AMSAT News Service

ANS-187 AMSAT News Service Bulletins

July 6, 2025 by Mark Johns

July 6, 2025

In this edition:

* AMSAT Field Day Submissions Now Due
* Seeking Additional Volunteers for Moon Day at Dallas Frontiers of Flight Museum
* GridMasterMap Satellite Top 100 Rovers July 2025 Rankings
* VUCC Satellite Standing July 2025
* DXCC Satellite Standing July 2025
* Changes to AMSAT-NA TLE Distribution
* French Astronaut Will Take Food From Michelin-Starred Chef to ISS
* 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.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/

AMSAT Field Day Submissions Now Due

Now that Field Day is over, there is one more thing you can do if you would like to participate in the scoring process for AMSAT Field Day. Email your submission sheet.

If you do not have the submission sheet, go to AMSAT.org and under EVENTS, select AMSAT Field Day. Download the rules. The Satellite Summary Sheet is at the end of the rules.

The Satellite Summary Sheet should be used for submission of the AMSAT Field Day competition and be received by KK5DO (e-mail) by 11:59 P.M. CDT, Tuesday, July 29, 2025. This year, we are using the same due date as the ARRL. The only method for submitting your log is via e-mail to kk5do [at] amsatnet.com or kk5do [at] arrl.net. No mail-in entries.

Add photographs or other interesting information that can be used in an article for The AMSAT Journal.

You will receive an e-mail back (within one or two days) your e-mail submission has been received. If you do not receive a confirmation message, then try sending it again or send it to the other e-mail address.

[ANS thanks Bruce Paige, KK5DO, AMSAT Director Contests and Awards, 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/

Seeking Additional Volunteers for Moon Day at Dallas Frontiers of Flight Museum

The 2025 Moon Day, a space-themed public STEM event, will take place on Saturday, July 19 at the Frontiers of Flight Museum at Love Field in Dallas. Held each year close to the date of the Apollo 11 moon landing, the event features hands-on science exhibits and activities for all ages. Moon Day runs from 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. CDT, with setup beginning at 8:00 a.m. CDT.

AMSAT will once again be represented at the event by AMSAT Ambassador Thomas Schuessler, N5HYP, along with several North Texas satellite enthusiasts. They will engage with the public — including many young people — on topics such as satellite orbits, the International Space Station, and amateur radio in space. Exhibits will include the AMSAT Fox CubeSat engineering model and the CubeSat Simulator, and the team hopes to demonstrate a few live satellite passes during the day.

Tom is seeking additional AMSAT volunteers from the North Texas area to help staff the exhibit table. The AMSAT booth will be located next to the Dallas Amateur Radio Club exhibit, providing opportunities for great conversations with fellow hams as well as curious families. Volunteers receive free museum admission and lunch. Anyone interested in helping for part or the entire day is encouraged to email Tom at n5hyp [at] arrl [dot] net.

Col. Carl E. Walz (USAF, Ret.) ex-KC5TIE and former NASA Astronaut will be the keynote speaker for Moon Day 2025 (Photo credit: NASA)

More information about the event is available at: https://flightmuseum.com/events/moonday

[ANS thanks Tom Schuessler, N5HYP, AMSAT Ambassador, 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/

GridMasterMap Satellite Top 100 Rovers July 2025 Rankings

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

Updated: 2025-06-28

1	ND9M	26	KX9X	51	K7TAB	76	HB9GWJ
2	NJ7H	27	DJ8MS	52	PR8KW	77	N4UFO
3	JA9KRO	28	KG5CCI	53	XE1ET	78	PT2AP
4	UT1FG	29	ON4AUC	54	W7WGC	79	AA8CH
5	N5UC	30	N5BO	55	EB1AO	80	VE1VOX
6	DL6AP	31	K8BL	56	DF2ET	81	PT9BM
7	OE3SEU	32	KE4AL	57	N6DNM	82	FG8OJ
8	DP0POL	33	KB5FHK	58	EA4NF	83	YU0W
9	F5VMJ	34	PA3GAN	59	LU4JVE	84	N6UTC
10	WI7P	35	JO2ASQ	60	SM3NRY	85	AF5CC
11	K5ZM	36	F4BKV	61	KI7QEK	86	KI7UXT
12	LU5ILA	37	VE3HLS	62	AA5PK	87	JM1CAX
13	N6UA	38	KI0KB	63	W1AW	88	KJ7NDY
14	W5PFG	39	VA3VGR	64	F4DXV	89	PS8BR
15	N9IP	40	KI7UNJ	65	DL4EA	90	N4DCW
16	WY7AA	41	HJ5LVR	66	KE9AJ	91	WA9JBQ
17	HA3FOK	42	LA9XGA	67	AD7DB	92	KG4AKV
18	AK8CW	43	N7AGF	68	VE1CWJ	93	W8MTB
19	DL2GRC	44	VK5DG	69	BG7QIW	94	KB2YSI
20	AD0DX	45	JL3RNZ	70	W8LR	95	K0FFY
21	N4AKV	46	XE3DX	71	SP5XSD	96	VE3GOP
22	BA1PK	47	KE0WPA	72	M1DDD	97	N0TEL
23	AD0HJ	48	AC0RA	73	N8RO	98	DK9JC
24	WD9EWK	49	KE0PBR	74	VA7LM	99	K6VHF
25	ND0C	50	JK2XXK	75	KM4LAO	100	VE7PTN

[ANS thanks @GridMasterMap for the above information]

VUCC Satellite Standing July 2025

VUCC Satellite Award/Endorsement Change Summary for June 01, 2025 to July 01, 2025.

KO4MA	2000	2100
DL5GAC	1576	1745
DF2ET	1602	1700
W5CBF	1326	1554
AA5PK	1524	1525
K8TL	1016	1017
4J6D	150	1000
W8LR	905	910
VE7PTN	635	794
N8MR	775	783
W6ZQ	560	561
JG2TSL	157	516
K6VHF	376	401
N8HRZ	337	343
JE2UFF	280	334
SP7JS	253	300
YL2KF	New	283
EA4DEI	150	200
OH3DP	150	176
NK0S	169	170
N9BX	125	163
KC7WXD	New	133
XE2YWH(DL82-DL92)	New	119
WB5TX	101	110
KB4YKC	100	108
K4XP	101	102
BI1OEU	New	100
EA1FWI	New	100

Congratulations to the new VUCC Satellite holders!

YL2KF is first VUCC Satellite holder from Latvia and KO27
EA1FWI is first VUCC Satellite holder from IN72

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

DXCC Satellite Standing July 2025

DXCC Satellite Award/Endorsement Change Summary for June 01, 2025 to July 01, 2025.

IW1FZR	154	184
YO2CMI	180	184
HB9RYZ	163	164
EA2AA	160	161
IK4DRY	144	150
W5CBF	130	143
DL2MIH	132	141
EA1N	114	139
DL2QB	120	136
IK0WMJ	128	131
IK7FMQ	128	130
LA0FA	117	128
W8LR	112	114
I4DOR	New	101
KP3V	New	100

KP3V is first DXCC Satellite holder from FK78

[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 July 4

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]

French Astronaut Will Take Food From Michelin-Starred Chef to ISS

French cuisine has a reputation for being among the world’s best. So what’s a French astronaut do to when faced with the prospect of spending months aboard the International Space Station eating freeze-dried food straight from the packaging?

Recruit a Michelin-starred chef to reimagine French classics like foie gras and lobster bisque was the answer for Sophie Adenot, KJ5LTN, who is due to undertake her first space mission in 2026.

Chef Anne-Sophie Pic and astronaut Sophie Adenot, KJ5LTN, at a tasting in Paris. (Photo: Groupe Pic and ESA)

The meals designed by Anne-Sophie Pic will make up the “bonus food” taken to the ISS during Adenot’s εpsilon mission, the European Space Agency said in a statement Tuesday, July 1.

Food in space is typically freeze-dried and comes in plastic packaging from a list of preapproved items, the ESA said. Fruit and vegetables are a rare luxury that are available only when a spacecraft arrives with supplies.

Astronauts, however, are able to have specially catered “bonus food” that makes up about 10 percent of what they eat. This is usually developed in partnership with a chef, and astronauts say it boosts mental well-being, adds variety and helps them bond with fellow crew members when shared in orbit, according to the ESA.

See the full article at https://wapo.st/4lyxEKj

[ANS thanks The Washington Post for the above information.]

ARISS NEWS

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

RECENTLY COMPLETED
Axiom 4 group 1 telebridge via K6DUE
Hungarian Scout Association, Budapest, Hungary
Debrecen – Bánki Reformed Primary School, Technical College and Vocational Training School, Debrecen, Hungary
Mezőberényi Petőfi Sándor Evangélikus Gimnázium, Kollégium és Általános Iskola, Mezöberény, Hungary
Budapesti Műszaki Szakképzési Centrum Puskás Tivadar Távközlési és Informatikai Technikum, Puskás Radio Amateur Club – HA5KHC, HA5KBF, Budapest, Hungary
The ISS callsign was scheduled to be NA1SS
The crewmember was Tibor Kapu, HA5TRO
The ARISS mentor is ON6TI
Contact was successful: Thu 2025-07-03 11:05:59 UTC 50 degrees elevation

Axiom 4 group 4 telebridge via K6DUE
University of Wrocław, Wrocław, Poland
The ISS callsign was scheduled to be NA1SS
The crewmember was Sławosz Uznański-Wiśniewski, SQ7AS
The ARISS mentor is K4RGK
Contact was successful: Fri 2025-07-04 08:41:36 UTC 16 degrees elevation
Congratulations to the Axiom 4 group 4 school, Sławosz, mentor K4RGK, and telebridge station K6DUE!
Congratulations to Sławosz for his first ever ARISS contact!
Watch for Livestream at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FATPwoNf_zg

Axiom 4 group 5 telebridge via K6DUE
UR Rao Satellite Centre (URSC), Dept. of Space, Govt. of India, Bengaluru, Karnataka, India
The ISS callsign was scheduled to be NA1SS
The crewmember was Shubhanshu Shukla, VU2TNI
The ARISS mentor is AA6TB
Contact was successful: Fri 2025-07-04 10:17:10 UTC 86 degrees elevation
Congratulations to the Axiom 4 group 5 students, Shubhanshu, mentor AA6TB, and telebridge station K6DUE!
Congratulations to Shubhanshu for his first ever ARISS contact!

Axiom 4 group 3 telebridge via K6DUE
Rzeszow University of Technology, Rzeszow Poland
The ISS callsign was scheduled to be NA1SS
The crewmember was Sławosz Uznański-Wiśniewski, SQ7AS
The ARISS mentor is K4RGK
Contact was successful: Sat 2025-07-05 09:28:23 UTC 48 degrees elevation
Congratulations to the Axiom 4 group 3 students, Sławosz, mentor K4RGK, and telebridge station K6DUE!
Watch for Livestream at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i1I8YF1mGJc

UPCOMING
Axiom 4 group 6 telebridge via K6DUE
North Eastern Space Applications Centre (NESAC), Dept. of Space, Govt. of India, Shillong, Meghalaya, India
The ISS callsign is presently scheduled to be NA1SS
The scheduled crewmember is Shubhanshu Shukla, VU2TNI
The ARISS mentor is AA6TB
Contact is go for: Tue 2025-07-08 08:38:31 UTC 77 degrees elevation

Axiom 4 group 2 telebridge via K6DUE
MOBILIS Közhasznú Nonprofit Kft., Győr, Hungary
The ISS callsign is presently scheduled to be NA1SS
The scheduled crewmember is Tibor Kapu, HA5TRO
The ARISS mentor is ON6TI
Contact is go for: Wed 2025-07-09 07:49:40 UTC 43 degrees elevation

The crossband repeater continues to be active [except for Progress Ops July 5 & 6](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 [except for Progress Ops July 5 & 6](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. Powering off for Progress Ops on 7/5 OFF 15:50 UTC; ON 7/6 10:05 UTC.

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.

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, 17, 18, 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/

W4FCL is with WA4VOC at BARS Field Day (KC3WNX photo)

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

+ ARRL’s Logbook of the World (LoTW) was returned to service at 1400z on Wednesday, July 2, with upgraded servers. LoTW is a web-accessed database and repository that enables radio amateurs to submit electronic logs for amateur radio contacts (QSOs) and for confirmation (QSLs). Users can view submitted QSOs and resulting QSLs online. Radio amateurs can use LoTW to track their progress toward achievements and awards, such as Worked All States, DXCC, VUCC. It is also used to verify AMSAT awards such as Gridmaster. It is used by the vast majority of satellite operators. ARRL is soliciting donations through the ARRL website to support the maintenance and expansion of LoTW. (ANS thanks ARRL for the above information.)

+ AMSAT South Africa (AMSAT SA) has announced that the 2025 Space Symposium will be held on Saturday 2 August 2025 from 08:00 UTC – 14:00 UTC and has issued a call for papers. The theme of the symposium is “Embracing 68 years of space science and innovation in Amateur Radio.” Papers are invited covering all aspects of space science and communication impacting and enhancing the Amateur Radio experience, from the technical to operational aspects. Presentations are typically 30 minutes a with a 10-minute Q&A. Send proposals in MS Word to admin [at] amsatsa.org.za by 7 July 2025. To enable as widest as possible audience to participate, this symposium will be held online on the Webex platform. Members of all AMSAT organisations and national societies may attend free upon registration, which open on 9 July 2025. Email admin [at] amsatsa.org.za for details. (ANS thanks AMSAT SA for the above information.)

+ SpaceX launched its 500th Falcon 9 rocket to date with an overnight Starlink flight on Wednesday, July 2. The first stage booster used on the mission also flew for a record-setting 29th time. The mission, dubbed Starlink 10-25, lifted off from Space Launch Complex 40 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station at 0628 UTC. A little more than eight minutes after liftoff, the booster landed on the droneship, ‘A Shortfall of Gravitas,’ completing the 472nd booster landing to date. (ANS thanks Spaceflight Now for the above information.)

+ MethaneSAT, the Environmental Defense Fund (EDF) methane-tracking satellite backed by the Bezos Earth Fund, is lost in space. Its ground team lost contact with the spacecraft on June 20 but tried to reestablish a connection until it learned in the morning of July 1 that MethaneSAT had lost power altogether. The team believes that the satellite is likely not recoverable. MethaneSAT collected data on methane emissions that have previously been untrackable in an effort to combat climate change. Methane is the second largest contributor to global warming after carbon dioxide, with agriculture, fossil fuels and waste decomposition being the largest sources. (ANS thanks Engadget for the above information.)

+ EUMETSAT’s Meteosat-12 satellite, formerly Meteosat Third Generation (MTG) Imager 1, has now taken over from Meteosat-10 to deliver Europe’s prime weather data service from GEO. Meteosat-12 is the first imaging satellite in the MTG program and now moves into its key position above the equator at 0° longitude, directly over the Gulf of Guinea. Meteosat-12 is now the main source of near-real-time geostationary satellite data for Europe, Africa and the surrounding oceans. (ANS thanks satnews for the above information.)

+ A newly discovered interstellar object is only the third such interloper to be observed in our solar system. The object — provisionally known as A11pl3Z — is not expected to pose an impact risk to Earth, but gained attention on Tuesday, July 1, when it was spotted by telescopes for NASA’s early warning system for asteroid impacts. Speeding through our solar system at about 245,000 kilometers per hour relative to the sun, it is currently located just inside the orbit of Jupiter, 528 million kilometers from Earth. It’s uncertain at this time if the object — which will get a new name when it is approved and published by the Minor Planet Center — is a comet or asteroid, but the observations so far have helped track the object’s journey, indicating it likely came from outside of the solar system from a thin galactic disk. (ANS thanks The Washington Post 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.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

ANS-180 AMSAT News Service Weekly Bulletins

June 29, 2025 by Mitch Ahrenstorff

In this edition:

* AMSAT Shares Update on Fox-Plus CubeSat Design, Adapter Issues, and Integration Work
* AMSAT South Africa to Host 2025 Virtual Symposium on 68 Years of Amateur Radio Progress
* AMSAT Seeks Additional Volunteers for Moon Day at Dallas Frontiers of Flight Museum
* SpaceX Transporter-14 Rideshare Delivers Small Sats, Reentry Tech, and Memorial Ashes
* Axiom-4 Reaches Orbit After Delays With Multinational Crew Bound for Space Station
* Changes to AMSAT-NA TLE Distribution for June 27, 2025
* ARISS News
* AMSAT Ambassador Activities
* Satellite Shorts From All Over

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/

ANS-180 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 Jun 29

AMSAT Shares Update on Fox-Plus CubeSat Design, Adapter Issues, and Integration Work

During Hamvention 2025, AMSAT’s Mike Moore presented the latest developments in the Fox-Plus program. Mike Moore, K4MVM, AMSAT Systems Engineer/Project Lead began his status review by saying, “I’ve been involved with the AMSAT Fox CubeSat program for the last year and a half. It’s a continuation of the Fox series of satellites. We’re improving on the series with the Fox-Plus CubeSat, modernizing it and, where we can do so, reducing costs.”

AMSAT’s Fox Plus project is proceeding towards being ready for a launch of a 1U CubeSat (Fox-Plus-A) with a V/u linear transponder. The term “1U” refers to the standard size CubeSat, also known as a nanosat, measuring 10x10x10 centimeters, weighing up to 2 kilograms.

The Fox-Plus Amateur Radio CubeSat series will add to the success of the original Fox series of AMSAT 1U CubeSats. The big push is to have Fox-Plus units ready to fly experimental payloads on short notice.

AMSAT is purchasing components from ISIS (Innovative Solutions In Space), formed in 2006, with offices in The Netherlands. They provide components, particularly for CubeSats and small satellites. The company offers “building blocks” such as spacecraft structures, solar panels, antennas, transceivers, attitude control systems, and on-board computers as well as satellite launcher units and services.

Mike continued, “To expedite development of Fox-Plus, AMSAT has selected Commercial Off The Shelf (COTS) components. This includes the ISIS CubeSat spacecraft frame, electrical power system, solar panels. We’re integrating those components with our AMSAT Linear Transponder Module (LTM).

“AMSAT’s LTM is a composed of the Legacy Internal Housekeeping Unit (LIHU), the Improved Command Receiver (ICR), receiver/transmitter (RXTX). The AMSAT Fox-Plus LTM module is shown within the dotted line rectangle, upper right in the system overview,” He said.

Moore explained, “We’ve been tasked to fit the COTS modules from ISIS, spacecraft frame, Electrical Power System (EPS) and solar panels with our AMSAT boards into the ISIS frame. That’s mechanical challenge. The ISIS frame and PCBs are not the same dimensions as AMSAT’s standard ME-113 PCB. The AMSAT ME-113 is used in legacy units as well as GOLF and other LTM applications.” The AMSAT-Fox Documentation, referenced below, provides details on Fox components.

“The diagram above shows the ISIS hole pattern and board dimensions compared to the ME-113 holes and dimensions. The Fox ME-113 board dimensions are offset just enough to make it a real problem. If they were offset by a bit more the problem might be simpler. It’s possible we could just offset our PCB connectors. That’s not possible, making this a mechanical engineering design challenge.

“We have adapters to do this; one design is in the photo above. Our Mechanical & Structural Engineer is Andrew Robinson, KA3WDW.

Mike continued, “The electrical adapter, is above on the right. The photo shows the PCBs while on my work bench. They’re half cards. It’s the ME-113 cut in half. I have the PC104 or in ISIS terms, the CubeSat Kit Bus (CSKB) on the left.

“That’s on the board on the left-hand side of the photo. The Power Integrated Unit (PIU) board from ISIS is connected to it. The photo shows just wires right now, but later there will be a ribbon cable over to our stacking bus which is our QXH electrical bus, a very small 60-pin connector. It connects all cards together.

The diagram above shows the Fox-Plus CubeSat and the mechanical adapters. The LTM is in the middle. On the bottom is the Power Battery Pack (PBP) and the top board is the CubeSat Power Integrated Unit (PIU). It consists of three subsystems which derive electrical energy from the solar panels and the energy stored in the PBP.

“We’re also considering using spacers instead of using the entire card area dimensions for mechanical adapters. Spacers are small units with two side by side holes. One hole would go to the ISIS board, the other would to the ME-113 board.

“I’ve now got preliminary schematics of the adapter card done. We’re about ready to go to production on that to get PCBs made. That has the power and signal components on it, all the power for the satellite and two I2C buses, (Inter-Integrated Circuit, a two-wire, serial communication protocol that allows multiple devices to communicate with each other on a single bus).

“There’s a problem on the ICR card version 1.2 and we’re taking care of that. Also, there’s Universal Asynchronous Receive/Transmit (UART) interconnect problem as well as some other odds and ends on which we’re working,” Moore added.

There are innumerable details encountered during CubeSat research, development, test, and evaluation (RDTE).

Jerry Buxton, N0JY, Vice President of Engineering for AMSAT is a key member of the Fox Engineering Team dating back to the beginning of the program in 2011. In his “AMSAT Fox-1 Systems Engineering Documentation” June, 2018 paper, The Fox program introduced this engineering process for AMSAT. See references at end of document.

“Engineering documentation is provided at each stage of development. An archive of this documentation is online, backed-up and version controlled. When an AMSAT satellite has been completed this archive of traceable documentation serves as the basis for planning and executing future satellite programs. It is updated to apply the lessons learned about what went well and what did not.”

Documentation is part of organizational memory (OM), also known as institutional memory or corporate memory. OM is the accumulated body of data, information, and knowledge created in the course of an organization’s existence, excellent proof of internal learning and education and potentially a reference tool for use by external organizations.

Concluding his portion of the AMSAT Forum Mike said, “Burns Fisher is AMSAT’s software guru. Burns is working with Patrick Thomas, KB8DGC, AMSAT System Engineer and PACSAT Liaison, getting Patrick up to speed to do Fox-Plus flight software.”

Other dedicated volunteers on the Fox-Plus Engineering Team include Andrew Robinson, KA3WDW, Mechanical & Structural Engineer, and Leandra MacLennan, AF1R, Electrical Engineer, Hardware Development. Contributions from various universities and other organizations were essential too.

[ANS thanks Mike Moore, K4MVM, AMSAT Systems Engineer/Project Lead for the above information]

AMSAT South Africa to Host 2025 Virtual Symposium on 68 Years of Amateur Radio Progress

AMSAT South Africa has announced that the 2025 Space Symposium will take place on Saturday, 2 August 2025, from 08:00 UTC to 14:00 UTC, and has issued a call for papers. The theme of this year’s event is “Embracing 68 Years of Space Science and Innovation in Amateur Radio.”

Papers are invited on all aspects of space science and communication that impact or enhance the amateur radio experience — from technical developments to operational practices. Presentations will be approximately 30 minutes, followed by a 10-minute Q&A session. Proposal submissions in Microsoft Word format should be emailed to admin [at] amsatsa [dot] org [dot] za by 7 July 2025.

To maximize global participation, the symposium will be held online via the Webex platform. Attendance is free for members of all AMSAT organisations and national societies, with registration opening on 9 July 2025.

[ANS thanks AMSAT South Africa, for the above information]

AMSAT Seeks Additional Volunteers for Moon Day at Dallas Frontiers of Flight Museum

More information about the event is available at: https://flightmuseum.com/events/moonday

[ANS thanks Tom Schuessler, N5HYP, AMSAT Ambassador, for the above information]

The 2025 AMSAT President’s Club Coins Have Just Arrived!
Celebrating the 40th Anniversary of Amateur Radio on Human Spaceflight

Help Support GOLF and Fox Plus.
Join the AMSAT President’s Club today!

SpaceX Transporter-14 Rideshare Delivers Small Sats, Reentry Tech, and Memorial Ashes

A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket lifted off from Vandenberg Space Force Base in California on June 23 at 5:25 p.m. EDT (2125 UTC), carrying 70 payloads for a diverse range of customers. The mission, known as Transporter 14, is the latest in SpaceX’s dedicated rideshare program, which provides cost-effective launch services for small satellites and experimental spacecraft.

Among the payloads was a special memorial capsule containing cremated human remains and DNA samples. The Exploration Company’s new Nyx reusable spacecraft is flying this commemorative mission in cooperation with Celestis, a company specializing in space burials. If all goes according to plan, Nyx will circle Earth two or three times before being recovered, carrying remains and DNA from about 150 people.

The launch also delivered an array of microsats, cubesats, and reentry capsules. One notable payload is Varda Space’s fourth reentry capsule, which aims to support the company’s effort to manufacture pharmaceuticals and other high-value goods in microgravity and return them to Earth for commercial use. Transporter 14 continues SpaceX’s trend of supporting in-space manufacturing demonstrations and technology development.

SpaceX’s Transporter‑14 mission recently deployed 70 small satellites into orbit. [Credit: SpaceX / @GewoonLukas]

Two amateur radio satellites also hitched a ride. PARUS-T2, a 3U CubeSat developed by the Taiwan Space Agency with support from National Formosa University, carries a cross-band voice repeater and APRS digipeater. It provides voice communications on uplink 145.980 MHz (67 Hz tone) and downlink 435.250 MHz, along with APRS packet services on 145.825 MHz. Students and amateur operators worldwide will have access to the satellite’s unencrypted telemetry and educational outreach tools.

Indonesia’s RIDU-Sat 1 also joined the manifest. This 1U CubeSat, managed by the Republic of Indonesia Defense University, uses amateur radio frequencies for educational training and communications. It features a VHF APRS payload on 145.825 MHz and a telemetry beacon on 145.925 MHz, designed to support student learning and community engagement in satellite operations.

As with many previous Falcon 9 flights, reusability was on display. The rocket’s first stage landed successfully on the drone ship Of Course I Still Love You in the Pacific Ocean about 8.5 minutes after liftoff. It marked the 26th flight and landing for this booster, edging closer to SpaceX’s reuse record of 28 flights. Meanwhile, the upper stage will spend nearly two hours deploying the payloads into precise orbits, continuing a mission series that began with Transporter 1’s record-setting 143-satellite launch in 2021.

Read the full article at: https://www.space.com/space-exploration/launches-spacecraft/spacex-launches-human-remains-reentry-capsule-and-more-on-transporter-14-rideshare-mission

[ANS thanks Mike Wall, Space.com, and the IARU, for the above information]

Axiom-4 Reaches Orbit After Delays with Multinational Crew Bound for Space Station

SpaceX successfully launched Axiom Space’s fourth private astronaut mission to the International Space Station (ISS) early June 25, following a series of technical and scheduling delays. The mission, known as Ax-4, lifted off aboard a Falcon 9 rocket from Launch Complex 39A at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida at 2:31 a.m. Eastern (0631 UTC). Nearly 10 minutes later, the Crew Dragon capsule separated from the rocket’s second stage in low Earth orbit.

The rocket’s reusable first stage completed a precise landing at Cape Canaveral’s Landing Zone 1. After a particularly long orbital chase — 28 hours between launch and rendezvous — the crew’s Dragon spacecraft docked with the space station Thursday morning at 6:31 a.m. Eastern (1031 UTC), where it will remain for approximately two weeks. The mission adds to SpaceX’s growing resume of crewed flights to the orbital outpost, further expanding the role of commercial providers in human spaceflight.

Commanding Ax-4 is Peggy Whitson, a veteran NASA astronaut making her fifth journey to space. She previously flew on three long-duration NASA missions and commanded Axiom’s Ax-2 mission in 2023. The rest of the crew includes Shubhanshu Shukla of India as pilot, and mission specialists Sławosz Uznański-Wiśniewski of Poland and Tibor Kapu of Hungary. All three are only the second individuals from their respective countries to reach orbit. Uznański-Wiśniewski’s flight is supported by the European Space Agency.

Axiom Space’s fourth private mission to the ISS counts down to launch atop a Falcon 9 at Kennedy Space Center. [Credit: Axiom Space]

The mission experienced multiple delays since its original spring schedule. In February, NASA and SpaceX swapped the originally assigned Crew Dragon capsule, Endurance, for a newer vehicle to keep the Crew-10 launch on track. That decision pushed Ax-4 into late May, with further postponements in early June due to weather and a liquid oxygen leak in the Falcon 9 booster. Additional delays followed after NASA detected a potential air leak in the ISS’s Russian-built Zvezda module, prompting further investigation before approving the launch.

With clearance granted on June 23, the mission moved forward. The Ax-4 crew will conduct about 60 scientific experiments during their stay—the most of any Axiom mission to date. This includes joint research efforts between NASA and the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO), with Shukla collaborating alongside NASA astronauts aboard the station.

Ax-4 also marks the first flight of the fifth and final Crew Dragon spacecraft built by SpaceX. In line with tradition, the crew named the new spacecraft upon reaching orbit. Commander Whitson revealed its name—Grace—as it separated from the rocket. “Grace is more than a name,” she said. “It reflects the elegance with which we move through space against the backdrop of Earth… an act of goodwill for the benefit of every human everywhere.”

Read the full article at: https://spacenews.com/fourth-axiom-space-private-astronaut-mission-launched-to-iss

[ANS thanks Jeff Foust, SpaceNews.com, for the above information]

Changes to AMSAT-NA TLE Distribution for June 27, 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.

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

[ANS thanks AMSAT Orbital Elements page for the above information]

ARISS NEWS

There are no upcoming ARISS contacts to report while schools are on summer recess. Scheduling is expected to resume as educational institutions return to session.

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.

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

The packet system is also active (145.825 MHz up & down).

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

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

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

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

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

AMSAT Ambassador Activities

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

AMSAT Ambassador Clint Bradford, K6LCS, says,

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

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

Scheduled Events

Olmos Preschool Mid-Year Space Camp – July 3rd, 2025
TI3IES Ignacio, AMSAT and AMSAT-TI Ambassador, will be giving a presentation and demonstration of amateur satellite communications at Olmos Preschool in Curridabat, San José, Costa Rica, on Thursday, July 3rd. The event is part of the school’s mid-year camp, which runs for two weeks with a space-themed focus. The presentation is specially designed for preschool-aged children, who have been learning about planets, stars, and spacecraft. This engaging session will introduce them to satellite communications in a fun and age-appropriate way. Ignacio will be representing AMSAT and AMSAT-TI as part of their ongoing outreach to inspire young learners through space and amateur radio.

Rochester Amateur Radio Association Hamfest 2025 – June 21st, 2025
Barnard Fire Department Park
410 Maiden Lane
Rochester, NY 14616
https://rochesterham.org/hamfest.htm
KB2YSI

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

Greater Louisville Hamfest – September 6th, 2025
Paroquet Springs Conference Centre
395 Paroquet Springs Drive
Shepherdsville, KY 40165
https://louisvillehamfest.wixsite.com/louisvillehamfest
W4FCL

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

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

[ANS thanks Bo Lowrey, W4FCL, Director – AMSAT Ambassador Program, 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

Satellite Shorts From All Over

+ On June 23, 2025, United Launch Alliance (ULA) successfully launched its Atlas V rocket carrying Amazon’s second batch of 27 Project Kuiper satellites into low Earth orbit from Cape Canaveral. This mission, dubbed Kuiper 2, was the second production batch toward Amazon’s plan for a 3,200+ satellite constellation providing global internet service. The launch followed a previous scrub due to a nitrogen purge issue and lifted off at 6:54 a.m. EDT (1054 UTC) after a smooth countdown and favorable weather. Amazon faces an FCC deadline to have half its first-generation constellation operational by July 2026 and has secured launches with multiple providers including ULA, SpaceX, Blue Origin, and Arianespace. With six more Atlas V launches booked and many Vulcan, Ariane 6, New Glenn, and Falcon 9 flights planned, Amazon aims to accelerate deployment to meet regulatory requirements. This second successful launch brings the total number of Kuiper satellites on orbit to 54, underscoring Amazon’s push to establish a steady launch cadence. (ANS thanks Spaceflight Now for the above information)

+ A new study has revealed that the May 2024 Gannon Solar Storm caused GPS signals to be off by up to 230 feet (70 meters), severely impacting farmers who lost over $500 million USD due to malfunctioning GPS-guided machinery during peak planting season. The storm, the most powerful in 20 years, created widespread ionospheric turbulence that distorted GPS signals for up to two days and produced stunning auroras visible as far south as Mexico and Spain. Boston University researchers used a network of fixed GPS receivers originally intended for tectonic studies to measure the disturbances, uncovering a massive “wall of ionospheric plasma” that threw off positioning data across North America. This GPS disruption affected not only agriculture but also aviation, exceeding the safety margin for altitude precision during landings. Experts warn that this storm was mild compared to a potential Carrington-level event, which could cause even more severe global consequences. Scientists suggest that real-time ionospheric monitoring and AI-based signal correction could help mitigate such risks in future storms. (ANS thanks Space.com for the above information)

+ NASA’s ESCAPADE mission, originally set to launch on the first flight of Blue Origin’s New Glenn, is now tentatively scheduled for the rocket’s second flight sometime between summer 2025 and spring 2026. The change was prompted by delays in New Glenn’s development, which caused ESCAPADE to miss its original October 2024 launch window. NASA’s FY 2026 budget proposal confirmed the revised plan, citing a new launch readiness date in the fourth quarter of fiscal year 2025. ESCAPADE, a pair of Mars-bound smallsats, remains committed to New Glenn, despite no recent updates from Blue Origin on the rocket’s second launch timeline. NASA continues to work with Blue Origin to finalize a date, while still targeting arrival at Mars by September 2027 using a revised flight path. Though Blue Origin previously suggested a spring launch and hinted at possible alternate payloads, no firm details have been released as of yet. (ANS thanks SpaceNews for the above information)

+ Mexico’s president has threatened legal action over debris from a recent SpaceX rocket explosion near the U.S.-Mexico border. President Sheinbaum said the government is investigating potential violations of international law due to environmental contamination. The explosion occurred during a ground test of a SpaceX Starship at its Starbase facility in Texas, sending a large fireball into the sky. Mexican officials are now conducting a comprehensive environmental review focused on the nearby state of Tamaulipas. This comes after the U.S. FAA approved an increase in annual Starship launches from five to 25, despite warnings from conservation groups about threats to wildlife. Sheinbaum emphasized that any resulting lawsuit would be based on scientific findings and legal analysis. If filed, the lawsuit would follow another recent case in which Mexico sued Google over the labeling of the Gulf of Mexico. (ANS thanks Phys.org 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.org for additional membership information.

73 and remember to help Keep Amateur Radio in Space!

This week’s ANS Editor, Mitch Ahrenstorff, ADØHJ
mahrenstorff [at] amsat.org

ANS-173 AMSAT News Service Bulletins

June 22, 2025 by Mark Johns

AMSAT News Service
ANS-173
June 22, 2025

In this edition:

* Hamsat to Test New Super-Black Paint That Could Fix Satellite Light Pollution
* AMSAT Field Day on the Satellites
* The Legacy of AMSAT Flight Software – Part 2
* NASA Science Missions Could Be Cut In 2026 Budget
* Changes to AMSAT-NA TLE Distribution
* SpaceX to Launch Fourth Commercial Axiom Mission to the Space Station
* ARISS News
* 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.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/

Hamsat to Test New Super-Black Paint That Could Fix Satellite Light Pollution

AMSAT-UK is delighted to have been able to accept an opportunity to provide a FUNcube Lite payload, with a mode U/V FM transponder, for the exciting Jovian-1 satellite. This 6U CubeSat is being designed and built by Space South Central which is the largest regional space cluster in the UK.

This is a partnership between industry and academia, designed to accelerate space business growth, grow the reputation of the south central region of the UK and foster an environment of innovation.

A collaboration between the universities of Surrey, Portsmouth and Southampton, JUPITER – the Joint Universities Programme for In-Orbit Training, Education and Research – will equip participants with invaluable hands-on space industry experience and training for their future careers.

The FUNcube Lite payload from AMSAT-UK will collect and send telemetry from Jovian-1 sub-systems for educational outreach to schools and colleges, using the tried and tested FUNcube data format. Telemetry will include data from the payload’s own radiation sensor, along with GPS information gathered from the satellite’s CAN bus.

These data can be used to map radiation throughout the orbit, identifying planetary radiation ‘hotspots’ such as the polar regions and the South Atlantic Anomaly. It will also give an accurate measure of how much radiation reaches the sensitive electronics within the satellite.

While Jovian-1 and its ground station at Surrey University will use commercial S and X band for primary communication, FUNcube Lite will use frequencies in the amateur UHF and VHF spectrum. When not sending telemetry, the payload can be configured as a mode U/V FM voice transponder for amateurs to use for international communications.

(Photo Credit: JUPITER)

In addition, Jovian-1 will be a testbed for a new technology to reduce the impact of low Earth orbit (LEO) satellites on astronomy.

A new partnership between Surrey NanoSystems and the University of Surrey is aiming to tackle what has become a major concern for astronomers worldwide.

They are working on using Surrey NanoSystems’s newest product, Vantablack 310, which is a super-black coating. When Vantablack 310 is applied to a surface, it reflects only 2% of incoming light, meaning it absorbs the remaining 98%.

This high level of light absorption makes the coated surfaces appear extremely dark, helping to minimise the unwanted brightness from satellites that can disrupt the work of stargazers.

More than 8,000 LEO satellites already orbit Earth, and projections estimate a rise to 60,000 by 2030, partly driven by the development of mega-constellations.

Starlink satellites are featured in this file photo (Dec. 2024) taken by NASA astronaut Don Pettit from the International Space Station (ISS). (Photo credit: Don Pettit/NASA via SWNS and Talker.com)

To combat this problem, satellite operators have begun experimenting with mitigation strategies, including dark coatings and changes to satellite position, though the negative impact on ground-based measurement persists.

Surrey NanoSystems, with a heritage in ultra-black technologies, says their new solution, Vantablack 310, is a handleable, customer-applied coating, resistant to the challenging LEO environment.

The technology will have its first on-orbit trial on the Jovian-1 mission, scheduled to launch in 2026. One side of the cubesat will be coated with the material so that reflection and temperature measurements can be compared.

More information will be provided at the AMSAT-UK Colloquium taking place during the weekend of October 11-12, 2025 in Milton Keynes, UK. https://amsat-uk.org/colloquium/

[ANS thanks AMSAT-UK, Space South Central, and Talker.com 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/

AMSAT Field Day on the Satellites

It’s that time of year again; summer and Field Day! Each year the American Radio Relay League (ARRL) sponsors Field Day as a “picnic, a campout, practice for emergencies, an informal contest and, most of all, FUN!” The event takes place during a 27-hour period on the fourth weekend of June. For 2025 the event takes place from 1800 UTC on Saturday June 28, 2025 through 2100 UTC on Sunday June 29, 2025. Those who set up prior to 1800 UTC on June 28 can operate only 24 hours. The Radio Amateur Satellite Corporation (AMSAT) promotes its own version of Field Day for operation via the amateur satellites, held concurrently with the ARRL event.

2025 ARRL Field Day logo (Credit: ARRL)

This year should be as much fun as last year since we have more than 10 transponders and repeaters available. Users should check the AMSAT status page at http://www.amsat.org/status/ and the pages at https://www.amsat.org/amateur-satellite-index for what is available in the weeks leading up to field day. To reduce the amount of time to research each satellite, see the current FM satellite table at https://www.amsat.org/live-fm-satellites/ and the current linear satellite table at https://www.amsat.org/linear-satellite-frequency-summary/

If you are considering ONLY the FM voice satellites, there are ISS, SO-50, PO-101, SO-124, SONATE-2 and possibly LilacSat. It might be easier this year to make that one FM contact for the ARRL bonus points with so many FM birds. The congestion on FM LEO satellites is always so intense that we must continue to limit their use to one-QSO-per-FM-satellite. This includes the International Space Station. You will be allowed one QSO if the ISS is operating Voice.

It was suggested during past field days that a control station be allowed to coordinate contacts on the FM satellites. There is nothing in the rules that would prohibit this. This is nothing more than a single station working multiple QSO’s. If a station were to act as a control station and give QSO’s to every other field day station, the control station would still only be allowed to turn in one QSO per FM satellite while the other station would be able to submit one QSO.

The format for the message exchange on the ISS or other digital packet satellite is an unproto packet to the other station (3-way exchange required) with all the same information as normally exchanged for ARRL Field Day, e.g.:

W6NWG de KK5DO 2A STX
KK5DO de W6NWG QSL 5A SDG
W6NWG de KK5DO QSL

If you have worked the satellites on Field Day in recent years, you may have noticed a lot of good contacts can be made on some of the less-populated, low-earth-orbit satellites like AO-7, RS-44, AO-73, JO-97 and MO-122. During Field Day the transponders come alive like 20 meters on a weekend. The good news is that the transponders on these satellites will support multiple simultaneous contacts. The bad news is that you can’t use FM, just low duty-cycle modes like SSB and CW.

THE 2025 AMSAT FIELD DAY RULES:

The AMSAT Field Day 2025 event is open to all Amateur Radio operators. Amateurs are to use the exchange as specified in ARRL rules for Field Day. The AMSAT competition is to encourage the use of all amateur satellites, both analog and digital. Note that no points will be credited for any contacts beyond the ONE allowed via each single-channel FM satellite. Operators are encouraged not to make any extra contacts via theses satellites (Ex: SO-50). CW contacts and digital contacts are worth three points as outlined below.

Analog Transponders:

ARRL rules apply, except:

Each phone, CW, and digital segment ON EACH SATELLITE TRANSPONDER is considered to be a separate band.
CW and digital (RTTY, PSK-31, etc.) contacts count THREE points each.
Stations may only count one (1) completed QSO on any single channel FM satellite. If a satellite has multiple modes such as V/u and L/s modes both turned on, one contact each is allowed. If the PBBS is on – see Pacsats below, ISS (1 phone and 1 digital), Contacts with the ISS crew will count for one contact if they are active. PCSat (I, II, etc.) (1 digital).
The use of more than one transmitter at the same time on a single satellite transponder is prohibited.

Digital Transponders:

We have only APRS digipeaters and 10m to 70cm PSK transponders (see Bob Bruninga’s article in the March/April, 2016 issue of The AMSAT Journal).

Satellite digipeat QSO’s and APRS short-message contacts are worth three points each, but must be complete verified two-way exchanges. The one contact per FM satellite rule is not applied to digital transponders.

The use of terrestrial gateway stations or internet gateways (i.e. EchoLink, IRLP, etc.) to uplink/downlink is not allowed.

For the Pacsats (FalconSat-3) or ‘Store and Forward’ hamsats, each satellite is considered a separate band. Do not post “CQ” messages. Simply upload ONE greeting message to each satellite and download as many greeting messages as possible from each satellite. The subject of the uploaded file should be posted as Field Day Greetings, addressed to ALL. The purpose of this portion of the competition is to demonstrate digital satellite communications to other Field Day participants and observers. Do not reply to the Field Day Greetings addressed to ALL.

The following uploads and downloads count as three-point digital contacts.

Upload of a satellite Field Day Greetings file (one per satellite).
Download of Satellite Field Day Greetings files posted by other stations. Downloads of non-Field Day files or messages not addressed to ALL are not to be counted for the event. Save DIR listings and message files for later “proof of contact.”

Please note AMSAT uploaded messages do not count for QSO points under the ARRL rules.

Sample Satellite Field Day Greetings File:

Greetings from W5MSQ Field Day Satellite station near Katy, Texas, EL-29, with 20 participants, operating class 2A, in the AMSAT-Houston group with the Houston Amateur Television Society and the Houston QRP club. All the best and 73!

Note that the message stated the call, name of the group, operating class, where they were located (the grid square would be helpful) and how many operators were in attendance.

Operating Class:

Stations operating portable and using emergency power (as per ARRL Field Day rules) are in a separate operating class from those at home connected to commercial power. On the report form simply list Emergency or Commercial for the Power Source and be sure to specify your ARRL operating class (2A, 1C, etc.) and ARRL section.

AND FINALLY…

The Satellite Summary Sheet should be used for submission of the AMSAT Field Day competition and be received by KK5DO (e-mail) by 11:59 P.M. CDT, Tuesday, July 29, 2025. This year, we are using the same due date as the ARRL. The only method for submitting your log is via e-mail to kk5do at amsatnet dot com or kk5do at arrl dot net. No mail-in entries.

Add photographs or other interesting information that can be used in an article for the Journal.

You will receive an e-mail back (within one or two days) from me when I receive your e-mail submission. If you do not receive a confirmation message, then I have not received your submission. Try sending it again or send it to my other e-mail address.

Certificates will be awarded for the first-place emergency power/portable station at the AMSAT General Meeting and Space Symposium in the fall of 2025. Certificates will also be awarded to the second and third place portable/emergency operation in addition to the first-place home station running on emergency power. A station submitting high, award-winning scores will be requested to send in dupe sheets for analog contacts and message listings for digital downloads.

You may have multiple rig difficulties, antenna failures, computer glitches, generator disasters, tropical storms, and there may even be satellite problems, but the goal is to test your ability to operate in an emergency situation. Try different gear. Demonstrate satellite operations to hams that don’t even know the HAMSATS exist. Test your equipment. Avoid making more than ONE contact via the FM-only voice HAMSATS or the ISS, and enjoy the event!

Full article and downloadables available at https://www.amsat.org/field-day/

[ANS thanks Bruce Paige, KK5DO, AMSAT Contest and Awards Manager, for the above information]

The Legacy of AMSAT Flight Software – Part 2

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. In Part 2, Fisher explains that while Fox satellites are in Low Earth Orbits between approximately 500 km and 800 km altitudes, he 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.

Burns explained, “Adding to complexity is the need for fail over capability. Fail over is a backup operational mode that automatically switches to a standby system if the primary system fails. We wanted to have multiple processors that could fail over in a higher altitude radiation exposure event using processor coordination. One of the newer circuit boards we are using is the Radiation Tolerant Internal Housekeeping Unit (RT-IHU). It includes Error Detection And Correction (EDAC) memory that performs self-tests while in use. We are using higher-quality Automotive grade components for that purpose.”

IHU Board – [Credit: AMSAT]

Burns explained “Each processor has two redundant cores that cross check functionality. Each redundant board has these processor chips, non-volatile memory as well as separate receiver and transmitter. There are bus switches that disconnect one processor from the main satellite bus if there’s a failure.”

He said, “The RT-IHU hasn’t flown on an AMSAT satellite. So we wanted to have something that had flight heritage for more assurance of successful operation. In addition to the RT-IHU then, we are flying the latest revision of the legacy IHU – it’s essentially the same board that flew successfully seven times. The dual IHUs are connected together on the GOLF bus. Controlling the multiple IHUs is the job of the coordination software task mentioned above.

“The RT-IHU also has a telemetry transmitter and a command receiver. Whichever processor is ‘in control’ at a particular time is responsible for collecting and transmitting telemetry as well as control satellite subsystems. All the command receivers are active at all times.”

FlatSat Desktop – [Credit: Burns Fisher]

“In the photo above, you see my software development bench covered with a “flat sat”—the satellite boards all spread out for easy access. You can see a purple Breakout Board (BoB) that Leandra Mac Lennan, AF1R built, tested and documented. It has the IHUs, transmitter and receiver boards mounted on it. The gray ribbon cable connects the BoB to a prototype Central Interface Unit (CIU). The big green board in front is the GPS evaluation board system. The GPS system is used to find out where the satellite is and get our orbital elements out of it as well as getting the exact UTC time. Toward the back is the ADAC (Attitude Determination and Control System). In this flat-sat configuration, everything is connected by jumper wires,” Burns explained.

“The BoB is a vital element of the board-level testing of satellite components. A Hamvention 2025 AMSAT forum presentation by Leandra covered the BoB in detail and will be available shortly.”

Burns continued, “The photo also shows the test equipment I use. There are two different power supplies because the actual satellite power supply will provide multiple voltages. In addition, I use an oscilloscope to help me understand the electrical signals when a data bus does not operate the way I expect. Flat-sats like this show how we develop the flight software. Not in in the photo but to the right of what you see is my Linux computer where the software is edited and compiled. The software is loaded into the flat-sat IHUs and tested, often using the console task I mentioned above.”

Burns concluded, “AMSAT software development is a continuous and increasingly complex process We want to get started writing software even before we have all the correct boards. It requires additional hours of work and as well as following the development of all of the satellite’s subsystems in order to get an idea of the software that will be required.”

[ANS thanks Burns Fisher, WB1FJ, AMSAT Senior Software Engineer for the above information.]

Need new satellite antennas?

NASA Science Missions Could Be Cut In 2026 Budget

President Donald Trump’s fiscal 2026 budget request, if approved by Congress, would kill many of NASA’s plans for robotic exploration of the solar system. Gone, too, would be multiple space-based missions to study Earth, the sun and the rest of the universe.

Among the planets that would get less attention are Venus, Mars and Jupiter. But the planet facing the biggest drop in scrutiny from space is our own. The Trump budget proposal calls for reducing Earth science funding by 53 percent.

Also spiked: a mission that would take a close look at Apophis, a jumbo asteroid that will pass just 20,000 miles from Earth — closer than geosynchronous satellites — on April 13, 2029.

The White House Office of Management and Budget said in its request that NASA’s current spending of more than $7 billion a year on nearly 100 science missions is “unsustainable.”

The Planetary Society, a nonprofit advocacy group for space science, estimates that 41 current or planned missions, roughly a third of NASA’s portfolio, would be terminated if the Trump budget is approved as written. Trump’s proposals would hammer the NASA workforce, triggering the loss of thousands of civil service and contractor positions.

Congress has the power of the purse, however, and could save missions targeted for termination. The Senate Commerce, Space and Transportation Committee, chaired by Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas), is pushing to protect much of NASA’s funding but is primarily concerned with saving existing elements of the agency’s Artemis moon program. On Thursday, the committee proposed restoring billions of dollars to a variety of NASA projects.

The full article, with a descriptive list of projects that might be cut, may be found at https://www.washingtonpost.com/science/2025/06/08/nasa-budget-voyager-space/ (possible pay wall).

[ANS thanks The Washington Post 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 20

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]

SpaceX to Launch Fourth Commercial Axiom Mission to the Space Station

Axiom Space is on verge of its fourth private astronaut mission to space in as many years. The flight, dubbed Axiom Mission 4 (Ax-4), will see the astronauts from India, Poland and Hungary reach the International Space Station (ISS) for the first time.

The four crew members, led by Axiom Space’s Director of Human Spaceflight, Peggy Whitson, will embark on a roughly two-week mission to the orbiting outpost. The quartet will launch onboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket from NASA’s Kennedy Space Center, but the launch was delayed due to a variety of issues, including an air leak on the ISS, weather, and a possible issue with the Falcon 9 booster rocket.

SpaceX had also said on Sunday, June 15, it was reviewing data from a static test firing that took place that day, suggesting there was perhaps an undisclosed technical problem. The mission was previously delayed from late May because the mission’s brand new Crew Dragon spacecraft was not ready.

The mission, dubbed Axiom Mission 4 or Ax-4, features the debut of the Crew Dragon spacecraft, tail number C213. This has been billed by SpaceX as its fifth and final Dragon capsule. SpaceX’s long-term goals are to shift its human spaceflight missions from Dragon to its Starship rocket, which it said will be capable of ferrying dozens of people into space.

A number of amateur radio contacts are among the tasks that are to be performed by the Axiom crew during their time aboard the ISS.

[ANS thanks Spaceflight Now for the above information]

ARISS NEWS

RECENTLY COMPLETED:
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 was successful: Thu 2025-06-19 17:32:31 UTC 48 degrees maximum elevation
Congratulations to the YOTA 2025 students, Nichole, mentor N7GZT, and ground station WØY
Watch for Livestream at https://youtube.com/live/I7JFXlzjrKc?feature=share and https://www.youtube.com/@yotaregion2/streams

UPCOMING:
A number of previously announced contacts associated with the Axiom mission are being reschedule due to the launch delay.

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 currently OFF (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

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

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

Satellite Shorts From All Over

+ ARRL’s Logbook of the World (LoTW) is the primary means for providing confirmations for AMSAT awards such as GridMaster, Rover, and Reverse VUCC, as well as ARRL Awards, such as VUCC, DXCC, and Worked All States. Almost all satellite operators use it. As a part of the ongoing modernization of the ARRL systems infrastructure, LoTW will be receiving major upgrades to the operating system it is running on, the relational database system it uses to store and access logbook and awards data, and server hosting, where it will be fully migrated to the cloud. These changes will, among other improvements, ensure LoTW performance needs can be better met based on user demand. LoTW will be unavailable from June 27 to July 2, 2025, to complete these upgrades. (ANS thanks ARRL for the above information.)

+ A SpaceX Starship rocket exploded in a huge fireball on a test stand late Wednesday, June 18 during preparations for its next launch. The upper stage Starship vehicle experienced a “major anomaly” before starting a test fire at around 11 p.m. local time, SpaceX said on social media. All personnel were safe and there were no hazards to the residents of nearby communities, SpaceX, a commercial space launch company, said. (ANS thanks The New York Times for the above information.)

+ Astronomers have discovered that the largest comet from the Oort Cloud, a shell of icy bodies at the very edge of the solar system, is bursting with chemical activity. Using the Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array (ALMA) in Chile, the team discovered that C/2014 UN271, an 85-mile-wide (137 km) body around 10 times the size of the average comet and also known as Bernardinelli-Bernstein, is erupting with complex and evolving jets of carbon monoxide gas. Now located halfway between the sun and the solar system’s furthest planet, Neptune (or 16.6 times the distance between the Earth and our star), C/2014 UN271 becomes the second-most distant comet originating from the Oort Cloud that has been seen to be chemically active. Full article at http://bit.ly/4nb7W0c (ANS thanks Space.com for the above information.)

+ China’s Shijian-21 and Shijian-25 satellites had been moving toward each other in geosynchronous orbit, around 22,236 miles (35,786 kilometers) above the equator, Spacenews reported on June 6. And now the pair appear to have had a brief first encounter, according to observations from the ground. Optical tracking by the space situational awareness firm s2a systems shows a close approach between the two on June 14, with the pair, at times, virtually unresolvable from the other. This suggests that Shijian-21 and Shijian-25 made at least a test-run close approach and may have even performed a docking and undocking test. Full article at http://bit.ly/407WHLV (ANS thanks Space.com for the above information.)

+ Honda has successfully tested an experimental reusable rocket, the company said, as it seeks to expand into the space sector. The automaker, which hopes to develop the tech prowess for a suborbital launch by 2029, conducted a test flight of its rocket on the northern Japanese island of Hokkaido. The prototype device, around six metres (20 feet) tall, landed only 37 centimetres from its designated landing spot after the one-minute flight. (ANS thanks AFP and spacedaily.com for the above information.)

+ Astronomers have discovered a huge filament of hot gas bridging four galaxy clusters. At 10 times as massive as our galaxy, the thread could contain some of the Universe’s ‘missing’ matter, addressing a decades-long mystery. The astronomers used the European Space Agency’s XMM-Newton and JAXA’s Suzaku X-ray space telescopes to make the discovery. Over one-third of the ‘normal’ matter in the local Universe – the visible stuff making up stars, planets, galaxies, life – is “missing.” It hasn’t yet been seen, but it’s needed to make our models of the cosmos work properly. While we’ve spotted filaments before, they’re typically faint, making it difficult to isolate their light from that of any galaxies, black holes, and other objects lying nearby. (ANS thanks the European Space Agency for the above information.)

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

In addition to regular membership, AMSAT offers membership to:

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

ANS-159 AMSAT News Service Weekly Bulletins

June 8, 2025 by Paul Stoetzer

AMSAT News Service

ANS-159
June 8, 2025

In this edition:

Nominations Close Soon for 2025 AMSAT Board of Directors Election
NOAA-18 Decommissioned
Request for Expression of Interest for futureGEO Project
SO-125 FM Transponder Activated
Changes to AMSAT TLE Distribution for June 6, 2025
ARISS News
AMSAT Ambassador Activities
Satellite Shorts From All Over

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

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

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

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

Nominations Close Soon for 2025 AMSAT Board of Directors Election

AMSAT solicits nominations for the 2025 AMSAT Board of Directors election, scheduled to take place in the third quarter of the year. The nomination period closes on June 15th.

The seats of the following four incumbent Directors expire in 2025 and will be filled by this year’s election:

Barry Baines, WD4ASW
Jerry Buxton, N0JY
Drew Glasbrenner, KO4MA
Zach Metzinger, N0ZGO

Further, up to two Alternate Directors may be elected for one-year terms. A valid nomination for Director must be written and requires either one Member Society or five current individual members in good standing to nominate an AMSAT member. Written nominations, with the nominee’s name, call sign, and contact information, as well as the nominators’ names, call signs, and contact information, should be sent to the AMSAT Secretary:

Douglas Tabor, N6UA
1133 Verlan Way
Cheyenne, WY 82009

AMSAT bylaws require that the nomination be written and in the form specified by the Secretary, who has elected to accept written nomination materials via postal mail or in electronic form, including email or electronic image of a paper document. Fax transmissions cannot be accepted.

Email nominations may be sent to dtabor [at] amsat [dot] org.

Regardless of the means used, petitions must be received by the Secretary no later than June 15th. The Secretary will verify the qualifications of candidates and nominating members or Member Societies as petitions are accepted and will notify candidates whether their nominations are in order by the end of June.

[ANS thanks Douglas Tabor, N6UA, AMSAT Secretary, 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

NOAA-18 Decommissioned

On May 31, 2025 at 1605 UTC, the NOAA-18 S-band Transmitter 4 (STX4) experienced a power drop from 7W to 0.8W. STX4 is the only remaining transmitter used for up-link (commanding) and downlink (telemetry & global science data from the recorder). Full recovery of the S-Band transmitter and its functionality is not possible, and therefore jeopardizes the ability to ensure safe operation of the spacecraft. Based on NOAA’s requirement to responsibly manage on-orbit assets, NOAA decommissioned NOAA-18 on June 6, 2025 between 1733 and 1749 UTC and the APT signal transmission ceasing was observed by amateur observers.

NOAA-18 is a legacy Polar Operational Environmental Satellites (POES) satellite and is operated with no performance or latency requirements. Users should transition to NOAA’s Joint Polar Satellite System (JPSS). JPSS provides global observations that serve as the backbone of both short- and long-term forecasts, including those that help us predict and prepare for severe weather events. The five satellites scheduled in the fleet are the currently-flying NOAA/NASA Suomi National Polar-orbiting Partnership (Suomi NPP) satellite, NOAA-20, previously known as JPSS-1, NOAA-21, previously known as JPSS-2, and the upcoming JPSS-3 and JPSS-4 satellites.

[ANS thanks the NOAA National Environmental Satellite, Data, and Information Service for the above information]

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

Request for Expression of Interest for futureGEO Project

As part of AMSAT-DL’s cooperation with the European Space Agency (ESA) to prepare a future geostationary amateur radio payload project (“futureGEO”), a Request for Expression of Interest (RFEI) was recently sent to national AMSAT organizations, amateur radio associations and qualified experts worldwide.

The aim is to identify potential partners who would like to actively participate in the definition and development of a new amateur radio payload for a future geostationary satellite. Contributions should include innovative technical ideas, experiences from previous missions (e.g. QO-100) as well as concrete proposals for payloads, experiments and educational initiatives.

In particular, amateur radio organizations whose countries are members of the ESA or which are in the planned visibility range (footprint) are addressed. This means Canada, Europe, North and South America, and Africa.

Call for expressions of interest (RFEI) for futureGEO project

Unfortunately, we have noticed that not all contact details in the “AMSAT International Directory” are up to date. (Editor’s note: International AMSAT organizations should submit updated contact information for key leaders to info at amsat.org to update this directory) If you are an organization that has not received an RFEI but would like to actively participate, please contact us directly.

→ Request for Expression of Interest – RFEI “futureGEO” – Invitation Letter (PDF)

→ Future Amateur Goestationary Payload Definitions – WORK TO BE DONE (PDF)

The deadline for expressions of interest is June 30, 2025.

We look forward to your feedback and hope for committed international cooperation on this forward-looking project!

Editor’s note: The AMSAT Board of Directors and senior leadership will be submitting an expression of interest. A geostationary amateur radio satellite with a North American footprint has been sought for a very long time and AMSAT is committed to providing AMSAT-DL with any support that we can provide in this endeavor.

[ANS thanks AMSAT-DL for the above information]

SO-125 FM Transponder Activated

On the evening on June 5, 2025, the SO-125 FM transponder was activated for the first time. AMSAT-EA intends to activate the FM transponder on Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays moving forward. Initial reports are that the satellite’s transponder works well. QSOs have been made via the satellite in all regions of the world.

The satellite has a 145.875 MHz uplink and a 436.666 MHz downlink. The NORAD ID for Keplerian elements is 63492.

AMSAT has submitted a request to the ARRL to have SO-125 added to the LoTW configuration file for LoTW QSO confirmations.

SO-124 (HADES-R) continues in 24 hour operation with a 145.925 MHz uplink and a 436.888 MHz downlink. Wednesdays are reserved for digital modes.

Updates on AMSAT-EA’s satellites can be found at https://x.com/eb1ao and https://x.com/AmsatSpain.

[ANS thanks AMSAT-EA for the above information]

Changes to AMSAT TLE Distribution for June 6, 2025

IRIS-A NORAD Cat ID 51044 Decayed from orbit on or about 05 JUN 2025

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

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

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

ARISS News

Scheduled Contacts

School in the Aznakaevsky district of the Republic of Tatarstan, Tatarstan, Russia, direct via TBD

The ISS callsign is presently scheduled to be RSØISS
The scheduled crewmember is Sergey Ryzhikov
The ARISS mentor is RV3DR

Contact is go for Sun 2025-06-08 09:05 UTC

Mountain Creek State High School, Mountain Creek, Queensland, Australia, via IK1SLD

The ISS callsign is presently scheduled to be OR4ISS
The scheduled crewmember is Takaya Onishi KF5LKS
The ARISS mentor is VK4KHZ

Contact is go for: Mon 2025-06-09 08:10:45 UTC 47 deg

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

AMSAT Ambassador Activities

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

AMSAT Ambassador Clint Bradford, K6LCS, says,

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

Scheduled Events

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

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

October 16, 17, 18, 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/

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

+ The FCC has denied AST Space Mobile’s request to use 430 MHz -440 MHz for telemetry operations, noting “There is no space tracking or space telemetering allocation in the 430-440 MHz frequency range.” (Thanks to AMSAT-DL and the FCC for the information)

+ A paper by Hope Lea, KD2L, and Ruth Willet, KM4LAO, entitled “Empowering the Next Generation Through Space Communication” was selected best in “The Next Generation” part of the SpaceOps 2025 conference in Montreal. This paper discussed ARISS and YOTA. AMSAT congratulates them on their outstanding work! (Thanks to ARISS for the information)

+ The FCC’s #FridayFlashback on X this past week highlighted amateur radio. View FCC amateur radio ads from years past in the thread at https://x.com/FCC/status/1931024023023984709

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

In addition to regular membership, AMSAT offers membership to:

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

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

73 and remember to help Keep Amateur Radio in Space!

This week’s ANS Editor,

Paul Stoetzer, N8HM
n8hm [at] arrl.net

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

AMSAT Field Day Submissions Now Due

Seeking Additional Volunteers for Moon Day at Dallas Frontiers of Flight Museum

GridMasterMap Satellite Top 100 Rovers July 2025 Rankings

VUCC Satellite Standing July 2025

DXCC Satellite Standing July 2025

Changes to AMSAT-NA TLE Distribution for July 4

French Astronaut Will Take Food From Michelin-Starred Chef to ISS

ARISS NEWS

AMSAT Ambassador Activities

Satellite Shorts From All Over

AMSAT Shares Update on Fox-Plus CubeSat Design, Adapter Issues, and Integration Work

AMSAT South Africa to Host 2025 Virtual Symposium on 68 Years of Amateur Radio Progress

AMSAT Seeks Additional Volunteers for Moon Day at Dallas Frontiers of Flight Museum

The 2025 AMSAT President’s Club Coins Have Just Arrived! Celebrating the 40th Anniversary of Amateur Radio on Human Spaceflight

Help Support GOLF and Fox Plus. Join the AMSAT President’s Club today!

SpaceX Transporter-14 Rideshare Delivers Small Sats, Reentry Tech, and Memorial Ashes

Axiom-4 Reaches Orbit After Delays with Multinational Crew Bound for Space Station

Changes to AMSAT-NA TLE Distribution for June 27, 2025

ARISS NEWS

AMSAT Ambassador Activities

Scheduled Events

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

Satellite Shorts From All Over

Hamsat to Test New Super-Black Paint That Could Fix Satellite Light Pollution

AMSAT Field Day on the Satellites

The Legacy of AMSAT Flight Software – Part 2

NASA Science Missions Could Be Cut In 2026 Budget

Changes to AMSAT-NA TLE Distribution for June 20

SpaceX to Launch Fourth Commercial Axiom Mission to the Space Station

ARISS NEWS

AMSAT Ambassador Activities

Satellite Shorts From All Over

AMSAT News Service

ANS-159 June 8, 2025

Nominations Close Soon for 2025 AMSAT Board of Directors Election

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

NOAA-18 Decommissioned

Request for Expression of Interest for futureGEO Project

Call for expressions of interest (RFEI) for futureGEO project

SO-125 FM Transponder Activated

Changes to AMSAT TLE Distribution for June 6, 2025

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

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

ARISS News

Scheduled Contacts

School in the Aznakaevsky district of the Republic of Tatarstan, Tatarstan, Russia, direct via TBD

Mountain Creek State High School, Mountain Creek, Queensland, Australia, via IK1SLD

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

AMSAT Ambassador Activities

Scheduled Events

Satellite Shorts from All Over

The 2025 AMSAT President’s Club Coins Have Just Arrived!
Celebrating the 40th Anniversary of Amateur Radio on Human Spaceflight

Help Support GOLF and Fox Plus.
Join the AMSAT President’s Club today!

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

ANS-159
June 8, 2025

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

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

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