AMSAT News Service

AMSAT News Service

ANS-179
June 28, 2026

In this edition:

* Classic OSCARLOCATOR Returns as Browser-Based Tracking Simulator
* Katalyst Launches Spacecraft to Rescue NASA’s Swift Observatory
* Rocket Lab Launches Spacecraft for Space Force Orbital Exercise
* Researchers Propose StormWall System to Reduce Solar Storm Impacts
* Changes to AMSAT TLE Distribution for June 26, 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/

---

Classic OSCARLOCATOR Returns as Browser-Based Tracking Simulator

A new browser-based recreation of the classic OSCARLOCATOR satellite tracking aid is now online and free for all amateurs to use at: https://oscarlocator.n8hm.radio/

The OSCARLOCATOR Web Simulator is the work of AMSAT Executive Vice President Paul Stoetzer, N8HM, and is modeled on his OrbitDeck desktop application. It runs entirely in a web browser on desktop and mobile devices, with no login, installation, or plug-ins required.

For amateurs who came to satellite operating after the era of paper tracking devices, the original OSCARLOCATOR was a circular, azimuthal-equidistant map of one hemisphere paired with a rotating clear overlay. By aligning the overlay to a satellite’s equator crossing, an operator could determine where the spacecraft would appear in the sky and when it would be in range — all without a computer. N8HM’s web version preserves that look and method while adding the convenience of live, on-demand computation.

The simulator renders the familiar polar azimuthal-equidistant map as well as a QTH-centered version, automatically choosing the North or South polar sheet for the operator’s location. It draws the satellite’s ground track with 10-minute time marks, plots a range circle over the operator’s station, and shows the spacecraft’s instantaneous footprint. A live readout reports the sub-satellite point, azimuth and elevation from the station, slant range, and whether the satellite is above the horizon.

Operators can drive the display live in real time, pin an equator crossing to a chosen longitude and step forward minute by minute, or jump directly to the next visible pass over their location. A QTH-centered view places the operator’s station at the center of the map with azimuth bearings and great-circle distance rings — the same geometry used by a physical OSCARLOCATOR card.

A “Next Passes” panel lists the next ten visible passes over the operator’s QTH, with acquisition-of-signal, peak, and loss-of-signal times, pass duration, and maximum elevation and bearing. A single click seeds any listed pass onto the map. A separate reference-orbit table gives equator-crossing times and longitudes suitable for setting a physical OSCARLOCATOR.

The satellite picker is fed from current AMSAT GP (General Perturbations) orbital element data, with a bundled offline snapshot so the tool remains usable if live data cannot be retrieved. The station can be set by Maidenhead grid square, by latitude and longitude, or automatically through the browser’s geolocation. During live tracking the display follows the satellite across the equator, switching between the North and South polar sheets as appropriate.

Position calculations use a from-scratch SGP4/SDP4 propagator validated against the published Vallado reference vectors, with correct deep-space handling so that high-altitude and geosynchronous satellites such as QO-100 are displayed at their true sub-satellite points.

The OSCARLOCATOR Web Simulator is free to use and available online at https://oscarlocator.n8hm.radio. Amateurs new to satellite work may find its visual, hands-on approach a useful way to build intuition for how amateur satellites move and when they can be worked from a given location.

[ANS thanks Paul Stoetzer, N8HM, AMSAT Executive Vice President, for the above information]

---

Katalyst Launches Spacecraft to Rescue NASA’s Swift Observatory

Katalyst Space Technologies is preparing to launch its LINK servicing spacecraft aboard Northrop Grumman’s Pegasus XL rocket no earlier than June 30. The mission will attempt to rendezvous with NASA’s Swift Observatory and raise its orbit, potentially extending the life of the 22-year-old space telescope. The launch is expected to mark one of the first operational attempts to capture and service an unprepared satellite already in orbit.

Swift was launched in 2004 to study gamma-ray bursts, among the most energetic events in the universe. Although the observatory remains scientifically productive, it was built without propulsion capable of maintaining its orbit. Atmospheric drag has gradually reduced Swift’s altitude over the past two decades, and increased solar activity accelerated that decay. NASA determined the spacecraft was at risk of descending too low for safe servicing operations later this year.

To preserve the observatory, NASA selected Katalyst Space Technologies in 2025 to develop a rapid-response rescue mission. The company designed and built the LINK servicing spacecraft in less than one year, an unusually short schedule for a mission of its complexity. LINK carries electric propulsion and a robotic capture system designed to attach itself to satellites that were never intended to be serviced in orbit.

Following launch, LINK will enter orbit and begin initial spacecraft checkout and commissioning activities. In the coming weeks, the spacecraft is expected to perform a series of orbital maneuvers to match Swift’s orbit before attempting a close approach. Once in position, three robotic arms will be used to capture the observatory and establish a secure mechanical connection.

The mission is expected to mark the final flight of Northrop Grumman’s Pegasus XL launch vehicle. First flown in 1990, Pegasus pioneered commercial air-launched access to space and completed dozens of missions during its 36-year career. The launch will utilize the last Pegasus XL rocket remaining in inventory and will be conducted from the L-1011 carrier aircraft Stargazer, believed to be the last operational Lockheed TriStar aircraft still flying.

If successful, the Swift rescue mission could establish a new model for extending the lives of aging spacecraft. Beyond preserving a valuable scientific observatory, the mission will demonstrate technologies that may one day allow commercial operators and government agencies to service satellites rather than replacing them. The mission is being closely watched as a potential milestone in the growing field of commercial on-orbit satellite servicing.

Read the full article at: https://arstechnica.com/space/2026/06/a-bold-satellite-rescue-mission-came-together-in-record-time-but-will-it-work/

[ANS thanks Stephen Clark, Ars Technica, for the above information]

---

Buying from DX Engineering?
Add AMSAT’s Getting Started With Amateur Satellites to your order.Available for $30 from DX Engineering (free shipping on most orders over $99)
https://www.dxengineering.com/parts/amt-satellites

---

Rocket Lab Launches Spacecraft for Space Force Orbital Exercise

Rocket Lab successfully launched a spacecraft for the U.S. Space Force’s Victus Haze mission on June 19, lifting off aboard an Electron rocket from the company’s Launch Complex 1 in Mahia, New Zealand. The spacecraft, known as Victus Haze Puma, was placed into a sun-synchronous orbit and will participate in a military demonstration designed to test rapid response capabilities and on-orbit spacecraft operations.

Victus Haze is the fourth mission conducted under the Space Force’s Tactically Responsive Space (TacRS) program. The initiative seeks to demonstrate how commercial launch providers and spacecraft manufacturers can rapidly deploy satellites when needed. Unlike earlier demonstrations that focused primarily on launch readiness, Victus Haze expands the concept by evaluating spacecraft operations after reaching orbit.

Following launch, the Puma spacecraft entered a commissioning phase before beginning rendezvous and proximity operations with another spacecraft already in orbit. The mission will pair Rocket Lab’s vehicle with True Anomaly’s Jackal-004 spacecraft, which launched in May aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 rideshare mission. During the exercise, the spacecraft will perform a variety of maneuvers intended to demonstrate space domain awareness and the ability to characterize nearby objects in orbit.

The mission also showcased the responsiveness of Rocket Lab’s launch system. After receiving a formal launch order from the Space Force, the company launched the Electron rocket within 16 hours and 42 minutes, surpassing the program’s 24-hour launch requirement. Rocket Lab reported that mission planners calculated a final trajectory to a previously undisclosed orbit, updated flight software, and coordinated ground station support within only a few hours of receiving the order.

Victus Haze builds on lessons learned from the Victus Nox mission conducted in 2023. That earlier demonstration proved that commercial providers could rapidly launch a satellite following a short-notice tasking. Victus Haze extends the concept by demonstrating that responsive space operations can continue after launch, including the ability to maneuver spacecraft, inspect nearby objects, and gather information about activities occurring in orbit.

Space Force officials view these capabilities as increasingly important as Earth orbit becomes more crowded and strategically significant. Future military and civil missions may require the rapid deployment of spacecraft to replace damaged satellites, investigate unusual activity, or provide additional sensing capabilities. Through partnerships with commercial companies such as Rocket Lab and True Anomaly, the Victus Haze mission aims to demonstrate that these capabilities can be delivered on operational timelines measured in hours and days rather than months.

Read the full article at: https://spacenews.com/rocket-lab-launches-satellite-for-u-s-space-force-victus-haze-responsive-space-exercise/

[ANS thanks Sandra Erwin, SpaceNews, for the above information]

---

Researchers Propose StormWall System to Reduce Solar Storm Impacts

Scientists have proposed a new concept called StormWall that could one day help protect satellites, communications systems, and power infrastructure from severe solar storms. The idea, described in a recent paper published in the journal Space Weather, would use a fleet of spacecraft to temporarily strengthen Earth’s natural magnetic defenses when dangerous space weather is approaching.

Earth is normally protected by its magnetosphere, a magnetic field that deflects much of the charged particle radiation emitted by the Sun. During powerful solar eruptions, however, interactions between the solar wind and Earth’s magnetic field can allow large amounts of energy to enter near-Earth space. These events can disrupt satellite operations, radio communications, navigation systems, and electric power grids.

The proposed StormWall system would deploy six spacecraft in geosynchronous orbit. Each spacecraft would carry stores of material such as barium, lithium, sodium, or calcium. When a major solar storm is detected, the spacecraft would release the material into space, where sunlight would ionize it and create an artificial cloud of plasma.

Researchers believe this plasma cloud could increase the mass density along the sunward boundary of the magnetosphere. Computer simulations suggest that the added material would reduce the efficiency of magnetic reconnection, the process that allows solar storm energy to penetrate Earth’s magnetic shield. By slowing this process, StormWall could lessen the severity of geomagnetic storms reaching Earth.

To evaluate the concept, the research team simulated the effects of the May 2024 “Mother’s Day” geomagnetic storm. Their results indicated that StormWall would not eliminate the storm entirely but could reduce key measures of storm intensity by more than 50 percent. The researchers also concluded that the amount of material required and the launch capabilities needed for the system are within the reach of current technology.

The concept remains a theoretical proposal and no StormWall mission has been approved or funded. Nevertheless, the study represents an unusual approach to space weather mitigation, shifting the focus from forecasting solar storms to actively reducing their impact. As satellite constellations and other orbital infrastructure continue to expand, researchers suggest that large-scale protective systems may become increasingly attractive in the future.

Read the full article at: https://www.space.com/astronomy/earth/scientists-propose-spraying-chemicals-into-earths-magnetic-field-to-protect-us-from-powerful-solar-storms

[ANS thanks Sharmila Kuthunur, Space.com, for the above information]

---

The 2026 Coins Are Here! Help Support GOLF-TEE and Fox-Plus.
Annual memberships start at only $120.

---

Changes to AMSAT TLE Distribution for June 26, 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/.

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

General Perturbations Data Support

AMSAT is pleased to announce that modern forms of what are called General Perturbations data are being disseminated via modern formats including JSON, XML and KVN at https://newark192.amsat.org/gpdata/current/. The reason this change is being made is that we are running out of 5-digit catalog numbers and the TLE format is not viable for satellites launched after July of this year. See https://celestrak.org/NORAD/documentation/gp-data-formats.php for details.

These data are presently considered in beta test for the next two months while hosted on the test server newark192.amsat.org, and we are very open to community feedback at [email protected]. Testers may experience outages and errors while we make improvements. We intend to put this into production on our main web server in July as we expect that satellites launched after this summer will require one of the new formats to accommodate longer object numbers. AMSAT will continue to publish TLE bulletins for satellites launched before July 2026 indefinitely.

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

---

ARISS News

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

Scheduled Contacts

+ Recently Completed

National STEM Festival, Washington, DC, telebridge via VK6MJ
The ISS callsign was NA1SS
The scheduled crewmember was Chris Williams, KJ5GEW
The ARISS mentor was W4NTR/ KM4YHZ
Contact was successful: Thu 2026-06-25 13:31:42 UTC
Congratulations to the National STEM Festival students, Chris, mentor W4NTR/KM4YHZ, and ground station VK6MJ!

+ Upcoming Contacts

None currently scheduled

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

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

The crossband repeater remains configured in the Columbus Module (145.990 MHz up {PL 67} & 437.800 MHz down). If a crewmember decides to pick up the microphone and turn up the volume, you may hear them on the air—so keep listening, as you never know when activity might occur. In support of an upcoming EVA: Power Down June 29 15:15 UTC | Power Up July 1 10:15 UTC

Kenwood D710GA in the Zvezda Service Module – Call sign RS0ISS. Please note we’re still in the process of troubleshooting and testing this radio. APRS is currently active on 437.825 MHz. Feel free to check out status reports at https://ariss-usa.org/ARISS_APRS/. In support of an upcoming EVA: Power Down June 29 15:20 UTC | Power Up July 1 10:20 UTC

​HamTV in the Columbus Module (2395.00 MHz) is currently transmitting a test signal. The color bar test generator portion of the system is experiencing technical issues, and troubleshooting is underway. For more information, visit the ARISS Ham TV Live site at https://live.ariss.org/hamtv/.

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

Moon Day – July 11, 2026
Frontiers of Flight Museum
6911 Lemmon Avenue
Dallas, TX 75209
https://flightmuseum.com/events/moonday/
N5HYP

44th AMSAT Space Symposium and Annual Membership Meeting – October 8 thru 11, 2026
Crowne Plaza JAX Airport
14670 Duval Road
Jacksonville, FL 32218
https://www.amsat.org/2026-amsat-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 News Service

ANS-172
June 21, 2026

In this edition:

* 2026 AMSAT Field Day Next Weekend!
* 2026 AMSAT Space Symposium & Annual General Meeting
* Satellites Are The New Fire Towers
* Announcing OrbitDeck
* Changes to AMSAT-NA TLE Distribution
* Dragon Returns Packed with Space Station Science
* 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/

---

2026 AMSAT Field Day Next Weekend!

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 2026 the event takes place from 1800 UTC on Saturday June 27, 2026 through 2100 UTC on Sunday June 28, 2026. Those who set up prior to 1800 UTC on June 27 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.

This year should be as much fun as last year since we have more than 10 transponders and repeaters available. For AMSAT purposes, a transponder on a satellite would count as two if you could do phone and CW. We count them by modes, not the satellite names.

Users should check the AMSAT status page at http://www.amsat.org/status/ and the pages at https://www.amsat.org/two-way-satellites/ 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/fm-satellite-frequency-summary/ 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 and SO-50. 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, FO-29 and JO-97. 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.

[ANS thanks Bruce Paige, KK5DO, AMSAT Director of Contests and Awards for the above information.]

---

Buying from Ham Radio Outlet? Add AMSAT’s Getting Started With Amateur Satellites to your order.

Available for $29.95 from HRO https://www.hamradio.com/detail.cfm?pid=H0-019238

2026 AMSAT Space Symposium & Annual General Meeting

[ANS thanks AMSAT for the above information.]

---

The 2026 Coins Are Here! Help Support GOLF-TEE and Fox-Plus.
Annual memberships start at only $120.

---

Satellites Are The New Fire Towers

The Bezos Earth Fund announced a $26 million grant for the nonprofit Earth Fire Alliance and its satellite-based wildfire detection program, Axios’ Ben Geman reports.

The money — alongside support from Google and others — will help fund the launch of three FireSat satellites this summer.

The groups say they’ll “provide wildfire monitoring at least twice daily over critical geographies, including a focus on the Amazon Basin — one of the most fire-vulnerable regions on Earth.”

The funding is the largest-ever single philanthropic grant for wildfire detection, the groups say. They add that the program could help protect homes, communities and biodiversity — and cut CO2 emissions from wildfires by up to 10% annually.

Earth Fire Alliance’s first three FireSats at a clean room in Mountain View, Calif. (Photo: Muon Space)

Wildfires are a major driver of deforestation, which worsens climate change. They accounted for 42% of tree cover loss in 2025, per World Resources Institute data.

The Earth Fire Alliance says it hopes to have dozens of satellites operating by the early 2030s that can “monitor every point on Earth every 20 minutes.”

[ANS thanks Axios for the above information. Read the full article at https://www.axios.com/newsletters/axios-pm-f6fe1278-52eb-43c8-8bfe-7a1fe85b1c56.html?utm_source=newsletter&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=newsletter_axiospm&stream=top]

---

 

---

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

---

Changes to AMSAT TLE Distribution for June 19, 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/.

There are no changes to this week’s TLE distribution.

General Perturbations Data Support

AMSAT is pleased to announce that modern forms of what are called General Perturbations data are being disseminated via modern formats including JSON, XML and KVN at https://newark192.amsat.org/gpdata/current/. The reason this change is being made is that we are running out of 5-digit catalog numbers and the TLE format is not viable for satellites launched after July of this year. See https://celestrak.org/NORAD/documentation/gp-data-formats.php for details.

These data are presently considered in beta test for the next two months while hosted on the test server newark192.amsat.org, and we are very open to community feedback at [email protected]. Testers may experience outages and errors while we make improvements. We intend to put this into production on our main web server in July as we expect that satellites launched after this summer will require one of the new formats to accommodate longer object numbers. AMSAT will continue to publish TLE bulletins for satellites launched before July 2026 indefinitely.

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

---

---

Dragon Returns Packed with Space Station Science

Scientists await a big splash in the Pacific Ocean as one of the most research-packed Dragon spacecraft to date returns, completing the 34th SpaceX commercial resupply mission to the International Space Station for NASA. Biological and materials samples, along with tested hardware, are heading back to research teams on Earth for further analysis, advancing NASA’s work to prepare humans for exploration beyond low Earth orbit and to deliver benefits back home.

NASA astronaut Jessica Meir prepares samples in the Life Sciences Glovebox to study how weightlessness affects crew blood clotting and immune function for the Megakaryocyte Flying-One investigation. (Photo Credit: NASA)

Some samples returning are for NASA’s Hematopoietic Stem Cell Expansion in Space: Pathfinder Investigation (InSPA-StemCellEX-H2), which seeks to use the microgravity environment to scale up the production of stems cells. On Earth, lab-produced blood stem cells lose their ability to form different cell types, like red and white blood cells that are critical to treating patients with certain blood diseases and cancers. In microgravity, researchers believe this ability will be better preserved while also growing these stem cells in greater numbers. The returning samples will undergo further analysis to determine if space-based efforts produce larger quantities of enhanced stem cells suitable for clinical use.

The team behind NASA’s Streptococcus pneumoniae (Spn) Infection of Cardiac Tissue (MVP Cell-09) experiment is awaiting the return of stem cell-derived heart tissues that were intentionally infected with a pneumonia-causing bacterium as part of ongoing microgravity research. Pneumonia increases the risk of heart disease, which is not fully understood. Because bacteria tend to become more active and virulent in microgravity, this experiment could amplify their effects, making it possible to detect cellular responses that cannot be observed on Earth.

NASA’s Megakaryocyte Flying-One (MeF1) samples are returning to Earth to help understand how large cells found in bone marrow, known as megakaryocytes, and the platelets they produce adapt to spaceflight. Megakaryocytes and platelets play important roles in the formation of blood clots and immune responses. The returning samples, including those taken from astronauts, could show us how the human immune system reacts aboard the space station and help prepare for future exploration missions.

Semiconductor research samples as part of NASA’s In-Space Production of Semimetal-Semiconductor Composite Bulk Crystals in Microgravity (SUBSA-InSPA-SSCug) investigation are returning to Earth for further analysis. This study manufactured semimetal-semiconductor composite alloy crystals in space, which have applications in many electronics, including sensors and lasers. Researchers believe microgravity could enable the production of significantly greater and higher-quality crystals, supporting the development of next-generation semiconductor technologies.

Additional experiments being returned include NASA’s Zero Boil-Off Tank Noncondensables (ZBOT-NC) investigation, NASA’s DNA Nano Therapeutics-3 space-assembled DNA-inspired materials, NASA’s InSPA-Sachi Nanoligomer investigation, European Space Agency’s (ESA’s) Green Bone investigation, NASA’s 3D Bone Marrow Analog research, and NASA’s InSPA-Auxilium Bioprinter-Cell Printing is investigation. To read more about these experiments, see the full article at https://www.nasa.gov/missions/station/iss-research/nasas-spacex-crs-34-dragon-returns-packed-with-space-station-science/.

[ANS thanks NASA for the above information.]

---

ARISS News

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

Scheduled Contacts

+ Recently Completed

Youth on the Air Camp 2026 (YOTA Camp 2026), Huntsville, AL, direct via W4Y
The ISS callsign was NA1SS
The scheduled crewmember was Chris Williams, KJ5GEW
The ARISS mentor was K4RGK
Contact was successful: Thu 2026-06-18 16:36:25 UTC 37 degrees maximum elevation
Congratulations to the Youth on the Air Camp 2026 students, Chris, mentor Youth on the Air Camp 2026, and ground station W4Y!
Watch for Livestream at https://www.youtube.com/live/eVo288DAH4U

+ Upcoming Contacts

National STEM Festival, Washington, DC, telebridge via VK6MJ
The ISS callsign is presently scheduled to be NA1SS
The scheduled crewmember is Chris Williams, KJ5GEW
The ARISS mentor is W4NTR/ KM4YHZ
Contact is go for: Thu 2026-06-25 13:31:42 UTC 49 degrees maximum elevation

Many times, a school makes a last-minute decision to do a Livestream or runs 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.

There is a lot of traffic on Facebook and on other social media sites with people asking why they are not hearing the crew make general contacts. First off the crew is very busy on the ISS and they simply may not have the time to just pick up the microphone and talk. Also, one needs to be aware of their normal daily schedule:

Wakeup to Workday start= 1.5 hours
Workday start to Workday end=12 hours
Workday end to Sleep= 2 hours
Sleep to wakeup= 8.5 hours

The crew’s usual waking period is 07:30 – 19:30 UTC. The most common times to find a crew member making casual periods are about one hour after waking up and about an hour before sleeping, when they have personal time. They’re usually free most of the weekend, as well.

The APRS packet system is also active (437.825 MHz up & down).

Ham TV is currently transmitting a test signal at 2395.00 MHz. The color bar test generator portion of the Ham TV system is experiencing unexpected technical issues. ARISS is working to troubleshoot the issue with NASA’s payloads support team and the ISS crew.

As always, if there is an EVA, a docking, or an undocking; the ARISS radios are turned off as part of the safety protocol. Radios will be powered down in support of an upcoming spacewalk in late June: Power down: June 29 at 15:15 UTC Power up: July 1 at 10:15 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.

Scheduled Events

June 27, 1800 UTC – June 28, 2100 UTC, 2026
ARRL Field Day
https://www.amsat.org/field-day/

July 11, 2026
Moon Day
Frontiers of Flight Museum
6911 Lemmon Ave.
Dallas, TX 75209
https://flightmuseum.com/events/moonday/
N5HYP

October 8-11, 2026
44th AMSAT Space Symposium and Annual Membership Meeting
Crowne Plaza JAX Airport
14670 Duval Road
Jacksonville, FL 32218
Details to follow

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

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

---

AMSAT News Service

ANS-158
June 7, 2026

In this edition:

• Deadline for Candidate Nominations for 2026 AMSAT Board of Directors Election is June 15
• HADES-SA / SpinnyOne Designated Spain-OSCAR 127 (SO-127)
• AMSAT Submits Letter of Intent for NASA SLS CubeSat Opportunity on Artemis III, IV, and V
• OscarWatch Tracker: A New Satellite Tracking Program from MM9SQL
• Changes to AMSAT TLE Distribution for June 5, 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/

---

Deadline for Candidate Nominations for 2026 AMSAT Board of Directors Election is June 15

The nomination period for the AMSAT 2026 Board of Directors election, which will take place during the third quarter of the year, ends on June 15, 2026.

Three director positions are set to expire in 2026. The current board members whose seats are up for election are:

• Mark Hammond, N8MH
• Bruce Paige, KK5DO
• Paul Stoetzer, N8HM

In addition to these three full Director roles, up to two Alternate Directors may also be elected to serve one-year terms.

To nominate a candidate, a written submission is required. Nominations must include the nominee’s name, call sign, and contact information, along with the same details for either five AMSAT members in good standing or one Member Society endorsing the candidate.

Nominations should be directed to the AMSAT Secretary:

Douglas Tabor, N6UA
1133 Verlan Way
Cheyenne, WY 82009

Per AMSAT’s bylaws, all nominations must follow the format specified by the Secretary. Doug Tabor has indicated that nominations will be accepted in both hard copy (via postal mail) and digital formats (including email or scanned documents). However, fax submissions are not permitted.

Email nominations should be sent to: dtabor [at] amsat [dot] org

All nomination petitions must be received by the Secretary no later than June 15. After the submission deadline, the Secretary will confirm the eligibility of each candidate and the supporting members or societies, with final notification to candidates provided by the end of June.

[ANS thanks Doug Tabor, N6UA, AMSAT Secretary, for the above information]

---

LIMITED TIME OFFER!!!

AMSAT is offering a limited-time promotion for new and renewing members that includes a free digital copy of Getting Started with Amateur Satellites. The promotion is being offered as AMSAT begins the 2026 membership year.

Anyone who joins or renews their AMSAT membership during the promotional period will receive a download link for the latest edition of Getting Started with Amateur Satellites in their membership confirmation email. JOIN TODAY at https://launch.amsat.org/ (Remember! Students join for FREE!)

---

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/

---

OscarWatch Tracker: A New Satellite Tracking Program from MM9SQL

A new multi-platform desktop satellite tracking application for amateur radio operators, OscarWatch Tracker, has been released and is under active development. Developed by Peter Goodhall, MM9SQL, and hosted on GitHub, OscarWatch provides an integrated environment for tracking AMSAT and other amateur satellites, predicting passes, managing Doppler-corrected frequencies, and optionally automating rotator and radio control—all from a single map-centered interface.

Key Features

OscarWatch is tailored for VHF/UHF satellite operators working FM cubesats (e.g., SO-50, ISS), linear transponders (e.g., RS-44, FO-29), and similar modes. It assumes familiarity with basic concepts like azimuth, elevation, and Doppler but automates the calculations and hardware interactions to let operators focus on making contacts.

• Visual Tracking: World map with satellite subpoint, ground track, and footprint overlays (with optional motion arrows and greyline terminator). Includes a polar sky plot relative to your QTH. Support for time scrubbing to preview passes without affecting live hardware. Optional DX station grid marker with live Az/El from the remote location.
• Pass Predictions: List of upcoming passes with TCA (time of closest approach/max elevation), filters for minimum elevation and duration. Features include a pass planner with multi-station profiles and .ics calendar export, plus a mutual pass finder for two-station coordination.
• Frequency Management: Built-in transponder database with live Doppler-corrected uplink/downlink frequencies. Supports RX offsets (separate for Voice/CW on linear modes), CTCSS tones, and easy toggling between modes. Includes a transponder database editor for custom additions and updates from the published JSON source.
• Hardware Integration: Optional serial CAT control for supported radios (including Icom IC-910/9100/9700/705, Yaesu FT-847/817/818/991 series, Kenwood TS-2000 beta) with Doppler tracking, satellite/split modes, and CTCSS handling. Dual-radio support for full-duplex setups. Rotator control for Yaesu GS-232 and EasyComm-compatible controllers (including SPID), with manual park and smart azimuth options for 450° rotators.
• Additional Tools: Voice announcements for satellite rising, automatic pass WAV recording, Cloudlog integration for frequency logging, and live telemetry (Az/El, range, altitude).

OscarWatch does not decode telemetry or serve as primary logging software; it complements existing tools as a pass assistant for home or portable use. TLEs and the transponder database are sourced from tle.oscarwatch.org.

Getting Started

Pre-built binaries for Windows, macOS, and Linux are available on the GitHub Releases page. After installation:

1. Configure your station location (lat/long/grid) in Settings.
2. Select desired satellites and refresh TLEs.
3. Set up radio and rotator COM ports if using automation.
4. Focus a satellite via the map or pass list to view live data and frequencies.

Detailed operator guides, keyboard shortcuts, and troubleshooting are included in the app’s Help menu and the repository’s help/ folder. Note that macOS users may need to approve the unsigned app and bundled libraries on first launch.

Supported Hardware Highlights

Radios (serial CAT, native drivers): Icom IC-910/9100/9700/705, Yaesu FT-847/817/818/991 series, Kenwood TS-2000 (beta), with dual-radio options. Rotators: Yaesu GS-232, EasyComm II (SPID/M2/etc.).

The project emphasizes custom native drivers for reliable satellite-specific behavior over general libraries like HamLib.

OscarWatch is still evolving rapidly (recent versions added in-app updates, multi-language support including Japanese, Simplified Chinese, and Brazilian Portuguese, greyline overlays, mutual pass visualizer, and expanded rig/rotator support). Check the GitHub repository for the latest releases, source code, TODO list, and contribution opportunities.

For more information and to download: https://github.com/magicbug/OscarWatch-Tracker.

[ANS thanks Peter Goodhall, MM9SQL, for the above information]

---

---

Changes to AMSAT TLE Distribution for June 5, 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/.

There are no changes to this week’s TLE distribution.

General Perturbations Data Support

AMSAT is pleased to announce that modern forms of what are called General Perturbations data are being disseminated via modern formats including JSON, XML and KVN at https://newark192.amsat.org/gpdata/current/. The reason this change is being made is that we are running out of 5-digit catalog numbers and the TLE format is not viable for satellites launched after July of this year. See https://celestrak.org/NORAD/documentation/gp-data-formats.php for details.

These data are presently considered in beta test for the next two months while hosted on the test server newark192.amsat.org, and we are very open to community feedback at webmaster at amsat.org. Testers may experience outages and errors while we make improvements. We intend to put this into production on our main web server in July as we expect that satellites launched after this summer will require one of the new formats to accommodate longer object numbers. AMSAT will continue to publish TLE bulletins for satellites launched before July 2026 indefinitely.

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

---

Buying from DX Engineering?
Add AMSAT’s Getting Started With Amateur Satellites to your order.Available for $30 from DX Engineering (free shipping on most orders over $99)
https://www.dxengineering.com/parts/amt-satellites

---

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.

Collège Louis Aragon, Imphy, France, direct via F5KCH

The ISS callsign is presently scheduled to be OR4ISS 
The scheduled crewmember is Sophie Adenot KJ5LTN  
The ARISS mentor is F6ICS   

Contact is go for: Mon 2026-06-08 13:31:48 UTC 86 deg

Geneva Christian College, Latrobe, Tasmania, Australia telebridge via VK4ISS

The ISS callsign is presently scheduled to be TBD
The scheduled crewmember is Chris Williams KJ5GEW
The ARISS mentor is VK4KHZ  

Contact is go for: Tue 2026-06-09 08:30:56 UTC 85 deg

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

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

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

​Kenwood D710GA in the Zvezda Service Module – Call sign RSØISS. Please note we’re still in the process of troubleshooting and testing this radio. APRS is currently active on 437.825 MHz. Feel free to check out status reports at https://ariss-usa.org/ARISS_APRS/.

Ham TV is currently transmitting a test signal at 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]

---

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

---

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.

October 8-11, 2026
44th AMSAT Space Symposium and Annual Membership Meeting
Crowne Plaza JAX Airport
14670 Duval Road
Jacksonville, FL 32218
Details to follow

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

---

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,

Paul Stoetzer, N8HM
n8hm [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-151
May 31, 2026

In this edition:

* AMSAT Opens Candidate Nominations for 2026 Board of Directors Election
* 2026 AMSAT Space Symposium & Annual General Meeting
* AMSAT Field Day 2026
* RADIANT Project Aims to Bring Delay-Tolerant Networking to Amateur Radio
* SpaceX Starship V3’s First Test Flight Largely Successful
* China Launches Shenzhou 23 Spacecraft
* Changes to AMSAT-NA TLE Distribution
* Blue Origin Explosion
* 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/

---

AMSAT Opens Candidate Nominations for 2026 Board of Directors Election

AMSAT has officially opened the nomination period for its 2026 Board of Directors election, which will take place during the third quarter of the year.

Three director positions are set to expire in 2026. The current board members whose seats are up for election are:

• Mark Hammond, N8MH
• Bruce Paige, KK5DO
• Paul Stoetzer, N8HM

In addition to these three full Director roles, up to two Alternate Directors may also be elected to serve one-year terms.

To nominate a candidate, a written submission is required. Nominations must include the nominee’s name, call sign, and contact information, along with the same details for either five AMSAT members in good standing or one Member Society endorsing the candidate.

Nominations should be directed to the AMSAT Secretary:

Douglas Tabor, N6UA
1133 Verlan Way
Cheyenne, WY 82009

Per AMSAT’s bylaws, all nominations must follow the format specified by the Secretary. Doug Tabor has indicated that nominations will be accepted in both hard copy (via postal mail) and digital formats (including email or scanned documents). However, fax submissions are not permitted.

Email nominations should be sent to: dtabor [at] amsat [dot] org

All nomination petitions must be received by the Secretary no later than June 15. After the submission deadline, the Secretary will confirm the eligibility of each candidate and the supporting members or societies, with final notification to candidates provided by the end of June.

[ANS thanks Doug Tabor, N6UA, AMSAT Secretary, for the above information.]

---

Buying from Ham Radio Outlet? Add AMSAT’s Getting Started With Amateur Satellites to your order.

Available for $29.95 from HRO https://www.hamradio.com/detail.cfm?pid=H0-019238

2026 AMSAT Space Symposium & Annual General Meeting

[ANS thanks AMSAT for the above information.]

---

AMSAT Field Day 2026

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 2026 the event takes place from 1800 UTC on Saturday June 27, 2026 through 2100 UTC on Sunday June 28, 2026. Those who set up prior to 1800 UTC on June 27 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.

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/two-way-satellites/ 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/fm-satellite-frequency-summary/ 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, AO-123, SO-125, and SONATE-2. 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, and JO-97. 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 complete rules for AMSAT Field Day may be found at: https://www.amsat.org/field-day/.

[ANS thanks Bruce Paige, KK5DO, AMSAT Director Contests and Awards, for the above information.]

---

 

---

RADIANT Project Aims to Bring Delay-Tolerant Networking to Amateur Radio

RADIANT, short for Radio Amateur Delay-tolerant Interplanetary Networking Testbed, is an open-source project seeking to bring NASA-inspired Delay-Tolerant Networking (DTN) concepts to amateur radio. The effort aims to create communication systems capable of handling intermittent, disrupted, or long-delay links ranging from terrestrial amateur radio networks to future cislunar communication systems. Project developers describe RADIANT as a stepping stone toward Earth-Moon networking experiments using technologies and operating practices accessible to the amateur radio community. The initiative is supported by AMSAT-UK, AMSAT-DL, and Goonhilly Earth Station, and is actively seeking collaborators.

The project is built around NASA Glenn Research Center’s High-rate Delay Tolerant Networking software, known as HDTN, which implements Bundle Protocol version 7 (BPv7). Rather than assuming a continuous network path between endpoints, DTN stores and forwards data bundles whenever communication opportunities become available. This approach allows communication systems to survive outages, long propagation delays, and interruptions that would break conventional internet-style connections. Project developers say these networking methods are essential for future deep-space operations where connectivity may be intermittent or unpredictable.

RADIANT incorporates amateur radio techniques directly into its design. The protocol stack uses Licklider Transmission Protocol carried over KISS framing and conventional amateur radio hardware operating at 9600 baud G3RUH packet speeds. Callsigns are embedded into DTN Endpoint Identifiers to preserve amateur radio regulatory compliance while allowing efficient network routing. Current demonstrations include store-and-forward operation, systems designed for persistent storage through power interruptions, priority handling of traffic, and telemetry monitoring through HDTN interfaces.

  RADIANT project infographic illustrates DTN networking concepts from terrestrial amateur radio links to future cislunar communications. [Credit: RADIANT]

Among the project’s early accomplishments is a functioning three-node cislunar simulation capable of introducing realistic packet propagation delays. Developers report demonstrations simulating Earth–Moon delays of approximately 1.3 seconds and Earth–Mars delays ranging from three to twelve minutes. Contact Graph Routing is used to calculate communication paths through relay nodes, demonstrating multi-hop relay in simulation similar to what future space networking architectures may require. The project deliberately avoids encryption and cryptographic methods to maintain compatibility with amateur radio regulations.

Development is planned in phases beginning with terrestrial validation using readily available amateur radio equipment. Phase 1 testing currently uses Raspberry Pi systems, Mobilinkd TNC4 hardware, and Yaesu FT-817 radios to validate networking functions across ground-based links. Future plans include demonstrations through the QO-100 geostationary satellite, a CubeSat engineering model, and eventually an orbital Low Earth Orbit payload operating on amateur frequencies. Longer-term ambitions include experiments supporting amateur participation in cislunar communications, the region of space between Earth and the Moon.

Project organizers emphasize that amateur operators possess unique experience relevant to difficult communications environments, including weak-signal work, scheduled links, and operation over challenging propagation paths. RADIANT developers are seeking participation from amateur radio clubs, universities, CubeSat teams, microwave experimenters, and packet radio operators interested in contributing to future testing and development. Users registering through the project website can also access additional information and requirements associated with each development phase. Additional information and project details are available on the RADIANT website at https://radiant.amsat-uk.org/.

[ANS thanks Dave Johnson, G4DPZ, AMSAT-UK Hon. Secretary, and the RADIANT project for the above information]

---

The 2026 Coins Are Here! Help Support GOLF-TEE and Fox-Plus.
Annual memberships start at only $120.

---

SpaceX Starship V3’s First Test Flight Largely Successful

SpaceX has flown Starship V3 for the first time, in a test flight that met most of its goals. The company had to step down from a launch attempt on the evening of May 21, due to a technical issue. Specifically, a hydraulic pin holding the spacecraft’s tower arm in place would not retract. But on May 22, nothing prevented SpaceX from launching the upgraded version of its spacecraft designed for journeys to the moon and Mars.

SpaceX Starship V3 Launch (Credit: SpaceX)

The launch vehicle ignited all 33 of its Super Heavy booster’s new Raptor 3 engines and then lifted off at 22:30 UTC from Starbase, Texas. During ascent, one of the booster’s engines shut down, but Starship continued its flight until it was time for the stages to separate. The booster was able to perform a directional flip maneuver, which the company wanted to test for future missions. However, it was unable to light all the engines needed to perform a successful boostback burn, the other maneuver necessary for the rocket to be able to travel back towards its landing site. It wasn’t a loss, however: SpaceX had been catching Super Heavy boosters with its launch tower’s mechanical arms in previous flights, but it never intended to recover this one.

Despite the engine failures, SpaceX chief Elon Musk congratulated his team “on an epic first Starship V3 launch and landing,” telling them they “scored a goal for humanity.” SpaceX managed to pull a largely successful test flight, just in time for its Initial Public Offering (IPO). The company just publicly filed its IPO paperwork with the Securities and Exchange Commission, and Reuters has reported that SpaceX shares are expected to start trading on June 12.

[ANS thanks Engadget for the above information. Read the full article at: https://www.engadget.com/2180020/spacex-starship-v3-first-test-flight-success/]

---

---

China Launches Shenzhou 23 Spacecraft

China launched the Shenzhou 23 spacecraft on May 24 with three astronauts heading to its space station, including one set to stay in space for a year. The spacecraft blasted off from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center in northwestern China. The much-anticipated launch comes as China prepares for its first crewed lunar landing by 2030.

The Shenzhou-23 manned mission launches from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center in Jiuquan,
northwestern China on Sunday, May 24, 2026. (Credit: Xinhua/Lian Zhen)

The astronauts on the mission are Zhu Yangzhu, the commander, Zhang Zhiyuan and Lai Ka-ying, also identified by Chinese authorities as Li Jiaying using the Mandarin transliteration of her name. Lai, who was born and raised in Hong Kong and has a doctoral degree in computer forensics, is the first astronaut from the city on a space mission.

One of the three astronauts on the Shenzhou 23 mission is scheduled to stay at the orbiting space station for a year in what would be among the world’s longest single stays in space. The astronaut’s mission is to “explore human adaptability and performance limits” in long-duration spaceflight environments, state media reported.

[ANS thanks NPR News and the Associated Press for the above information. Read the full article at: https://www.npr.org/2026/05/25/g-s1-124179/china-launches-shenzhou-23-spacecraft?utm_campaign=npr&utm_source=bsky.app&utm_medium=social&utm_term=nprnews]

---

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

---

Changes to AMSAT TLE Distribution for May 29, 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 satellites have been removed from this week’s AMSAT TLE distribution:

• SilverSat NORAD Cat ID 66909 Decayed from orbit on or about 23 April 2026
• HYDRA-W NORAD Cat ID 63490 Decayed from orbit on or about 24 April 2026
• HADES-ICM (SO-125) 63492 Decayed from orbit on or about 22 May 2026

General Perturbations Data Support

AMSAT is pleased to announce that modern forms of what are called General Perturbations data are being disseminated via modern formats including JSON, XML and KVN at https://newark192.amsat.org/gpdata/current/. The reason this change is being made is that we are running out of 5-digit catalog numbers and the TLE format is not viable for satellites launched after July of this year. See https://celestrak.org/NORAD/documentation/gp-data-formats.php for details.

These data are presently considered in beta test for the next two months while hosted on the test server newark192.amsat.org, and we are very open to community feedback at [email protected]. Testers may experience outages and errors while we make improvements. We intend to put this into production on our main web server in July as we expect that satellites launched after this summer will require one of the new formats to accommodate longer object numbers. AMSAT will continue to publish TLE bulletins for satellites launched before July 2026 indefinitely.

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

---

Blue Origin Explosion

A Blue Origin New Glenn rocket blew up on the launch pad in Cape Canaveral, Fla., on Thursday night, May 28, during an engine-firing test ahead of a satellite launch next week.

Jeff Bezos, the founder of Blue Origin and Amazon.com, at Blue Origin’s West Texas launch site. (Photo: Blue Origin)

No one was hurt. The explosion shook nearby homes and briefly painted the sky orange.

Jeff Bezos, Blue Origin’s founder, wrote on X: “It’s too early to know the root cause but we’re already working to find it. Very rough day, but we’ll rebuild whatever needs rebuilding and get back to flying. It’s worth it.”

[ANS thanks Axios for the above information.]

---

ARISS News

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

Scheduled Contacts

+ Recently Completed

Minamigaoka Elementary School, Tsu, Japan, direct via JJ2YJC
The ISS callsign was presently scheduled to be OR4ISS
The scheduled crewmember is Jack Hathaway KJ5NIV
The ARISS mentor is JE1MUI/JA1CJP/MØXTD
Contact was successful: Thu 2026-05-28 11:23:58 UTC 29 degrees maximum elevation
Congratulations to the Minamigaoka Elementary School students, Jack, mentors JE1MUI, JA1CJP, and MØXTD, and ground station JJ2YJC!

+ Upcoming Contacts

Ecole Henri Clément, Saint-Rémy, France, direct via F6KMF joint contact with Collège Jorge Semprun, Gueugnon, France direct via F6KJS
The ISS callsign is presently scheduled to be OR4ISS
The scheduled crewmember is Sophie Adenot KJ5LTN
The ARISS mentor is F6ICS
Contact is go for: Fri 2026-06-05 09:26:47 UTC 34 degrees maximum elevation

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

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

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

​Kenwood D710GA in the Zvezda Service Module – Call sign RSØISS. Please note we’re still in the process of troubleshooting and testing this radio. APRS is currently active on 437.825 MHz. Feel free to check out status reports at https://ariss-usa.org/ARISS_APRS/.

Ham TV is currently transmitting a test signal at 2395.00 MHz.

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

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

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

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

---

AMSAT Ambassador Activities

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

Scheduled Events

44th AMSAT Space Symposium and Annual Membership Meeting – October 8 thru 11, 2026
Crowne Plaza JAX Airport
14670 Duval Road
Jacksonville, FL 32218

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

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

---