements to positioning with star-tracker instruments. With these, the location of weather events could be more precisely determined. The Extreme Ultraviolet Sensor added to space weather observations. Scan rates were quickened to one-minute scans, which aided in understanding severe weather outbreaks and issuing warnings.

The current generation of GOES satellites, known as GOES-R, added a variety of capabilities. These satellites feature the ability to narrow in and zoom out from local to global views with a choice of scan rates. Fire-detection instruments were added for the first time ever on a geostationary satellite. Many hobbyists enjoy receiving direct L-band downlinks from these satellites.

[ANS thanks Orbital Today for the above information. See the full article at https://orbitaltoday.com/2025/12/26/nasa-marks-50-years-of-goes-satellites/.]

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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/

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VUCC Satellite Standings for January, 2026

VUCC Satellite Award/Endorsement Change Summary for December 01, 2025 to January 01, 2026.

Callsign	Dec	Jan
PY2PIM	New	1200
RA3DNC	599	824
N8MR	801	809
AC9DX	682	725
HB9GWJ	631	651
VE4MM	561	577
N7UJJ	462	509
K5WO	326	350
N9XG	310	312
SV8CKM	273	285
PU5DDC	241	254
G4BWP	150	200
WD9EWK(DM42)	189	194
E75AA	New	191
WB5TX	156	160
IK2XRL	New	140
BY1QH	New	126
PT2VM	100	126
PU4ELT	New	100
PY3YO	New	100

Congratulations to the new VUCC Satellite holders.

PY2PIM
E75AA
IK2XRL
BY1QH
PU4ELT
PY3YO

PY3YO is first VUCC Satellite holder from GG32
PY2PIM is first VUCC Satellite holder from GG67
PU4ELT is first VUCC Satellite holder from GH70

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

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DXCC Satellite Standings for January, 2026

DXCC Satellite Award/Endorsement Change Summary for December 01, 2025 to January 01, 2026.

Call	Nov	Dec
HB9RYZ	166	169
IK4CIE	146	157
G8BCG	135	154
PA7RA	148	154
DL9RAN	125	150
IU0LFQ	121	150
IK1GPG	100	144
DL8GAM	125	136
LA0FA	128	133
ON6AA	114	131
W2GDJ	122	123
LA7XK	110	118
JK2XXK	New	106
I1YDT	New	100
YB5QZ	New	100

Congratulations to the new DXCC Satellite holders.
YV5NEA
EA7Z

YV5NEA is first DXCC Satellite holder from Venezuela and FK60
EA7Z is first DXCC Satellite holder from IM67

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

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Changes to AMSAT TLE Distribution for January 9, 2026

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:
IO-86 NORAD Cat ID 40931. No new elements released for more than 180 days.

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

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Two U.S. Schools/Organizations Moved Forward in ARISS Selection Process

Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) is pleased to announce the U.S. schools/host organizations newly selected for 2026 ARISS contacts. A total of two of the submitted proposals during the recent proposal window have been accepted to move forward in the processes of planning to host a scheduled amateur radio contact with crew on the ISS. The primary goal of the ARISS program is to engage young people in Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts and Math (STEAM) activities and raise their awareness of space communications, radio communications, space exploration, and related areas of study and career possibilities.

The ARISS program anticipates that NASA will be able to provide scheduling opportunities for the two U.S. host organizations during the July – December 2026 period. They are now at work starting to implement their 4–6-month education plan which was outlined in their proposal. These STEAM based educational activities help prepare students for their contact as well as create an on-going exploration and interest in aerospace and amateur radio topics. They are also completing an acceptable equipment plan that demonstrates their ability to execute the ham radio contact. Once their equipment plan is approved by ARISS, the final selected schools/organizations will be scheduled as their availability and flexibility match up with the scheduling opportunities offered by NASA.

The school and host organization are:

• YOTA Summer Camp in Huntsville, AL seeking a contact date between June 14 – 19, 2026.
• University Heights School of Medical Arts in Jonesboro, AR seeking a contact date between July and December 2026.

Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) is a cooperative venture of international amateur radio societies and the space agencies that support the ISS. In the United States, sponsors are the American Radio Relay League (ARRL), Amateur Radio Digital Communications (ARDC), Radio Amateur Satellite Corporation (AMSAT), NASA’s Space Communications and Navigation program (SCaN) and the ISS National Lab—Space Station Explorers. The primary goal of ARISS is to promote exploration of science, technology, engineering, the arts, and mathematics topics. ARISS does this by organizing scheduled contacts via amateur radio between crew members aboard the ISS and students. Before and during these radio contacts, students, educators, parents, and communities take part in hands-on learning activities tied to space, space technologies, and amateur radio. For more information, see http://www.ariss.org.

[ANS thanks Dave Jordan, AA4KN, ARISS PR, for the above information.]

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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

None scheduled for the coming week.

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 crew member 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.

​​Service Module radio: Not in APRS configuration; only being used for voice contacts at this time. Default mode is for​​​ packet operations (145.825 MHz up & down) but occasionally used for SSTV (145.800 MHz down)​​.​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​

Ham TV – Configured. ​​ Default mode is 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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Want to fly the colors on your own grid expedition?
Get an AMSAT car flag and other neat stuff from our Zazzle store!

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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.

February 13-15, 2026
HamCation
Central Florida Fairgrounds and Expo Park
4603 West Colonial Drive
Orlando, Florida 32808
AA4KN

March 21, 2026
Midwinter Madness Hamfest
Buffalo Civic Center
1306 County Rd 134
Buffalo Minnesota 55313
KØJM, ADØHJ

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.]

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Satellite Shorts from All Over

+ LACHIT-1 (Live Amateur Communication Hub for Innovative Technologies – One), the first satellite developed Assam Don Bosco University (ADBU) in Northeast India, is scheduled for launch aboard Indian Space Research Organisation’s (ISRO) PSLV-C62 rocket on January 12. The LACHIT-1 mission is a student-led initiative involving more than 50 students and faculty members drawn from across the Northeast, including Assam, Meghalaya, Nagaland, Arunachal Pradesh and Manipur states. The satellite will carry a UHF downlink using 2-FSK modulation at up to 9k6 kb with store and forward capability and a CW beacon. Frequencies for a telemetry and data downlink on 436.175 MHz and for the beacon on 435.360 MHz have been coordinated by the International Amateur Radio Union (IARU). (ANS thanks Northeast News and IARU for the above information.)

+ A live Satellite Communication Demonstration with the International Space Station (ISS) was successfully conducted in Pransla village, Gujarat (India) on 29 December 2025 with more than 12,000 students assembled. The live science and space outreach program was conducted with the active support of AMSAT-INDIA and Upagraha Amateur Radio Club (UpARC) at Indian Space Research Organisation’s U R Rao Satellite Centre. Basic concepts like ham radio, satellite communication, uplink & downlink, azimuth, elevation, frequencies, etc., and satellite tracking were explained so students could understand the upcoming live ISS pass. Three confirmed two-way contacts were made during the single ISS pass before what may be one of the largest crowds ever assembled for a satellite demonstration. (ANS thanks Rajesh Vagadia, VU2EXP, Regional Coordinator – AMSAT-INDIA, for the above information.)

+ 2025 was a banner year for shattering launch records worldwide. The 324 orbital launch attempts in 2025 represented a 25% increase from 2024’s previous record of 259. Almost 60% of all launch attempts came from the U.S., with SpaceX conducting 170 of the 193 American launches. China was second with 92 launches during the year. (ANS thanks SpaceNews for the above information.)

+ SpaceX is lowering orbits of 4,400 Starlink satellites to 480km throughout 2026, reducing ballistic decay time by 80% and preventing orbital debris accumulation risks. Lower altitude decreases collision risk in increasingly crowded low Earth orbit. Deorbiting faster prevents long-term orbital contamination. Massive orbital reconfiguration represents proactive response to congestion challenges. Nearly half of Starlink’s 9,400 operational satellites will require altitude adjustment. The current 550-kilometer orbit sits within crowded debris-prone region. The proposed 480-kilometer altitude places satellites in a less congested orbital band. (ANS thanks NASA Space News for the above information. Read the full story at https://nasaspacenews.com/2026/01/spacex-lowering-orbits/.)

+ AMSAT-UK are pleased to announce they will be holding a webinar to advise European amateurs regarding the ESA / CCSDS sponsored outreach competition to develop reference protocols at 16:00 UTC on Wednesday 14th January. The webinar will be via Zoom and the event will be recorded. NOTE: this competition is for European and UK hams only. For information and registration see https://amsat-uk.org/2026/01/06/webinar-for-ccsds-competition/. (ANS thanks AMSAT-UK for the above information.)

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

In addition to regular membership, AMSAT offers membership to:

• Societies (a recognized group, clubs or organization).
• Students are eligible for FREE membership up to age 25.
• 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,

Mark Johns, KØJM
mjohns [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.

AMSAT News Service

ANS-348
December 14, 2025

In this edition:

* Soyuz Crew Lands Ending Eight-Month Space Research Journey
* Satellites Experience “Orbital Summer” And “Orbital Winter”
* CCSDS Development Competition Open to European Hams
* VUCC Satellite Standing December 2025
* DXCC Satellite Standing for December 2025
* A Dying Satellite May Photograph Asteroid Apophis in 2029
* Changes to AMSAT-NA TLE Distribution
* Boeing’s Next Starliner Flight Will Carry Cargo Only
* 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/

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Soyuz Crew Lands Ending Eight-Month Space Research Journey

The crew of Soyuz MS-27, including NASA astronaut Jonny Kim, KJ5HKP, along with Russian Cosmonauts Sergey Ryzhikov and Alexey Zubritsky, returned safely to Earth after living aboard the International Space Station (ISS) in weightlessness for 245 days. The return marked the end of ISS Expedition 73.

Lieutenant Commander (LCDR, U.S. Navy) Jonny Kim was born and raised in Los Angeles, California to Korean-American immigrants. He enlisted in the Navy as a Seaman recruit after graduating high school in 2002. After completion of Hospital Corpsman “A” school training, he reported to Basic Underwater Demolition/SEAL (BUD/S) training in Coronado, CA. After completing his training at Naval Special Warfare, Kim reported to the John F. Kennedy Special Warfare Center and School in Fort Liberty, NC for the Special Operations Combat Medic Course. He was assigned as a Special Warfare Operator to SEAL Team THREE in San Diego, CA and obtained various qualifications including Military Freefall Parachutist, Advanced SCUBA, Combatant Diver (closed circuit rebreather), Naval Special Warfare Special Reconnaissance Scout and Sniper, and Advanced Special Operations Techniques. As a Navy SEAL he completed more than 100 combat operations.

In 2012, Petty Officer First Class Kim was commissioned as a naval officer through the Navy’s enlisted-to-officer commissioning program, Seaman to Admiral-21, following graduation from the University of San Diego. Kim obtained his medical degree from Harvard Medical School and completed his internship with the Harvard Affiliated Emergency Medicine Residency at Massachusetts General Hospital and Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston, MA.

Kim is an Aeromedical Dual Designated (AMDD) Naval Aviator and Flight Surgeon, he completed his primary flight training at Naval Air Station (NAS) Corpus Christi, TX, helicopter advanced flight training at NAS Whiting Field in Milton, FL, and the Naval Flight Surgeon course at the Naval Aerospace Medical Institute at NAS Pensacola, FL.

Selected by NASA in 2017, Kim completed two years of training as an Astronaut Candidate. Training included technical and operational instruction in International Space Station systems, Extravehicular Activities (EVA) Operations, T-38 flight training, robotics, physiological training, expeditionary training, field geology, water and wilderness survival training, and Russian language proficiency training. In 2020, Kim began his support of International Space Station operations as a Capsule Communicator (CapCom) in Mission Control Center Houston and the Artemis program under the astronaut Exploration branch. He served as the International Space Station’s Increment Lead for Expedition 65 in 2021.

As part of his astronaut training, Kim earned his Technician Class amateur radio license in July of 2024.

Soyuz MS-27 crew members (from left) NASA astronaut Jonny Kim and Roscosmos cosmonauts Sergey Ryzhikov and Alexey Zubritsky
pose for a pre-flight portrait at the Gagarin Cosmonaut Training Center in Russia. (Credit: GCTC)

Kim launched to the International Space Station on April 8, 2025, as a flight engineer on the Soyuz MS-27 spacecraft. He spent eight months aboard the station as an Expedition 72/73 flight engineer, conducting science experiments and maintaining the space station. During the science expedition, Kim orbited the Earth 3,920 times and traveling nearly 104 million miles. He saw the arrival of nine visiting spacecraft and the departure of six during his time in orbit.

This was Kim’s first spaceflight, where he served as flight engineer for Expedition 72 and 73. This also was Zubritsky’s first trip to the space station. Ryzhikov now has logged a total of 603 days in space during three trips to the orbital complex, ranking him 13th all time.

The three crew members were flown by helicopter to Karaganda, Kazakhstan, where recovery teams are based. After medical exams, Kim boarded a NASA aircraft and returned to Houston to spend Christmas with his wife and their three children.

Expedition 74 is now underway with veteran NASA astronaut Mike Fincke, KE5AIT, as commander leading six flight engineers including NASA astronauts Zena Cardman, KJ5CMN, and Chris Williams, KJ5GEW, JAXA (Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency) astronaut Kimiya Yui, KG5BPH, and Roscosmos cosmonauts Oleg Platonov, Sergey Kud-Sverchkov and Sergei Mikaev.

[ANS thanks NASA for the above information.]

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Only 2 Weeks Left to Get Your 2025 Coin!
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
Keep Amateur Radio in Space!
https://www.amsat.org/join-the-amsat-presidents-club/

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CCSDS Development Competition Open to European Hams

The European Space Agency (ESA) is presenting a pilot programme on behalf of The Consultative Committee for Space Data Systems (CCSDS) and is pleased to announce a new outreach initiative aimed at strengthening engagement with the European amateur satellite and academic communities. This initiative supports the wider objective of promoting the adoption and practical application of CCSDS space communication standards.

CCSDS invites European amateur satellite operators, students, educators, and academic researchers to participate and to help advance open, interoperable space communication technologies.

ESA, in partnership with Goonhilly Earth Station, CCSDS, AMSAT-UK, and AMSAT-DL, are launching a competition to develop high-quality reference implementations of selected CCSDS protocols.

This competition is sponsored by the European Space Agency (ESA).

About the Competition

This programme invites participants to:

Develop open, standards-compliant reference implementations of CCSDS protocols
Contribute to a shared technical resource for amateur satellite operators, universities, and research groups
Gain recognition within both the CCSDS community and the broader space communications field

An in-person hackathon at Goonhilly Earth Station will be available to interested participants, providing a unique environment for collaboration, expert guidance, and accelerated development.

Goonhilly Earth Station is coordinating the competition and will not assert any ownership over Hackathon/Competition outputs.

Prize

Winners of the competition will receive an invitation to attend a CCSDS conference in the United States, where they will present their results to the international CCSDS community.

Protocols Featured in the Competition

These are the outlines of the two CCSDS protocols selected for this competition:

LunaNet Signal-In-Space Recommended Standard – Augmented Forward Signal (LSIS – AFS)
The LSIS–AFS standard defines how lunar orbiters or surface systems broadcast a unified navigation and timing signal to support future missions on and around the Moon. It provides a framework for creating an enhanced, interoperable “forward signal” that spacecraft, rovers, and astronauts can use for more accurate positioning, timing, and situational awareness.

Space Communications Session Control (CCSDS 235.1)

The CCSDS 235.1 standard defines how space missions establish, manage, and conclude communication sessions between spacecraft and ground systems. It provides a common framework that ensures reliable coordination when exchanging data, sending commands, and transitioning between communication states.

Participants may choose either to develop a functional concept or prototype that demonstrates how the LSIS–AFS signal could be designed, transmitted, interpreted, or applied to support future lunar missions, or to create a practical, interoperable reference implementation of Space Communications Session Control aligned with the CCSDS 235.1 standard.

A Long-Term Vision: Toward a Cislunar Amateur Radio Payload

CCSDS is pleased to highlight a longer-term aspiration linked to this initiative. In close cooperation with its partners—particularly ESA, which is proposing a future cislunar amateur radio payload—CCSDS intends to support the preparation of the most successful protocol implementations for potential consideration for flight.

This offers an exceptional opportunity for community-developed CCSDS-compliant software to be demonstrated in a deep-space operational environment.

This prospective mission is subject to funding and programme approval.

Contact and Expressions of Interest

For enquiries or to express interest in participating, please contact: [email protected]

Additional details—including eligibility criteria, protocol specifications, submission requirements, evaluation processes, and timelines—will be released soon.

[ANS thanks the AMSAT-UK for the above information.]

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VUCC Satellite Standing December 2025

————————————————————
VUCC Satellite Award/Endorsement Change Summary for
November 01, 2025 to November 30, 2025.
————————————————————

Call	Nov	Dec
E70A	840	901
A65BR	676	701
F6GLJ	609	701
EA3TA	607	681
AD2DD	604	650
HP2VX	527	543
N6PAZ	495	500
PY2HZ	New	427
OH3DP	300	352
BI1QGX	102	350
W6IA	278	302
PY2YJ	210	266
DH0GSU	170	204
N9HF	New	185
KT8O	153	175
WB5TX	151	156
BI1NWO	New	126
DF3VG	New	123

Congratulations to the new VUCC Satellite holders.

PY2HZ
N9HF
BI1NWO
DF3VG

N0HF is first VUCC Satellite holder from EL99
PY2HZ is first VUCC Satellite holder from GG48

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

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DXCC Satellite Standings for December, 2025

————————————————————
DXCC Satellite Award/Endorsement Change Summary for
November 01, 2025 to December 01, 2025.
————————————————————

Call	Nov	Dec
HB9RYZ	166	169
IK4CIE	146	157
G8BCG	135	154
PA7RA	148	154
DL9RAN	125	150
IU0LFQ	121	150
IK1GPG	100	144
DL8GAM	125	136
LA0FA	128	133
ON6AA	114	131
W2GDJ	122	123
LA7XK	110	118
JK2XXK	New	106
I1YDT	New	100
YB5QZ	New	100

Congratulations to the new DXCC Satellite holders.
JK2XXK
I1YDT
YB5QZ

YB5QZ is first DXCC Satellite holder from Indonesia and OJ00

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

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A Dying Satellite May Photograph Asteroid Apophis in 2029

An Australian company wants to join efforts to study a rare space event, conducting its own flyby of the asteroid Apophis when it makes its close approach to Earth in 2029.

Sydney-based HEO Robotics, a provider of commercial satellite-to-satellite imagery, wants to add to the international missions already planning to get up close to the 1,115-foot-wide (340 meters) asteroid Apophis as it zooms by Earth in April 2029 by buying a satellite near the end of its life up in geostationary orbit and use its remaining fuel.

An illustration of the “God of Destruction” asteroid Apophis as it makes a close approach to Earth in April 2029
(Image credit: Jonathan Männel / with Eyes on the Solar System, NASA/JPL)

Satellites in the geostationary belt (GEO) orbit 22,236 miles (35,786 kilometers) above the equator. Spacecraft nearing the end of their lives use their remaining fuel to head into a so-called graveyard orbit above GEO to take themselves out of the way of the operational satellites. HEO aims to buy a satellite near the end of its mission lifetime and, using a little more fuel than needed for the graveyard trip, make a close approach to Apophis, which will pass within the GEO belt when it makes its close approach to Earth on Friday, April 13, 2029.

[ANS thanks Space.com for the above information. Read the full article at https://www.space.com/astronomy/asteroids/a-dying-satellite-could-use-its-final-moments-to-photograph-the-infamous-asteroid-apophis-in-2029]

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Changes to AMSAT TLE Distribution for December 12, 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:

Duchifat 3 NORAD Cat ID 44854 Decayed from orbit on or about 08 Dec 2025

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

SilverSat NORAD Cat ID 66909 Downlink frequency: 437.175 MHz
BEE-1000 NORAD Cat ID 66650 Downlink frequency: 436.5 MHz
SNUGLITE_III DURI NORAD Cat ID 66661 Downlink frequency 436.789 MHz

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

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Boeing’s Next Starliner Flight Will Carry Cargo Only

NASA ended months of speculation about the next flight of Boeing’s Starliner spacecraft, confirming that the vehicle will carry only cargo to the International Space Station.

NASA and Boeing are now targeting no earlier than April 2026 to fly the uncrewed Starliner-1 mission, the space agency said. Launching by next April will require completion of rigorous test, certification, and mission readiness activities, NASA added in a statement.

Starliner’s first flight in December 2019, without crew, had to be truncated after software problems plagued the vehicle. It was nearly lost shortly after launch as well as before atmospheric reentry. It did not make a planned rendezvous with the space station.

Boeing’s Starliner spacecraft is pictured docked to the Harmony module’s forward port at the International Space Station. Photo credit: NASA

The second mission, Orbital Flight Test 2, took place in May 2022. Because of problems on the previous mission, this spacecraft also flew uncrewed. This flight was more successful, reaching the space station despite some thruster issues.

NASA then spent more than two years testing Starliner on the ground before its first crewed flight in 2024, carrying NASA astronauts Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams, KD5PLB. During its approach to the space station, the Starliner spacecraft once again experienced serious thruster issues. (However, the life-and-death nature of this flight was not revealed until nearly a year later.) Starliner ultimately docked with the station, but after heated deliberations, NASA informed Boeing that the vehicle would return to Earth uncrewed.

As a result, a Dragon mission was launched later in 2024 carrying just two astronauts instead of a full complement of four. This allowed for the safe return of Wilmore and Williams in March 2025.

[ANS thanks Wired for the above information. Read the full article at https://www.wired.com/story/boeings-next-starliner-flight-will-only-be-allowed-to-carry-cargo/.]

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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

Due to the holidays, no contacts are scheduled until after the first of the year.

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

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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.]

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Satellite Shorts from All Over

+ Earth observation satellite TUBIN of Technical University Berlin, Germany is about to re-enter Earth’s atmosphere in the upcoming days; 16th December +/-1 day. During the orbit decay it is transmitting a telemetry beacon every 10 seconds, including position, attitude, temperatures, etc. via amateur radio UHF band at 435.950 MHz. Researchers would appreciate support of additional radio amateurs listening in and forward the received telemetry data. Further information can be found at https://community.libre.space/t/tubin-tubsat-27-re-entry/13998. As the orbit is decaying quite fast, most recent TLE’s shall be used, which are frequently updated at https://db.satnogs.org/api/tle/?format=3le&norad_cat_id=48900. Any decoded frames, audio recordings or reception reports are very welcome and can be submitted following the instructions in https://community.libre.space/t/tubin-tubsat-27-re-entry/13998. The team at TU Berlin will collect all contributions and can provide specialized TUBIN re-entry QSL cards. Full project overview at https://www.tu.berlin/en/raumfahrttechnik/research/current-projects/tubin. (ANS thanks Steffen Reinert of Technische Universität Berlin for the above information.)

+ SkyRoof, a Windows application for Hams and satellite enthusiasts by Alex Shovkoplyas, VE3NEA, was recently featured on the website of AMSAT-SM, the Swedish amateur radio satellite organization. The article by Lars Thunberg, SMØTGU, may be found at https://www.amsat.se/2025/11/22/skyroof-sdr-satellite-software/. Lars also has an interesting article on setting up a LORA telemetry groundstation at https://www.amsat.se/category/operations/. (ANS thanks AMSAT-SM for the above information.)

+ Similarly, Peter Goodhall, MM9SQL, has developed Zenith, a web-based tracking application. Information at https://zenithtracker.org/. (ANS thanks Peter Goodhall, MM9SQL, for the above information.)

+ AMSAT’s CubeSat Simulator gets excellent reviews, but a budget version is available from the Ukraine for those with access to 3-D printing and a willingness to overcome some bugs and limitations. A YouTube video reviews the project at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pvtHcwemfco (ANS thanks @saveitforparts for the above information.)

+ At next year’s World Radiocommunications Conference (WRC-25), governments will face a choice that goes to the heart of how we monitor our warming planet. Some regulators are wondering whether to open part of the X-band — the 8.025–8.4 GHz range used by Earth observation satellites — to 5G and 6G mobile networks. Several major telecom operators have been pushing for this move, arguing that they could use this spectrum more efficiently and pay countries handsomely for the right to do so. Eleven satellite-focused companies have formed the Remote Sensing Collective to resist the change. They’ve done this because the satellites we depend on to understand the environment depend in turn on the X-band. (ANS thanks SpaceNews for the above information. Read the full article at http://bit.ly/44pC8wX.)

+ Last month, Chinese astronauts on board the country’s Tiangong space station discovered cracks in the window of their return vehicle, the Shenzhou-20, which officials suspected were the result of a space debris strike. The spacecraft was deemed not safe enough to return its crew, prompting an orbital game of musical chairs as the China Manned Space Agency (CMSA) launched an emergency uncrewed replacement spacecraft, Shenzhou-22, to the station. Two Shenzhou-21 astronauts embarked on the mission’s first spacewalk on December 9, inspecting and photographing a damaged spacecraft window which triggered an earlier emergency launch. CMSA did not publicize results. (ANS thanks Futurism.com for the above information. Read the full article at https://futurism.com/space/chinese-astronauts-spacewalk-station-damaged-spacecraft.)

+ NASA has lost contact with the Mars Atmosphere and Volatile Evolution, or MAVEN, a spacecraft that has circled the planet for more than a decade, collecting science data and serving as a key communications relay. (ANS thanks SpaceNews for the above information.)

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

In addition to regular membership, AMSAT offers membership to:

• Societies (a recognized group, clubs or organization).
• Students are eligible for FREE membership up to age 25.
• 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,

Mark Johns, KØJM
mjohns [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.

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/

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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.]

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

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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]

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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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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/

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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.]

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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.]

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

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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.]

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

In addition to regular membership, AMSAT offers membership to:

• Societies (a recognized group, clubs or organization).
• Students under age 25 are eligible for free membership.
• 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,

Mark Johns, KØJM
mjohns [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.