ANS-124 AMSAT News Service Weekly Bulletins

In this edition:

* AMSAT Prepares for Major Presence at 2025 Dayton Hamvention
* Amazon Kicks Off Kuiper Network with Ambitious First Satellite Launch
* Europe’s Vega C Rocket Launches Satellite to Map Forest Health
* GridMasterMap Satellite Top 100 Rovers May 2025 Rankings
* Changes to AMSAT-NA TLE Distribution for May 2, 2025
* ARISS News
* Upcoming Satellite Operations
* 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/

ANS-124 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 May 04


AMSAT Prepares for Major Presence at 2025 Dayton Hamvention

AMSAT will return to the 2025 Dayton Hamvention with a strong lineup of events, volunteer opportunities, and social gatherings. The event is set for May 16–18 at the Greene County Fairgrounds in Xenia, Ohio, where AMSAT will again serve as one of the larger exhibitors, occupying booths 1007–1010 and 1107–1110 in Building 1. Alongside its booth activities, AMSAT will host a variety of forums and after-hours events designed to engage and inform amateur radio enthusiasts.

In preparation for Hamvention, AMSAT is actively seeking volunteers to help staff the booth. Around 20 volunteers assisted during last year’s event, providing a crucial link between AMSAT and the broader amateur radio community. Whether attendees can offer a few hours or the entire weekend, AMSAT welcomes all who are interested. Those wishing to volunteer or request more information can contact Phil Smith, W1EME, via email at w1eme [at] astrocom [dot] net.

The AMSAT Forum is scheduled for Saturday, May 17, from 1:35 PM to 3:10 PM EDT in Forum Room 2. Attendees are encouraged to arrive early and catch the ARISS (Amateur Radio on the International Space Station) Forum at 12:40 PM in the same room. The forum will provide updates on current projects and future plans within the AMSAT community.

Keith Baker, KB1SF and Mark Johns, KØJM field questions at the AMSAT’s Beginner’s Corner. [Credit: Fairly Amused / YouTube]
The 16th annual TAPR/AMSAT Banquet will take place on Friday, May 16, at 6:30 PM EDT at the Kohler Presidential Banquet Center in Kettering, Ohio. This year’s keynote speaker will be Phil Karn, KA9Q, who will discuss developments in his “ka9q-radio” software suite. Tickets are $70 and must be purchased in advance through the AMSAT Store by Monday, May 12, at 5:00 PM EDT. Seating is limited based on the number of meals reserved with the caterer, and no tickets will be sold or distributed at the AMSAT booth.

On Thursday, May 15, AMSAT will host its annual informal gathering at Tickets Pub & Eatery in Fairborn, OH, from 6:00 PM to 8:00 PM. No program or reservations are required—just food, drinks, and conversation. All are welcome to attend and enjoy a relaxed evening ahead of the Hamvention weekend. Tickets offers a wide menu of Greek and American fare along with beverages from the bar.

As the central player in amateur satellite operations, AMSAT’s presence at Hamvention continues to reflect its leadership in advancing space-based amateur radio. From technical presentations to social events and volunteer engagement, AMSAT offers multiple ways for newcomers and seasoned operators alike to get involved and connect with the broader ham radio community.

[ANS thanks AMSAT for the above information]


Amazon Kicks Off Kuiper Network with Ambitious First Satellite Launch

Amazon launched the first 27 satellites for its Kuiper broadband internet constellation on Monday, marking the start of its long-anticipated challenge to SpaceX’s Starlink network. The satellites lifted off aboard a United Launch Alliance (ULA) Atlas V rocket at 7 p.m. EDT (2300 UTC) from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida, after an initial launch attempt earlier this month was delayed by weather.

The launch is part of Amazon’s $10 billion Project Kuiper, which aims to deploy 3,236 satellites into low-Earth orbit to deliver global broadband service. Unveiled in 2019, the initiative targets consumers, businesses, and governments, a customer base already served by Starlink’s rapidly growing presence in the satellite internet market. The service is also being positioned as a vital solution for rural and underserved areas.

Amazon’s Kuiper program has experienced more than a year of delays, pushing the inaugural deployment well past its original target of early 2024. Under a Federal Communications Commission mandate, Amazon must launch half of its satellite constellation—1,618 satellites—by mid-2026. Analysts expect the company may need to seek an extension due to its late start.

ULA’s Atlas V readies to launch Amazon’s first Kuiper satellites from Cape Canaveral. [Credit: ULA / YouTube]
All 27 satellites from Monday’s launch are functioning normally, according to Amazon CEO Andy Jassy, who confirmed the status on social media nearly seven hours after liftoff. The confirmation marks a key milestone in the project. Amazon expects to begin customer service later this year, assuming deployment and testing continue on schedule.

Amazon could launch up to five additional Kuiper missions in 2025, according to ULA CEO Tory Bruno. The company has indicated that initial service could begin with as few as 578 satellites, enabling limited coverage in northern and southern regions, with global service expanding as more satellites are deployed. Amazon’s experience in consumer products and cloud infrastructure is seen by executives as a potential advantage over competitors.

SpaceX, which has launched over 8,000 Starlink satellites since 2019, currently leads the market with more than 5 million users in 125 countries. Despite SpaceX’s head start, Amazon founder Jeff Bezos remains optimistic about Kuiper’s future. “There’s insatiable demand for internet,” Bezos said in January. “There’s room for lots of winners.”

Read the full article at: https://www.reuters.com/business/media-telecom/amazon-launches-first-kuiper-internet-satellites-taking-starlink-2025-04-28/

[ANS thanks the Joey Roulette, Reuters, 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!


Europe’s Vega C Rocket Launches Satellite to Map Forest Health

The European Space Agency (ESA) successfully launched its Biomass satellite aboard a Vega C rocket on April 29, advancing both Earth science research and Europe’s independent access to space. The launch took place at 5:15 a.m. Eastern Daylight Time (0915 UTC) from the Guiana Space Centre in French Guiana. The satellite separated from the rocket’s Avum upper stage nearly an hour later, entering a sun-synchronous orbit at an altitude of 666 kilometers.

Built by Airbus Defence and Space, the 1,250-kilogram Biomass satellite is part of ESA’s Earth Explorer program. Its central feature is a P-band synthetic aperture radar (SAR), designed to measure the amount of carbon stored in Earth’s forests by penetrating the tree canopy and mapping forest biomass. Simonetta Cheli, ESA’s director of Earth observation programs, likened the technology to “a medical scan of the forest” during a prelaunch briefing.

Biomass is designed for a 5.5-year mission. The first 18 months will focus on tomographic radar mapping of forest interiors, followed by four years of interferometric observations to track changes in forest height and biomass. Beyond forests, the satellite will also observe glaciers and deserts, using the radar’s ability to penetrate ice and sand. ESA plans to collaborate with NASA, sharing data with the forthcoming NISAR satellite, which operates a similar SAR system at higher frequencies.

ESA’s Biomass satellite will map forest carbon with P-band radar from low Earth orbit. [Credit: ESA/ATG MediaLab]

The satellite’s radar system required new advancements in radio-frequency electronics due to the use of lower-frequency P-band waves. Airbus official Justin Byrne noted that engineers had to develop custom amplifiers and supporting electronics. The radar’s 12-meter deployable antenna, built by L3Harris, will begin unfolding a few days after launch in a process expected to take four days.

This mission marks Vega C’s second launch since returning to flight in December 2024, following a 2022 failure during the VV22 mission. ESA and Arianespace officials emphasized the extensive reviews and oversight applied to the rocket to ensure reliability. “We are scrutinizing, very closely, all of the launcher for any anomalies or weak points,” said Toni Tolker-Nielsen, ESA’s director of space transportation, who added that this level of review will continue through five launches.

With Vega C and the upcoming Ariane 6 both operational, European officials underscored the strategic significance of sovereign launch capability. Arianespace CEO David Cavaillolès highlighted the importance of ending reliance on foreign providers like SpaceX. Arianespace has conducted two launches so far in 2025 and plans six more by year’s end. Responsibility for Vega C operations will soon shift to Avio, the rocket’s manufacturer, with the transition described as proceeding smoothly.

Read the full article at: https://spacenews.com/vega-launches-biomass-satellite/

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


GridMasterMap Satellite Top 100 Rovers May 2025 Rankings

The May 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: 2025-05-01

1 ND9M 26 KX9X 51 AC0RA 76 N4UFO
2 NJ7H 27 ON4AUC 52 W7WGC 77 PT2AP
3 JA9KRO 28 KG5CCI 53 N6DNM 78 AA8CH
4 UT1FG 29 N5BO 54 JL3RNZ 79 PT9BM
5 N5UC 30 K8BL 55 EA4NF 80 VE1VOX
6 DL6AP 31 KE4AL 56 SM3NRY 81 FG8OJ
7 OE3SEU 32 KB5FHK 57 DF2ET 82 YU0W
8 WI7P 33 F4BKV 58 XE1ET 83 KJ7NDY
9 DP0POL 34 VE3HLS 59 LU4JVE 84 N6UTC
10 K5ZM 35 PA3GAN 60 KI7QEK 85 AF5CC
11 F5VMJ 36 KI0KB 61 AA5PK 86 KI7UXT
12 N6UA 37 JO2ASQ 62 SP5XSD 87 PS8BR
13 LU5ILA 38 KI7UNJ 63 F4DXV 88 WA9JBQ
14 HA3FOK 39 LA9XGA 64 AD7DB 89 KB2YSI
15 N9IP 40 BA1PK 65 VE1CWJ 90 N4DCW
16 WY7AA 41 VA3VGR 66 KE9AJ 91 JM1CAX
17 W5PFG 42 N7AGF 67 BG7QIW 92 K0FFY
18 AK8CW 43 VK5DG 68 DL4EA 93 VE3GOP
19 DL2GRC 44 XE3DX 69 N8RO 94 N0TEL
20 AD0DX 45 KE0WPA 70 KM4LAO 95 KG4AKV
21 N4AKV 46 PR8KW 71 W8LR 96 W8MTB
22 AD0HJ 47 KE0PBR 72 VA7LM 97 CU2ZG
23 WD9EWK 48 K7TAB 73 M1DDD 98 VE7PTN
24 ND0C 49 JK2XXK 74 W1AW 99 DK9JC
25 DJ8MS 50 EB1AO 75 HB9GWJ 100 K6VHF

[ANS thanks @GridMasterMap for the above information]



Changes to AMSAT-NA TLE Distribution for May 2, 2025

Two Line Elements or TLEs, often referred to as Keplerian elements or keps in the amateur community, are the inputs to the SGP4 standard mathematical model of spacecraft orbits used by most amateur tracking programs. Weekly updates are completely adequate for most amateur satellites. TLE bulletin files are updated daily in the first hour of the UTC day. New bulletin files will be posted immediately after reliable elements become available for new amateur satellites. More information may be found at https://www.amsat.org/keplerian-elements-resources/.

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

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

Wireless Institute of Australia AGM and Technical Expo, Bendigo, Victoria, Australia, telebridge via K6DUE
The ISS callsign was NA1SS
The scheduled crewmember was Takaya Onishi KF5LKS
The ARISS mentor was VK4KHZ
Contact was successful: Sat 2025-05-03 11:12:24 UTC

+ Upcoming Contacts

IISS Copernico Pasoli, Verona, Italy, telebridge via K6DUE
The ISS callsign is presently scheduled to be NA1SS
The scheduled crewmember is Jonathan (Jonny) Kim KJ5HKP
The ARISS mentor is IZ2GOJ
Contact is go for: Mon 2025-05-05 09:36:54 UTC

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

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).

A special ARISS-Russia SSTV event is on the ISS schedule beginning May 5 at 12:00 UTC. This is a celebration commemorating a regional holiday.

Monitor 145.800 MHz for potential activity during passes. This will impact the availability of APRS digipeater.

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

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

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

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

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


Upcoming Satellite Operations

None currently posted.

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

[ANS thanks Ian Parsons, K5ZM, AMSAT rover page manager, 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

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

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

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]


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

+ Juan Carlos, CO8TW, reports that a WhatsApp channel titled Satellites for Hams…!!! now has 338 active subscribers. The channel shares regular updates and information of interest to amateur radio satellite operators, including how to become a member of AMSAT. It can be accessed directly at: https://whatsapp.com/channel/0029VaIMu2D4IBhG7yR2Tb2d. To join, download the free WhatsApp app from your device’s app store—App Store for iPhone or Google Play Store for Android—or access it from your computer at https://web.whatsapp.com. WhatsApp, owned by Meta, is a global messaging platform that supports text, voice, video, and multimedia sharing. It remains a popular tool among hams for coordinating and exchanging satellite-related information in real time. (ANS thanks Juan Carlos, CO8TW, for the above information)

+ Firefly Aerospace’s Alpha rocket suffered a launch failure early Tuesday after lifting off from Vandenberg Space Force Base in California. Roughly two-and-a-half minutes into flight, the rocket’s first stage separated, but a bright white vapor cloud appeared—possibly an explosion—just before the upper stage ignited. Though the upper stage’s Lightning engine fired for more than six minutes, damage to its nozzle significantly reduced thrust, preventing the rocket from reaching orbital velocity. The mission, which was carrying Lockheed Martin’s LM-400 tech demo satellite, ended with the rocket and payload falling into the Pacific Ocean. This marks another setback for Alpha, which has now only achieved two fully successful missions out of six. Despite contract wins and plans for a more capable vehicle, Firefly must improve Alpha’s reliability to compete in the crowded small-to-medium launch market. (ANS thanks Ars Technica for the above information)

+ NOAA has announced that satellites NOAA 15, 18, and 19 will be reclassified as end-of-life effective June 16, 2025. These polar-orbiting weather satellites are widely used by amateur radio enthusiasts and RTL-SDR hobbyists to receive APT and HRPT imagery. The news was first reported by Carl Reinemann on the USradioguy.com blog, where he clarified that despite the end-of-life designation, transmissions will continue. NOAA has confirmed that signals will still be broadcast on a “data of opportunity” basis, meaning they are no longer intended for operational or safety-critical use but remain suitable for hobbyist reception. NOAA also stated that no ground intervention will be provided for future sensor or hardware failures. Should any critical malfunctions occur, the satellites may be decommissioned, as was nearly the case with NOAA 15’s scan motor, which previously failed and later resumed function under unclear circumstances. (ANS thanks RTL-SDR.com and USRadioguy.com for the above information)

+ A Soviet spacecraft originally intended for Venus, Cosmos 482, is expected to make an uncontrolled reentry into Earth’s atmosphere around May 9–10, after orbiting the planet for over 53 years. Launched in March 1972, the mission failed when the upper stage of its Soyuz booster cut off prematurely, stranding the Venus lander in Earth orbit. The descent module—designed to endure Venus’ harsh atmosphere—remains intact and may potentially survive Earth reentry due to its heavy thermal shielding. Satellite tracker Marco Langbroek has modeled its descent and predicts it could hit the ground or ocean at speeds exceeding 145 miles per hour. Although the risk to people or infrastructure is low, the lander’s size and mass make its reentry comparable to a small meteorite impact. Its fiery return is a rare and fascinating reminder of Cold War-era space exploration still orbiting above us. (ANS thanks Space.com for the above information)


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

In addition to regular membership, AMSAT offers membership to:

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

Contact info [at] amsat.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-103 AMSAT News Service Bulletins

April 13, 2025

In this edition:

* Fram2Ham Mission A Success
* ISS SSTV April 11-16 – Humans in Space
* OpenGD77 Handheld Radio Firmware Aids FM Satellite Operating
* Update about HADES-ICM
* A New Breed of Satellite and Space Focused “Makers” is Emerging
* Your Story Is Needed
* Changes to AMSAT-NA TLE Distribution
* Starliner’s Wild Ride
* ARISS News
* Upcoming Satellite Operations
* 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/

Fram2Ham Mission A Success

According to our education partner ARISS, “The Framonauts are back on Earth after a ground breaking mission and ham radio event!” The ARISS STEM contest teams submission deadline for participants to submit their contest entries was April 17, 2025. More than 110 STEM team submissions were received, along with 1,100 general submissions to the gallery.

Once contest submissions are complete, ARISS will share when the gallery images are live. That is then your opportunity to start sharing your personal image SSTV captures on social media.

As with any experiment, there are many lessons learned. ARISS seeks feedback from participants.

A Shortwave Listener (SWL), Ryszard Kowalski, on April 7, 2025 posted a professional-quality framed collection of photos received during the Fram2Ham SSTV Experiment. For details see: https://fram2ham.com/. Kowalski has been a member of AMSAT since January 21, 2020.

The photos, captured during April 1-4, 2025, were posted on the AMSAT Facebook Group. View the collection here: https://www.facebook.com/photo/?fbid=1738703997045169&set=gm.2587259684795960&idorvanity=752128438309103. A Facebook account may be necessary to view the images.

In another attention-worthy AMSAT Facebook Group post, Matúš Nemec, OM25ISS Administrator, on April 6, 2025 posted a set of photos and information regarding a Day in Space event at the University of Prešov, in Slovakia. See https://www.facebook.com/groups/1167612127668053/user/100034118948580/. A video of the day-long STEM oriented activity can be viewed here: https://www.youtube.com/live/M3TRp9ykIQo?feature=shared.

[ANS thanks ARIS and David Vine, WA1EAW, 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.

2025 PC Coin Set

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


ISS SSTV April 11-16 – Humans in Space

April 12 is the International Day of Human Spaceflight so, what better theme for the April 11-16 Slow Scan TV transmissions.

Start: Friday, April 11 1700 GMT
End: Wed, April 16 1430 GMT

Frequency: 145.800 MHz FM (+/-3.5 kHz Doppler Shift)
SSTV Mode: PD120 (Transmission cycle 2 minutes on, 2 minutes off)

Amateurs are invited to upload decoded images in the ARISS gallery, area “Series 26 – Humans in space” at: https://ariss-usa.org/ARISS_SSTV/

Once submitted, clicking on the dedicated button enables application for the official ARISS SSTV award.

The ARISS QSL can also be requested by contacting the European QSL bureau: https://www.ariss-eu.org/index.php/ariss-station/european-qsl-bureau

To support everyone interested in such events, the European Space Agency released tutorials about how to receive pictures transmitted over amateur radio by the International Space Station: you can find them on https://issfanclub.eu/2024/11/08/esa-tips-how-to-get-pictures-from-the-international-space-station-via-amateur-radio-2/

It’s always possible to receive the ISS SSTV signal by using the WebSDR at the Goonhilly Earth Station, the audio can then be fed into your PC or Smartphone SSTV App https://vhf-goonhilly.batc.org.uk/

Follow @ARISS_intl on X for official updates, since changes can occur.

Reminder, the images are sent on a (roughly) 2 minutes on, 2 minutes off schedule. So if nothing is heard, give it 2 minutes!

Many FM rigs can be switched been wide and narrow deviation FM filters. For best results you should select the filter for wider deviation FM. Handhelds generally have a single wide filter fitted as standard.

Predictions for the ISS pass times are available at https://www.amsat.org/track/

Useful information on receiving the pictures and links for Apps to display the pictures can be found here: https://amsat-uk.org/beginners/iss-sstv/

[ANS thanks AMSAT-UK for the above information]


OpenGD77 Handheld Radio Firmware Aids FM Satellite Operating

An article In ARRL QST magazine, April 2025, pages 35 and 36, provides an overview of an available open source firmware for held-held radios: According to the article, the free firmware can provide some models of analog FM and DMR capable radios with satellite capability including screens showing; polar view graphic, satellite individual predictions, a satellite alarm and the ability to upload Kep’s data into the radio.

Doppler tuning and AOS and LOS information were mentioned in the QST article. View the April 2025 QST issue via this link: https://edition.pagesuite.com/get_image.aspx?w=280&eid=7584fe3f-aae2-4504-82c2-65a4c4f268bf&pnum=first.

ARRL members can access QST supplementary materials which are available via this link: http://www.arrl.org/qst-in-depth. Several YouTube videos about the firmware are live including how to create a code plug for programming a handheld with GD-77 firmware. This unique firmware was introduced several years ago.

The GD77 firmware also includes a number enhancements, including easier DMR related functions. Recent discussion on OpenGD77 was heard via the CSRA Multimode Tech Net from several satisfied users. Information about the net is available on their Facebook Group page: https://www.facebook.com/groups/1138357396634299/

The firmware is now available for use in some models of Radioddity, Baofeng and TYT model radios and have been successfully used on an Anytone 878UV II plus handheld.. A GD77 user guide is available via this link: https://github.com/LibreDMR/OpenGD77_UserGuide?tab=readme-ov-file#readme
and a forum is here: https://www.opengd77.com/

The developer’s site includes this caution statement, “firmware license forbids any form of commercial use of the firmware binary or the source code. Installing the firmware onto the radio will invalidate all FCC certifications and those of other countries’ licensing bodies. However, it is usually possible to back up and restore the original radio firmware.

[ANS thanks QST and David Vine, WA1EAW, 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/


Update About HADES-ICM

HADES-ICM was deployed last Monday, March 31, at 7:37 UTC from OTV ION-SCV-017. Telemetry data shows the satellite is in good condition. The satellite has already accepted commands and now it is undergoing a testing phase. The final TLE is not yet available but you can use this one (Source SatNOGS):

HADES-ICM
1 98637U 25052X 25092.34373891 .00000000 00000-0 42496-2 0 03
2 98637 97.4434 347.3229 0004588 342.2991 86.6061 15.18376415 09

The repeater will not be active until we have its final TLE and the satellite has been fully checked. This can take several weeks.

The same software as for HADES-R can be used for demodulating and decoding. (Recommended Andy’s Soundmodem).

[ANS thanks Félix Paez, EA4GQS, AMSAT-EA Principal Project Manager, for the above information]


A New Breed of Satellite and Space Focused “Makers” is Emerging

Several threads have come together pointing to a new breed of space oriented individuals who may be attracted to Amateur Radio. Exploding interest in inexpensive small board computers (SBC), satellite specific firmware for handhelds, 3-D printed parts for satellite antennas and soda can size “satellites,” and makers using small board computers.

According to Wikipedia, “maker culture is a contemporary subculture representing a technology-based extension of DIY culture that intersects with hardware-oriented parts of hacker culture and revels in the creation of new devices as well as tinkering with existing ones.” https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maker_culture

Taken as a whole, this points in the direction from which new hams, especially students and young adults, may arise. This article is the first of a series about makers as potential recruits for Amateur Radio clubs. To learn more about makers, simply go to YouTube. YouTube is an abundant source of maker videos with some produced by satellite oriented Radio Amateurs and others.

You may recall that the 3-D printed components and Raspberry Pi (RPi) SBCs have been key components of many recent AMSAT projects. RPi. Is often the SBC of choice, especially in severely volume-restricted cubesats.

For example, the AMSAT CubeSatSim v1.3 hardware including two RPi SBCs and four matching cameras. An excellent overview of AMSAT education with the CubeSat Simulator project sessions were presented by Alan Johnston, KU2Y, the CubeSatSim creator. Another session, Integration of the AMSAT CubeSat Simulator for Education and Research, was presented by Rachel Jones, KO4HLC.

Learn more about the CubeSatSim here: https://cubesatsim.com/. Also, members may download any of the 1986 to 2024 AMSAT Symposium Proceedings here: https://launch.amsat.org/Proceedings. Non-members who join AMSAT may download the 184 page Proceedings and utilize all other AMSAT information and member services: https://launch.amsat.org/Membership.

To attract young adults Amateur Radio clubs may want to consider acquiring 3-D printers for shared use in member projects. Also, widely publicized activities using SBCs and open source software can attract fresh participants to clubs.

We’ll be covering more topics about makers and means of attracting them to Amateur Radio clubs in following issues the AMSAT News Weekly Bulletin.

[ANS thanks David Vine, WA1EAW, for the above information]


Your Story Is Needed

The AMSAT News Service weekly Bulletins and the bi-monthly AMSAT Journal editors are always seeking fresh Amateur Satellite news and information. We need your input including news tips. Send them to: [email protected].

AMSAT volunteer editors sometimes lack important news about domestic and international Amateur Satellite events and activities, club presentations, Amateur Satellite related projects, etc. Send info or an article about it to the above address.

Have you taken part in or conducted an interesting Amateur Satellite oriented activity. Do you present talks and presentations about Amateur Satellites and closely related topics? Do you participate in Amateur Satellite oriented nets? Would you like others to know about it? If so, tell us about it via: [email protected].

Are you experienced as a writer, presenter or have other space or satellite related skills you’d like to share with AMSAT members and others worldwide? If so, reach out to us via the email address above and let us know what you’d like to write about.

There are no paid staff personnel employed by AMSAT publications. The organization relies on volunteers and financial donations from people worldwide who support AMSAT in many different ways. If you are reading this note you are interested in keeping Amateur Radio in space and space-oriented education for students, young people as well as adults.

Thank you for reading this note and we hope to hear from you soon.


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Changes to AMSAT-NA TLE Distribution

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:

DRAGON Fram2 NORAD Cat ID 63427 Splashdown 16:19 04 April 2025
Fram2Ham Provisional Cat ID 90000 Experiment terminated 08:42:50 O4 April 2025

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

TEVEL2-1 NORAD Cat ID 63217
TEVEL2-2 NORAD Cat ID 63218
TEVEL2-3 NORAD Cat ID 63219
TEVEL2-4 NORAD Cat ID 63213
TEVEL2-5 NORAD Cat ID 63214
TEVEL2-6 NORAD Cat ID 63215
TEVEL2-7 NORAD Cat ID 63239
TEVEL2-8 NORAD Cat ID 63237
TEVEL2-9 NORAD Cat ID 63238

Please note that Two/Three Line Element (TLE or 3LE) sets for spacecraft launched in the near future will not be available, and new formats will be used instead. The essence of the problem is that the US Space Force is running out of numbers to catalog new satellites, see https://celestrak.org/NORAD/documentation/gp-data-formats.php for details. AMSAT will continue to disseminate TLE for satellites currently in orbit indefinitely as we do now, but we seek comments regarding the best way to support the amateur satellites of the future. For example, is there any need to augment the weekly e-mail with a new list in one or more of the new formats or is on line access via www.celestrak.org or www.amsat.org sufficient? Please send your comments using the form at https://www.amsat.org/webmaster-contact/ on the AMSAT web site.

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


Starliner’s Wild Ride

For the first time since they returned to Earth on a Crew Dragon vehicle several weeks ago, NASA astronauts Butch Wilmore and Sunita Williams, KD5PLB, participated in a news conference on Monday, March 31, at Johnson Space Center in Houston. Afterward, they spent hours conducting short, 10-minute interviews with reporters from around the world, describing their mission to test Boeing’s Starliner spacecraft on the vehicle’s first crewed, which launched on June 5, 2024 for a planned 10 days.

After Starliner separated from the Atlas V rocket, Williams and Wilmore performed several maneuvering tests and put the vehicle through its paces. Starliner performed exceptionally well during these initial tests on day one.

More so even than launch or landing, the most challenging part of this mission, which would stress Starliner’s handling capabilities as well as its navigation system, would come as it approached the orbiting laboratory. That’s when trouble started, as several thrusters began to fail. Wilmore had to take manual control of the vehicle, but even more thruster failures ensued.

Boeing’s Starliner spacecraft is pictured docked to the International Space Station. One of the four thruster packs is visible on the service module. Credit: NASA

Essentially, Wilmore could not fully control Starliner any longer. But simply abandoning the docking attempt was not a palatable solution. Just as the thrusters were needed to control the vehicle during the docking process, they were also necessary to position Starliner for its deorbit burn and reentry to Earth’s atmosphere. So Wilmore had to contemplate whether it was riskier to approach the space station or try to fly back to Earth. Williams was worrying about the same thing.

Wilmore said, “We knew that they [Mission Control] were working really hard to be able to keep communication with us, and then be able to send commands. We were both thinking, what if we lose communication with the ground?

“Thankfully, these folks are heroes. And please print this. What do heroes look like? Well, heroes put their tank on and they run into a fiery building and pull people out of it. That’s a hero. Heroes also sit in their cubicle for decades studying their systems, and knowing their systems front and back. And when there is no time to assess a situation and go and talk to people and ask, ‘What do you think?’ they know their system so well they come up with a plan on the fly. That is a hero. And there are several of them in Mission Control.”

For the full article, see http://bit.ly/3XX0cnA

[ANS thanks Eric Berger writing for Ars Technica 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.

Magnet Innovation Center, Inlet Beach, Florida, telebridge via AB1OC
The scheduled crewmember is Nichole Ayers, KJ5GWI
The ARISS mentor is AA4KN
Contact is go for: Thu 2025-04-17 15:52:03 UTC 56 deg

Pan-African Citizen Science e-lab, Africa, telebridge via IK1SLD
The scheduled crewmember is Nichole Ayers, KJ5GWI
The ARISS mentor is IN3GHZ
Contact is go for: Fri 2025-04-18 10:26:16 UTC 76 deg

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. UPCOMING: Powering off for Soyuz undocking on Apr 19 OFF about 12:15 UTC. ON Apr 20 about 14:30 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]



Upcoming Satellite Operations

April 30: VYØSAT on SO-50 from EP28. Tentative if flight/wx cooperates. POTA CA4585.

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

[ANS thanks Ian Parsons, K5ZM, AMSAT rover page manager, for the above information]


AMSAT Ambassador Activities

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

Denton County Amateur Radio Association (DCARA) – Monday, April 28 at 7 p.m. CDT
Denton Count Administrative Courthouse
1 Courthouse Drive
3rd floor, Room 2020
Denton, TX 76208
Also online. See https://dcara.net/club-calendar/ for link
AMSAT Ambassador Tom Schuessler, N5HYP

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

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


Satellite Shorts From All Over

+The Cover Story for the May 2025 issue of QST magazine is an article (beginning on page 55) about “NASA on the Air” (NOTA), a collaboration among 12 amateur radio clubs at NASA facilities across the country, from California to Florida. Club stations, operated primarily by NASA staff member who happen to be licensed amateurs, commemorate special events in space history with special operations on the ham bands. See the QST article or https://nasaontheair.wordpress.com/ for more information. (ANS thanks QST magazine for the above information.)

+ Three new crew members arrived at the International Space Station on April 8, 2025, beginning an eight-month space research mission. NASA astronaut Jonny Kim and Roscosmos cosmonauts Sergey Ryzhikov and Alexey Zubrisky launched earlier the same day aboard the Soyuz MS-25. (ANS thanks NASA for the above information.)

+ CatSat now ready for microwave testing and QSOs. CatSat successfully demonstrated the capability to act as a linear transponder satellite for the first time on the morning of April 11! In this mode of operation, the satellite receives signals sent from the ground at 5.663 GHz and re-transmits them back to the ground at 10.47 GHz. During the pass, team members tracked the satellite and confirmed the presence of the re-transmitted signal at 10.47 GHz. (ANS thanks Walter Rahmer, KK7IOV, CatSat Command System Lead, for the above information.)

+ The Indonesian APRS satellite IO-86 has been returned to service after a hiatus of several days during the Eid al-Fitr holiday. The operating schedule may be found on X @pr_teksat. (ANS thanks Yono Adisoemarta, YDØNXX, for the above information.)

+ The Yuri Gagarin Cup International HF and VHF Contest, held in memory of Konstantin Khachaturov, RT3A (SK), is held April, 12 2025, 12.00 UTC until April, 13 2025, 11.59 UTC on HF and satellites. Awards are offered in various categories, including for SWLs. For details, see https://gccontest.ru/en/rules-gc-2025/ (ANS thanks Ham Radio World for the above information.)

+ SpaceX static fired Super Heavy Booster 14 (that had previously flown and returned on Flight 7) ahead of Starship Flight 9 with 29 of its 33 engines being flight proven—this will be the first reuse for the Starship system. (ANS thanks The Orbital Index 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 Editors, Mark Johns, KØJM and David Vine, WA1EAW
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-096 AMSAT News Service Weekly Bulletins

In this edition:

* Fram2 Mission Blends Polar Orbit, Amateur Radio, and Private Spaceflight
* Spectrum’s Fiery Debut Marks Bold First Step for Isar Aerospace
* LuGRE Demonstrates Viability of GPS Navigation on the Moon
* VUCC & DXCC Satellite Standings for April 2025
* Changes to AMSAT-NA TLE Distribution for April 4, 2025
* ARISS News
* Upcoming Satellite Operations
* 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/

ANS-096 AMSAT News Service Weekly Bulletins

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

DATE 2025 Apr 06


Fram2 Mission Blends Polar Orbit, Amateur Radio, and Private Spaceflight

SpaceX launched the Fram2 private astronaut mission on Monday, March 31st, marking a new chapter in commercial spaceflight. The Crew Dragon spacecraft Resilience carried four private astronauts into a polar orbit—making it the first crewed mission to fly directly over both the North and South Poles. After three and a half days in orbit, the spacecraft splashed down safely in the Pacific Ocean off the coast of California on Friday, April 4th.

One of the mission’s standout features was Fram2Ham, an amateur radio initiative led by mission pilot Rabea Rogge (LB9NJ/KD3AID), a robotics researcher from Germany. On April 1st, just hours after reaching orbit, Rogge conducted the first amateur radio contact ever made from a Crew Dragon spacecraft. Speaking on 437.550 MHz, she answered questions from students at Technische Universität Berlin (TU Berlin) during a live-streamed session focused on STEM topics.

The mission also featured slow-scan television (SSTV) transmissions sent by Rogge using an ICOM IC-705 transceiver. Amateur radio operators around the world tuned in and successfully decoded images sent from orbit. The images were submitted to an online gallery maintained by ARISS (Amateur Radio on the International Space Station), with over 1,100 general entries and more than 110 from student STEM teams submitted during the mission.

Framonauts Rabea Rogge and Jannicke Mikkelsen pictured inside Crew Dragon Resilience. [Credit: SpaceX / Fram2]
The Fram2Ham experiment demonstrated that meaningful amateur radio operations can be carried out from commercial crew vehicles using compact, battery-powered equipment. ARISS called the effort a breakthrough for ham radio in human spaceflight, noting that the success of Fram2Ham opens the door to future communications experiments aboard non-governmental orbital missions and commercial space stations.

Fram2 also included operational tests with future exploration goals in mind. Following splashdown, the astronauts exited the spacecraft without external help to simulate autonomous egress procedures that may be necessary on lunar or Martian surfaces. The hands-on, self-directed nature of the Fram2Ham project paralleled this emphasis on independence, with Rogge managing transmissions without ground crew assistance.

The Fram2 crew shared stunning views of Earth from the SpaceX Dragon capsule in videos posted on X. [Credit: Framonaut Chun Wang]
The mission saw strong participation from the amateur radio community. The Live OSCAR Status Page on the AMSAT web site received a record 496 reception reports during the mission, more observations than any other spacecraft in a 4-day period since the page’s inception. Although several operators attempted to receive signals during the reentry phase, none succeeded, as the capsule entered a plasma blackout. Still, engagement across the amateur radio world was described as historic.

Fram2 was organized and funded by Chun Wang, a Malta-based cryptocurrency entrepreneur originally from China, who also served as the mission commander. He was joined by Rogge, Norwegian cinematographer Jannicke Mikkelsen as vehicle commander, and Australian polar explorer Eric Philips as mission specialist and medical officer. The team conducted 22 research experiments in orbit, including medical imaging, materials testing, and biological studies.

As the first crewed mission to reach a 90-degree orbital inclination, Fram2 provided rare views of polar auroras and remote Arctic landscapes. For Wang, the mission fulfilled a childhood curiosity about the polar regions; for the broader space community, it demonstrated how private spaceflight can combine scientific research, technical innovation, and public outreach—including a successful amateur radio experiment that brought signals from orbit to Earthbound listeners around the globe.

[ANS thanks SpaceNews, ARISS, and Joe Fitzgerald, KM1P,  for the above information]


Spectrum’s Fiery Debut Marks Bold First Step for Isar Aerospace

The inaugural flight of Isar Aerospace’s Spectrum rocket ended just 40 seconds after liftoff on Sunday, March 30th, with the vehicle crashing into the sea off Norway’s Andøya Spaceport. The rocket, intended to be the first orbital-class launcher developed by a private European company, lost control shortly after takeoff and triggered its flight termination system before plummeting into the Arctic waters in a fiery explosion.

Isar Aerospace officials acknowledged the failure but emphasized the value of the flight. “Today, we know twice as much about our launch system as yesterday before launch,” said Daniel Metzler, Isar’s co-founder and CEO. The company released multiple replays of the short flight, including a drone-captured video, underscoring a level of transparency uncommon in the space launch industry. Metzler praised the team’s achievement, framing the test as a crucial step forward in a long-term development process.

The Spectrum rocket lifted off at 1030 UTC, generating over 150,000 pounds of thrust from its nine engines fueled by liquid propane and liquid oxygen. Trouble emerged about 15 seconds into the flight as the rocket began to oscillate and tumble, eventually flipping upside-down. With the rocket’s propellant tanks still nearly full, its impact created a massive fireball visible from the snowy Andøya landscape. No injuries were reported, and the launch pad remained intact.

Isar Aerospace’s first Spectrum rocket climbs away from Andøya Spaceport in Norway. [Credit: Isar Aerospace/NASASpaceflight.com]
The mission carried no commercial payload, a deliberate decision given the anticipated risk. The goal was to gather performance data during Spectrum’s first powered flight. Officials at Isar Aerospace had long signaled that reaching orbit on the first attempt was unlikely. By preserving the launch site and capturing valuable telemetry, the company achieved what it described as a successful test despite the dramatic conclusion.

Founded in 2018, Isar Aerospace has raised over 400 million euros in private and institutional funding, making it the most well-capitalized among Europe’s emerging private launch companies. Supporters include the European Space Agency, Germany’s government, and the NATO Innovation Fund. ESA director general Josef Aschbacher praised the flight as a vital learning opportunity, while German vice chancellor Robert Habeck hailed the launch as evidence of Europe’s growing technological independence.

Isar is already building its next two rockets and plans to iterate quickly, following a strategy modeled after SpaceX’s fast-paced test-and-repair cycle. While the loss of the first Spectrum rocket marks a setback, company officials maintain that success lies not in perfection but in progress. “We’re super happy,” Metzler said. “Now it’s time to analyze all data, learn, iterate, and be back on the launch pad as soon as possible.”

“We’re super happy,” Metzler said in a press call after Sunday’s flight. “It’s a time for people to be proud of, and for Europe, frankly, also to be proud of.”

[ANS thanks the Stephen Clark, Ars Technica, 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!


LuGRE Demonstrates Viability of GPS Navigation on the Moon

NASA and the Italian Space Agency have achieved a historic milestone with the successful conclusion of the Blue Ghost mission, which delivered the Lunar GNSS Receiver Experiment (LuGRE) to the Moon. LuGRE became the first technology demonstration to acquire and track Earth-based navigation signals from the lunar surface, proving that Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) signals—including GPS and Galileo—can be used to support autonomous navigation on the Moon.

The ability to receive and process GNSS signals approximately 225,000 miles from Earth opens new possibilities for future lunar and deep space missions. By reducing reliance on Earth-based tracking, missions like NASA’s Artemis program could benefit from real-time, onboard navigation systems similar to those used on Earth.

LuGRE was delivered by Firefly Aerospace’s Blue Ghost lander, which touched down on the Moon on March 2nd. Science operations began shortly after landing, and by 2 a.m. EST on March 3rd, the LuGRE payload had successfully acquired and tracked GNSS signals from the Moon’s surface, achieving a navigation fix and marking a first in space exploration.

Artist’s illustration of the three main GNSS records set by the LuGRE payload on Blue Ghost. [Credit: NASA/Dave Ryan]
The Blue Ghost mission operated for 14 days, completing its objectives before the onset of lunar night. During that time, LuGRE functioned in near-continuous mode, gathering valuable data and demonstrating the viability of GNSS-based navigation on the Moon. The mission also marked a milestone for the Italian Space Agency, as LuGRE was its first hardware to operate successfully on the lunar surface.

In addition to its surface accomplishments, LuGRE set multiple records during its journey. On January 21st, it acquired GNSS signals at a record-breaking altitude of 209,900 miles from Earth—surpassing the previous high set by NASA’s Magnetospheric Multiscale Mission. The payload later received signals from 243,000 miles away in lunar orbit on February 20th, confirming that GNSS signals can be used not only on the Moon but throughout cislunar space.

LuGRE was developed through a partnership involving NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center, the Italian Space Agency, Italian industry partner Qascom, and Politecnico di Torino. The mission’s success demonstrates the growing potential of Earth-based navigation systems to support autonomous space exploration well beyond Earth orbit.

[ANS thanks the Katherine Schauer, NASA, for the above information]


VUCC & DXCC Satellite Standings for April 2025

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

Callsign 03/01/2025 04/01/2025
K8DP 1737 1738
W8LR 897 900
E70A 504 796
WD9EWK (DM43) 737 774
IK7FMQ 651 701
F6EQD 420 629
KO9A 524 545
JE1LFX 216 506
JI5USJ 425 450
N4QWF 325 336
WD9EWK (DM23) 200 207
WD9EWK (DM31) 200 206
VK3EHG New 130
KB4YKC New 100
KT8O New 100

KT8O is first VUCC Satellite holder from EN71. Congratulations to the new VUCC Satellite holders!

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

Callsign 03/01/2025 04/01/2025
DL2GRC 160 184
I3BUI 167 169
ZS1LS 160 168
AB9V 156 158
HB9RYZ 155 157
PE1L 151 154
EA6VQ 147 151
PA7RA 144 147
YO2RR 142 145
SP3AU 140 144
HB9GWJ 137 141
K8DP 125 129
E70A New 125
CU3AN 115 120
IK8YSS New 111
G4BWP 105 110
JJ1BMB 101 110
EA3BS New 106
SV1HEP New 106

SV1HEP is first DXCC Satellite holder from KM18. Congratulations to the new DXCC Satellite holders!

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



Changes to AMSAT-NA TLE Distribution for April 4, 2025

Two Line Elements or TLEs, often referred to as Keplerian elements or keps in the amateur community, are the inputs to the SGP4 standard mathematical model of spacecraft orbits used by most amateur tracking programs. Weekly updates are completely adequate for most amateur satellites. TLE bulletin files are updated daily in the first hour of the UTC day. New bulletin files will be posted immediately after reliable elements become available for new amateur satellites. More information may be found at https://www.amsat.org/keplerian-elements-resources/.

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

The following satellites have been added to this week’s AMSAT TLE distribution:
JINJUSat 1B NORAD Cat ID 63210 Downlink 435.185 MHz
NUSHSAT 1 NORAD Cat ID 63211 Downlink 436.200 MHz
DRAGON Fram2 NORAD Cat ID 63427 Downlink 437.550 MHz

Please note that the elements provided for “DRAGON Fram2” are provided by the US Space Force, while “Fram2Ham” are derived from state vectors provided by SpaceX and converted to TLE by ARISS. AMSAT TLE for “Fram2Ham” continue to use the provisional object number 90000. There is no practical difference between the element sets for Amateur Radio use. Hats off to SpaceX for a precision orbital injection, the inclination of this polar orbit is 90.00 degrees.

[ANS thanks AMSAT Orbital Elements page 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

Sayama Technical High School, Sayama, Japan, direct via JA1YUT
The ISS callsign was OR4ISS
The scheduled crewmember was Takaya Onishi KF5LKS
The ARISS mentor was 7M3TJZ
Contact was successful: 2025-04-02 09:07:21 UTC
Watch the Livestream at: https://space.sayama.jp/
Congratulations to the Sayama Technical High School students!

Université de Namur, Namur, Belgium, telebridge via IK1SLD
The ISS callsign was OR4ISS
The scheduled crewmember was Don Pettit KD5MDT
The ARISS mentor was ON6TI
Contact was successful: 2025-04-02 15:11:17 UTC
Watch the Livestream at: https://www.youtube.com/live/MGHDLglTDAs
Congratulations to the Université de Namur students!

City of St. Petersburg School, St. Petersburg, Russia, direct via TBD
The ISS callsign was RSØISS
The scheduled crewmember was Aleksey Ovchinin
The ARISS mentor was RV3DR
Contact was successful: 2025-04-03 12:45 UTC
Congratulations to the City of St. Petersburg School students!

Ufa City School, Ufa, Russia, direct via TBD
The ISS callsign was RSØISS
The scheduled crewmember was Ivan Vagner
The ARISS mentor was RV3DR
Contact was successful: 2025-04-04 10:25 UTC
Congratulations to the Ufa City School students!

+ Upcoming Contacts

Lyceum No. 23 of Kaliningrad City, Kaliningrad, Russia, direct via TBD
The ISS callsign is presently scheduled to be RSØISS
The scheduled crewmember is TBD
The ARISS mentor is RV3DR
Contact is go for Mon 2025-04-07 11:10 UTC

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

ARISS outage upcoming on Monday/Tuesday. ARISS radios on the International Space Station will power off in support of Soyuz docking.

Schedule: Radios turned off Monday April 07 about 16:45 UTC | 12:45 PM ET / Radios back on Tuesday April 08 about 16:45 UTC | 12:45 PM ET.

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]


Upcoming Satellite Operations

None currently posted.

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

[ANS thanks Ian Parsons, K5ZM, AMSAT rover page manager, 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 Tom Schuessler, N5HYP, reports:

I will be giving a couple of local presentations on getting started with satellites in the Dallas/Fort Worth Texas area this month.

Thursday, April 10th, by Zoom to the Metrocrest Amateur Radio Society (MARS), at 7PM. More information on their meetings can be found at https://www.kb5a.org/ .

Monday, April 28th, 7PM for the Denton County Amateur Radio Association (DCARA), In-person presentation. Details on the calendar at https://dcara.net/club-calendar/ .

Also, I do want to remind AMSAT members in the Metroplex, that we run two AMSAT nets weekly. DFW AMSAT-East on Tuesdays at 8PM CT (Except for the first Tuesday) on the 146.88 W5FC Dallas Amateur Radio Club repeater, PL 110.9. Also available on Echolink W5FC-R, node 37247 and on Allstar, search W5FC node 555178.

Every Wednesday night at 9PM CT, on the Arlington Amateur Radio Club K5SLD 147.14 for DFW AMSAT-West.

Hope you can make one of these presentations, or join in on the nets, especially if you live in the area.

Brainerd MN Area Hamfest – April 12th, 2025
Brainerd National Guard Armory
1115 Wright Street
Brainerd, MN 56401
https://brainerdham.org/
AD0HJ, KE0PBR

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

[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

+ Didn’t get enough SSTV last week? The International Space Station will be transmitting special Slow Scan Television (SSTV) images to celebrate Cosmonautics Day, which honors Yuri Gagarin’s historic first spaceflight on April 12, 1961. The SSTV event is organized by ARISS (Amateur Radio on the International Space Station) and will run from April 11 through the weekend. A total of 12 images will be broadcast in PD120 mode on the standard downlink frequency of 145.800 MHz FM. Enthusiasts around the world can receive these images using a VHF radio or SDR, along with SSTV decoding software such as MMSSTV, RX-SSTV, or Robot36. This is a great opportunity for amateur radio operators and space fans alike to collect commemorative images directly from orbit. Be sure to check ISS pass times for your location so you don’t miss the transmissions. (ANS thanks ARISS for the above information)

+ NASA astronaut Jonny Kim, along with Roscosmos cosmonauts Sergey Ryzhikov and Alexey Zubritsky, will launch aboard the Soyuz MS-27 spacecraft to the International Space Station on Tuesday, April 8th, at 05:47 UTC from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan. After a three-hour, two-orbit journey, they are scheduled to dock at the station’s Prichal module at approximately 09:03 UTC and join the Expedition 72/73 crew. This marks the first spaceflight for Kim and Zubritsky, and the third for Ryzhikov, with the mission lasting about eight months. They will work alongside international astronauts and cosmonauts to advance scientific research aboard the ISS. NASA will provide live coverage of the launch, docking, and hatch opening events on NASA+, including hatch opening at approximately 11:20 UTC. This mission continues the ISS’s legacy as a vital platform for long-duration spaceflight research, supporting NASA’s broader goals, including the Artemis campaign and future missions to Mars. (ANS thanks NASA for the above information)

+ On March 22, 2025, a team of amateur radio astronomers used the historic Dwingeloo telescope to successfully bounce a radio signal off Venus and receive its echo, marking only the second amateur Earth-Venus-Earth (EVE) bounce ever achieved. The first amateur EVE was accomplished in 2009 by AMSAT-DL using the 20-meter radio telescope at the Bochum Observatory. During this recent experiment, Venus was at its closest approach to Earth—about 42 million kilometers away—allowing for a 280-second round-trip signal travel time. The team transmitted a 278-second tone at 1299.5 MHz and repeated the cycle four times, with both Dwingeloo and the more sensitive Stockert telescope successfully receiving the echoes. Signal analysis, including Doppler corrections and frequency binning, showed detections with up to 9.2 sigma significance when combining data from both sites. Although a transmitter issue cut short plans for more complex signal testing, the team looks forward to continuing the experiment during the next Venus conjunction in October 2026, with support from organizations like the Deep Space Exploration Society, Open Research Institute, and many dedicated volunteers. (ANS thanks Dwingeloo Radio Telescope (CAMRAS) for the above information)

+ NASA’s Parker Solar Probe has completed its second daring flyby of the sun, coming within 3.8 million miles of its surface at speeds nearing 430,000 mph, while collecting valuable data on solar wind and the sun’s corona. The spacecraft operated autonomously during the approach, using four specialized instruments to study the sun’s outer atmosphere. This mission marks another historic milestone in solar science, as Parker continues to rewrite what we know about our star and helps scientists better predict space weather. The spacecraft’s extreme performance is made possible by cutting-edge technologies, including a heat shield, self-cooling solar arrays, and autonomous systems. In recognition of these innovations, the Parker Solar Probe team—comprising NASA, the Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Lab, and over 40 partners—was awarded the prestigious 2024 Robert J. Collier Trophy. Launched in 2018 and managed under NASA’s Living With a Star program, the probe is expected to make another close approach in June, continuing its groundbreaking journey into uncharted solar territory. (ANS thanks Space.com for the above information)

+ NASA and Boeing are working together to prepare the CST-100 Starliner spacecraft for its next crewed flight, which is expected in late 2025 or early 2026. This follows the spacecraft’s first crewed mission, which experienced a propulsion system failure that extended an eight-day mission to a nine-month stay for astronauts Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams, who later returned via SpaceX’s Dragon capsule. In response, teams are conducting extensive testing and analysis, including propulsion system evaluations at White Sands Test Facility to address overheating issues and helium leaks. Over 70% of the anomalies from the previous mission have been resolved, but major propulsion issues remain under review into 2025. Boeing’s ongoing work on Starliner, which has cost over $2 billion, is part of NASA’s broader strategy to maintain flexible and safe access to space through commercial partnerships. If testing proceeds as planned, Starliner’s next mission could support either crew or cargo transport to the International Space Station. (ANS thanks Reuters and NASA 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-082 AMSAT News Service Weekly Bulletins

March 23, 2025

In this edition:

* January/February 2025 Issue of The AMSAT Journal is Now Available
* Fram2Ham SSTV Transmissions Planned
* Alba Orbital Assists AMSAT-EA With HADES-ICM Project
* Firefly’s Blue Ghost Lander Photographs Eclipse From The Moon
* Changes to AMSAT-NA TLE Distribution
* ARISS News
* Upcoming Satellite Operations
* 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/

January/February 2025 Issue of The AMSAT Journal is Now Available

The January/February 2025 issue of The AMSAT Journal is now available to members on AMSAT’s Member Portal.

The AMSAT Journal is a bi-monthly digital magazine for amateur radio in space enthusiasts, published by the Radio Amateur Satellite Corporation (AMSAT). Each issue is your source for hardware and software projects, technical tips, STEM initiatives, operational activities, and news from around the world.

Inside the Current Issue:

  • Apogee View – Robert Bankston, KE4AL
  • Engineering Update – AMSAT News Service
  • Mitigating and Monitory Space Traffic and Debris – Joe Kornowski, KB6IGK
  • Transceivers for Satellite Operation – Keith Baker, KB1SF/VA3KSF
  • New England Sci-Tech Updates AMSAT TLE Bulletins – RJ Fitzgerald, N1BGA, et al.
  • Determination of Spacecraft Orbital Elements from In-flight GNSS Measurements – Joseph DiVerdi, Ph.D., MBA, K0NMR
  • SpaceX Launches Hamsats on Rideshare Mission – AMSAT News Service

AMSAT members may access the issue, and a library of back issues, by logging into their member account at https://launch.amsat.org/Sys/Login. Non-members may join AMSAT at https://launch.amsat.org/Membership in order to access The AMSAT Journal and to receive a variety of other member benefits.

[ANS thanks AMSAT 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.

2025 PC Coin Set

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


Fram2Ham SSTV Transmissions Planned

Astronaut and radio amateur, Rabea Rogge LB9NJ / KD3AID, will be transmitting amateur radio Slow Scan TV images from space during the SpaceX Fram2 mission, planned for launch on March 31.

The Fram2 mission is set to become the first human space flight in polar orbit – flying over the North and South poles. Named after the famous polar exploration ship Fram, which completed voyages to both the Arctic and Antarctica. The SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket will launch four astronauts from Europe and Australia into orbit for 3-5 days.


Rabea Rogge LB9NJ / KD3AID [Photo credit: DLR]

During the Fram2 mission Rabea Rogge, LB9NJ (Norway) and KD3AID (USA), will be operating the onboard amateur (ham) radio system sending SSTV images as part of a high school and university student competition. These SSTV images will also be available to be received by the general public during the mission.

The International Space Station simulated the Fram2 SSTV mode PD-120 transmissions from February 13-17 on 437.550 MHz FM to enable people to gain proficiency in receiving the signals before the mission.

Fram2Ham is an experimental radio competition open to high school and university ages. Rogge will send pictures of three geographical locations via an onboard ham radio, but here’s the twist: they’ll be cut into pieces and mixed up! Participants will receive only fragments of the locations and need to guess where on Earth they are and what their role in polar history was. While anyone can receive the pictures, forming an international team may help you solve the puzzle!

There are several challenges like low transmit power, variations of antenna orientation, and a short, 3-day mission duration, with only a limited time assigned for the SSTV operation. These challenges require operating proficiency and the use of the best attainable radio station and this simulation shall give the possibility to exercise this.

For more information on the Fram2 mission and for youth organizations interested in participating in the Fram2Ham SSTV competition, see https://fram2ham.com/

First human Spaceflight to Earth’s polar regions https://f2.com/

Fram2Ham on Discord https://discord.com/invite/GYQzmSh5sp

Competition details https://fram2ham.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/amapay_user_manual-ver-2-7-2025.pdf

[ANS thanks AMSAT-UK and FRAM2 Ham 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/


Alba Orbital Assists AMSAT-EA With HADES-ICM Project

Alba Orbital (UK, USA, Germany) is the world’s leading PocketQube company that has delivered 53 pico-satellites on-orbit to date. These include five PocketQube satellites from three different countries recently flown on-board SpaceX’s Transporter-13 Rideshare mission.


Alba Orbital’s AlbaPod [Photo: Alba Orbital]

The satellites were integrated into Alba Orbital’s PocketQube Deployer, AlbaPod, at their new facilities in Hillington Industrial Estate, Glasgow, the world’s first PocketQube factory. After integration, the cluster of pocket-sized satellites were shipped out to SpaceX and then hitched their ride to LEO.

PocketQubes are highly miniaturized satellites, typically 5 cm cubed per unit (‘P’), that can be launched to orbit for as little as 25K euros via Alba Orbital’s rideshare services. PocketQubes are cost-effective, quicker to build, and provide versatile options for a variety of missions that range from educational projects to advanced technological demonstrations.


Payloads aboard this mission include HADES-ICM – HYDRA SPACE / IC MERCURY / SMART IR [Photo: Alba Orbital]

HADES-ICM, a 1.5p PocketQube, this smallsat is carrying an open voice transponder for the radio amateur community. It will be operated by the non-proft organization AMSAT-EA. The PocketQube includes the UK based Smart IR’s technology experiment that will be conducted on-orbit as well as an icMercury experiment. Inspiring space sustainability text messages that will be broadcasted periodically by HADES-ICM.

[ANS thanks Alba Orbital for the above information]


Firefly’s Blue Ghost Lander Photographs Eclipse From The Moon

Firefly’s Blue Ghost lunar lander snapped a gorgeous photo of a solar eclipse from the Moon in which Earth covers up most of the Sun, leaving only the so-called diamond ring effect.


[Photo: Firefly Aerospace]

The lander snapped the photo at around 05:30z on Friday March 14, as the Earth slowly blocked a view of the Sun. The solar eclipse on the Moon occurred at the same time as a total lunar eclipse here on Earth. Terrestrial viewers saw the lunar surface turn a red hue.


[Photo: Firefly Aerospace]

The eclipse lasted for around five hours at the lunar landing site in Mare Crisium. Firefly released another image from the earlier part of the eclipse that shows the lander’s solar panel as the Sun starts to hide behind Earth’s shadow.

Firefly’s Blue Ghost lander was launched on January 15 and successfully touched down on the Moon on Sunday, March 2 at around 07:30z. It landed upright, with no issues, unlike the Intuitive Machines lander which toppled over on landing on March 6.

This is Firefly’s first mission to the Moon, so Blue Ghost is packed with ten NASA instruments designed to probe the lunar surface and gather data to (hopefully) support upcoming human missions to the natural satellite. This is all part of NASA’s Commercial Lunar Payload Services (CLPS) initiative.

Not long after sunset at the end of the lunar day on March 16, 2025, the Lander’s batteries were depleted, communications were lost and the spacecraft’s mission was officially declared ended at 23:25z.

[ANS thanks Engadget for the above information]


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

Your $20 Donation Goes to Help Fly a Fox-Plus Satellite
Includes First Class Postage (Sorry – U.S. Addresses Only)
Order Today at https://www.amsat.org/product/amsat-remove-before-flight-keychain


Changes to AMSAT-NA TLE Distribution for March 21

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/.

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 U.S. 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 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.

Canadian Elementary School Maple Bear, Sofia, Bulgaria, direct via LZ1KRN
The ISS callsign is presently scheduled to be OR4ISS
The scheduled crewmember is Don Pettit, KD5MDT
The ARISS mentor is IN3GHZ
Contact is go for: Mon 2025-03-24 14:23:27 UTC 42 deg

Amur State University, Blagoveshchensk, Russia, direct via TBD
The ISS callsign is presently scheduled to be RSØISS
The scheduled crewmember is Aleksey Ovchinin
The ARISS mentor is RV3DR
Contact is go for Thu 2025-03-27 09:00 UTC

Yonezawa 5th Junior High School, Yonezawa, Japan, direct via 8N7Y5JH
The ISS callsign is presently scheduled to be OR4ISS
The scheduled crewmember is Don Pettit, KD5MDT
The ARISS mentor is 7M3TJZ
Contact is go for: Fri 2025-03-28 09:56:00 UTC 30 deg

Aznakaevsky district of the Republic of Tatarstan, Russia, direct via TBD
The ISS callsign is presently scheduled to be RSØISS
The scheduled crewmember is Ivan Vagner
The ARISS mentor is RV3DR
Contact is go for Fri 2025-03-28 12:50 UTC

City of St. Petersburg School, St. Petersburg, Russia, direct via TBD
The ISS callsign is presently scheduled to be RSØISS
The scheduled crewmember is Aleksey Ovchinin
The ARISS mentor is RV3DR
Contact is go for 2025-04-03 12:45 UTC

Ufa City School, Ufa, Russia, direct via TBD
The ISS callsign is presently scheduled to be RSØISS
The scheduled crewmember is Ivan Vagner
The ARISS mentor is RV3DR
Contact is go for 2025-04-04 10:25 UTC

Congratulations and welcome home to Sunita Williams, KD5PLB!  She has done 92 events/78 contacts.  She has the lead at the moment!

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).

Ham TV – (2395.00 MHz down) is currently STOWED.

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

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

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

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

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


Upcoming Satellite Operations

None listed at this time.

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

[ANS thanks Ian Parsons, K5ZM, AMSAT rover page manager, 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 Mitch Ahrenstorff, ADØHJ, speaks with an interested attendee at the Midwinter Madness Hamfest in Buffalo, Minn. on Saturday, March 22. Ambassadors Paul Overn, KEØPBR, and Mark Johns, KØJM, were also kept busy at the table during the event. [Photo: KØJM]

March 27, 2025
AMSAT Update and Info
West Fork Amateur Radio Club
Paradise Fire Dept.
303 Main St.
Paradise, TX 76073
https://wfarc.org/
W5ITR

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

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

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

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


Satellite Shorts From All Over

+ The four members of the Crew-9 mission — Nick Hague, KG5TMV; Sunita Williams, KD5PLB; Barry “Butch” Wilmore; and Roscosmos cosmonaut Aleksandr Gorbunov — splashed down in the Gulf near Tallahassee, Florida shortly before 2200 UTC on Tuesday, March 18. Hague and Gorbunov launched to the ISS onboard the Dragon Freedom spacecraft in September 2024 and returned to Earth after logging 171 total days in space. Their colleagues, Williams and Wilmore, returned to Earth with 286 days in space after originally arriving at the space station onboard the Boeing CST-100 Starliner spacecraft launched on June 5, 2024. Prior to the departure of Starliner, two extra seats were created inside Dragon Endeavour (which brought up Crew-8) so that in the case of an emergency, Williams and Wilmore would have a way to return home. Thus, they were never actually “stranded” in space, as some media have reported. (ANS thanks SpaceFlight Now for the above information.)

+ The National Reconnaissance Office (NRO) annual conference will be held October 21-23, 2025. NRO brings together the best in academia and the private sector to keep America at the forefront of space-based intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance technology. NRO is soliciting abstracts for paper presentations at the conference. Previous topics included: Quantum Technologies, Artificial Intelligence, Advanced Manufacturing, Remote Sensing, Microelectronics, RF Technologies, Space Situational Awareness, & Other Enabling Technologies. Abstract deadline is April 18, 2025. See https://www.nro.gov/SRL/ for details. (ANS thanks David Vine, WA1EAW, for the above information.)

+ Researchers have broken a distance record in quantum communication by sending a secret encryption key nearly 13,000 km from China to South Africa, using a cheap, lightweight ‘microsatellite’. The satellite was able to send pulses of laser light, put into special quantum states, from a rooftop in Beijing to another at Stellenbosch University near Cape Town. The pulses formed a quantum key that was used to encrypt two images — one of China’s Great Wall and one showing part of Stellenbosch’s campus. The feat, a kind of encryption known as quantum key distribution (QKD), is a step towards being able to send ultra-secure messages between any two locations, however distant. (ANS thanks Nature.com for the above information.)

+ The increasing threat from space debris calls for both higher maneuverability in orbit and a reduction of the amount of junk. British startup Magdrive claims it can help with both, via a new propulsion system for spacecraft that will launch into space for the first time later this year and will be fueled by solid metal. The first incarnation of the Magdrive system — called Warlock — is set to launch into orbit in June 2025. It works by creating power using onboard solar panels to ionize metal. Once detonated, the metal is turned into extremely hot and dense plasma, or electrically charged gas. For now, the system is not refuelable. In the more distant future, however, the system could obtain its fuel from existing space junk, by harvesting dead satellites for metal to use as propellant. (ANS thanks CNN Science for the above information.)

+ In the next few months, from its perch atop a mountain in Chile, the Vera C. Rubin Observatory will begin surveying the cosmos with the largest camera ever built. But the rising number of satellites in orbit can be a problem for scientists because the satellites interfere with ground-based astronomical observations, by creating bright streaks on images and electromagnetic interference with radio telescopes. Until recently, astronomers had no centralized reference for tracking satellites. Now, the International Astronomical Union (IAU) has a virtual Centre for the Protection of the Dark and Quiet Sky from Satellite Constellation Interference (CPS), which serves as an information hub. One of the centre’s tools, called SatChecker, draws on a public database of satellite orbits, fed by information from observers and companies that track objects in space. Astronomers can use SatChecker to confirm what satellite is passing overhead during their observations. (ANS thanks Nature.com for the above information.)

 


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

In addition to regular membership, AMSAT offers membership to:

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

Contact info [at] amsat.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