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ANS 131 AMSAT News Service Bulletins

May 11, 2025 by Mark Johns

ANS-131
May 11, 2025

In this edition:

* Last chance to purchase tickets to the TAPR/AMSAT Banquet, being held on Friday, May 16th.
* AMSAT Ambassador Program Seeks Input During Hamvention 2025
* 43rd Annual AMSAT Space Symposium & Annual General Meeting Announced
* VUCC and DXCC Satellite Standings for May 2025
* AMSAT-DL Presents Their Space Days Event in September, 2025
* Changes to AMSAT-NA TLE Distribution
* ARISS Proposal Window Closes May 23, 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 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/

Last chance to purchase tickets to the TAPR/AMSAT Banquet, being held on Friday, May 16th.

The banquet ticket purchase deadline is Monday, May 12th at 17:00 EDT / 21:00 UTC. Tickets can be purchased at

2025 TAPR/AMSAT Friday Night Banquet Registration

AMSAT Ambassador Program Seeks Input During Hamvention 2025

The newly developing AMSAT Ambassador Program will be informally discussed by program coordinator Bo Lowrey, W4FCL, Director – AMSAT Ambassador Program, during the Dayton Hamvention 2025. He’s seeking input from attendees during the May 16-18, 2025 event as to ways AMSAT can support Ambassadors and their efforts to engage the public.

An educator, Bo seeks interested Radio Amateurs to educate other Amateur Radio operators and the general public about the importance of Amateur Radio in space and the progress being made in meeting AMSAT’s mission and vision.

Ideas are especially sought for new ways to assist educators as well as inform and educate young people in the rapidly growing community of “Makers.” This group enjoys using 3-D printers, laser cutters and other high-tech tools to build items, many of which include electronics such as small board computers and peripherals, similar to the tech used in AMSAT’s Cubesat Simulator (See https://cubesatsim.com/).

Google Map by Bo Lowrey shows locations of the 41 AMSAT Ambassadors throughout the U.S.

Current and new AMSAT Ambassadors looking toward the future may want to consider the “maker” community (creators, innovators, and Do-It-Yourself enthusiasts) as a target audience. This segment of the general population includes prime candidates for Amateur Radio licensing and operations.

The maker population segment is very large and worldwide. It includes people of all ages, some with varying degrees of skills in electricity and electronics. Many schools, colleges and universities and specialized “maker groups” abound.

AMSAT Ambassador Tom Scheussler, N5HYP exhibits annually at a youth space and science fair in the Dallas-Fort Worth area.

An excellent example of an independent organization that caters to the makers in the U.S. is the New England SCI-TECH center. It is a non-profit STEM education center and maker space dedicated to project-based, hands-on learning for youth and families. See: https://nescitech.org/. They host an Amateur Radio club and offer courses in cubesat subjects.

Various education and promotion tools for Ambassadors to use at in-person events are provided.These include: 3′ x 5′ fabric banner / flag for display table; presentation binder with illustrations and answers to frequently asked questions. These are used to attract and inform event attendees. Also, a personal name and callsign badge identifying an AMSAT Ambassador is provided. If the event is of a significant size, a door prize from AMSAT may be available for that purpose.

For online presentations AMSAT provides access to a growing repository of existing presentations. There is an online folder for each Ambassador to store content. Ambassadors also have access to the interactive video capabilities of the MS365 for video presentations to any size group.”

Bo will be available at Hamvention on Friday, May 16 and Saturday May 17. Interested in speaking with Bo? Come by the AMSAT booth in Bldg. 1. Interested Radio Amateurs may contact Bo before, during or after Hamvention 2025 at [email protected].

For additional information see AMSAT at Hamvention 2025: https://www.amsat.org/amsat-at-hamvention-2025/. For more information about the AMSAT Ambassador Program visit: https://www.amsat.org/ambassador/

The AMSAT Forum will be presented Saturday, May 17, from 1:35 p.m. to 3:10 p.m. EDT in Forum Room 2. Attendees are encouraged to arrive early for the ARISS (Amateur Radio on the International Space Station) Forum at 12:40 p.m. in the same room.

For additional information see AMSAT at Hamvention 2025: https://www.amsat.org/amsat-at-hamvention-2025/.

[ANS thanks AMSAT for the above information]

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

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

43rd Annual AMSAT Space Symposium & Annual General Meeting Announced

Save the date! The 43rd Annual AMSAT Space Symposium & Annual General Meeting will be held October 16th through Sunday October 19th. The site of the 2025 event will be the Holiday Inn & Suites Phoenix Airport North.

(Photo credit: Holiday Inn & Suites Phoenix Airport North)

The hotel is located minutes away from Phoenix Sky Harbor airport and features free airport shuttle, all-suite rooms at affordable prices and free breakfast! Information for room reservation at reduced rates and event registration will be published shortly.

For your planning purposes, the overall schedule for the event is as follows:

Thursday, October 16th
0900 – 1700 Board of Directors Meeting

Friday, October 17th
0900 – 1200 Board of Directors Meeting
1300 – 1700 Symposium Presentations
1800 – 2100 Reception & Auction

Saturday, October 18th
0900 – 1200 Symposium Presentations
1300 – 1500 Symposium Presentations
1500 – 1700 Annual General Meeting
1800 – 1900 Reception
1900 – 2100 Banquet

Sunday, October 19th
0800 – 1000 Members Breakfast

(Times subject to change.)

Plan to attend this fun and informative event while you exchange ideas with your friends in the world of amateur satellites!

[ANS thanks AMSAT for the above information.]

VUCC and DXCC Satellite Standings for May 2025

————————————————————
VUCC Satellite Award/Endorsement Change Summary for April 01, 2025 to May 01, 2025.
————————————————————

Call	April	May
WC7V	1619	1621
DG7RO	1005	1504
XE1AO	1111	1177
KN2K	907	936
IK3ITB	800	900
NØGVK	867	871
N8MR	755	775
UW7LL	New	754
KB1HY	727	732
LU3FCA	406	684
HP2VX	508	516
K6SFO	400	501
JH1NHK	New	440
XE1YD	104	183
WD9EWK (DM45)	170	175
WD9EWK (DM54)	159	163

————————————————————
Congratulations to the new VUCC Satellite holders.
UW7LL
JH1NHK

————————————————————
DXCC Satellite Award/Endorsement Change Summary for April 01, 2025 to May 01, 2025.
————————————————————

Call	April	May
OE9DGV	214	215
G4WFQ	176	183
I3BUI	169	172
SV8CS	162	165
EA2AA	158	160
IW1FZR	151	154
HB9GWJ	141	143
KB1HY	142	143
DL8GAM	120	125
JA1VSL	116	119
AC9O	100	108
N0GVK	100	101
R3DPH	New	101
CU3AA	New	100
KGØD	New	100
OH4MS	New	100

————————————————————

Congratulations to the new DXCC Satellite holders.
R3DPH
CU3AA
KGØD
OH4MS

R3DPH is first DXCC Satellite holder from KO96
OH4MS is first DXCC Satellite holder from KP24

[ANS thanks Jon Goering, N7AZ, 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/

AMSAT-DL Presents Their Space Days Event in September, 2025

AMSAT-Deutschland e.V. and the Bochum Observatory have scheduled Bochum Space Days 2025 from September 19 to 21, 2025. The event will provide a varied and informative program aimed at AMSAT members and all space enthusiasts. Current developments and future prospects for national and international amateur radio satellites and other space projects will be presented. Lectures, presentations and discussions will provide participants with valuable insights into the latest technologies, missions and research projects in space travel, according to AMSAT-DL.

Bochum Observatory is a research institute in Bochum, Germany. The institution came into being through a private initiative. Its main areas of interest are in radio astronomy and environmental research.

The Space Days event begins on Friday with a general “come together” and end on Sunday with the General Assembly. The exact schedule and further plans will be posted on the website when they are available. Anyone interested in giving a presentation is welcome to contact Bochum Observatory via the AMSAT-DL website: https://amsat-dl.org/en/save-the-date-bochum-space-days-2025/.

According to AMSAT DL, “Work is continuing on the ground station for ERMINAZ and other projects at the observatory in Bochum. In addition to the well-known deep space activities of AMSAT-DL and Bochum Observatory with the 20-meter parabolic antenna, there is also a great need to receive and, if necessary, command small satellites, CubeSats and PocketQube satellites in LEO. A corresponding Mission Control Center is currently being set up. We have been operating the DK0SB SatNOGS station with omnidirectional antennas (Eggbeater) on VHF and UHF in the 2m and 70cm amateur radio satellite range for several years now. Also APT and LRPT weather image reception on 137 MHz using a dedicated antenna and the SatDump software.”

[ANS thanks AMSAT-DL for the above information]

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

25% of the purchase price of each product goes towards
Keeping Amateur Radio in Space
https://www.zazzle.com/amsat_gear

Changes to AMSAT-NA TLE Distribution for May 9

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

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

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

ARISS Proposal Window Closes May 23, 2025

The Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) Program is seeking formal and informal education institutions and organizations, individually or working together, to host an Amateur Radio contact with a crew member on board the ISS. ARISS anticipates that the contact would be held between January 1, 2026 and June 30, 2026. Crew scheduling and ISS orbits will determine the exact contact dates. To maximize these radio contact opportunities, ARISS is looking for organizations that will draw large numbers of participants and integrate the contact into a well-developed education plan.

The deadline to submit a proposal is May 23, 2025. Proposal information and more details such as expectations, proposal guidelines and the proposal form can be found at www.ariss.org.

The Opportunity

Crew members aboard the International Space Station will participate in scheduled Amateur Radio contacts. These radio contacts are approximately 10 minutes in length and allow students to interact with the astronauts through a question-and-answer session.

An ARISS contact is a voice-only communication opportunity via Amateur Radio between astronauts and cosmonauts aboard the space station and classrooms and communities. ARISS contacts afford education audiences the opportunity to learn firsthand from astronauts what it is like to live and work in space and to learn about space research conducted on the ISS. Students also will have an opportunity to learn about satellite communication, wireless technology, and radio science. Because of the nature of human spaceflight and the complexity of scheduling activities aboard the ISS, organizations must demonstrate flexibility to accommodate changes in dates and times of the radio contact.

Amateur Radio organizations around the world with the support of NASA and space agencies in Canada, Japan, Europe and Russia present educational organizations with this opportunity. The ham radio organizations’ volunteer efforts provide the equipment and operational support to enable communication between crew on the ISS and students around the world using Amateur Radio.

Please direct any questions to [email protected] .

[ANS thanks ARISS for the above information]

ARISS NEWS

ARISS is Celebrating 25 Years of Continuous Operations on ISS. The ARISS forum at the Dayton Hamvention will be on Saturday May 17 in Room 2 from 12:40-1:40 p.m. (right before the AMSAT forum in the same space). The focus for this forum will be to provide the audience a viewpoint of the breadth and depth of the ARISS contributions to the Fram2 mission, the first mission to include amateur radio in a Dragon capsule and the first human spaceflight amateur radio mission over the North and South poles. The ARISS team plans to convey how the work and lessons learned on Fram2 has helped to propel exciting and pioneering lifelong learning ARISS 2.0 initiatives that are underway for youth education, youth engagement and for the amateur radio community.

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.

Astronomical society Kumova slama, Daruvar, Croatia, Direct via 9A1CCY
The ISS callsign is presently scheduled to be OR4ISS
The scheduled crewmember is Jonathan (Jonny) Kim KJ5HKP
The ARISS mentor is SP3QFE
Contact is go for: Thu 2025-05-15 16:59:29 UTC 26 deg

Amur State University, Blagoveshchensk, Russia, direct via TBD
The ISS callsign is presently scheduled to be RSØISS
The scheduled crewmember is Sergey Ryzhikov
The ARISS mentor is RV3DR
Contact is go for 2025-05-23 09:15 UTC

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

The packet system is currently OFF (145.825 MHz up & down). Powering on TBD.

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

W8LR/R will operate on linear satellites RS-44 and QO-07 from EM75 on May 26 and 27, looking especially for European contacts.

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.

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

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

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

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

Satellite Shorts From All Over

+ Along with the CubeSat Simulator, the AMSAT Youth Initiative is another of AMSAT’s efforts to bring students into the world of amateur satellites and radio. This year’s AMSAT Hamvention booth features the first of a series of online courses intended to generate that interest. The “Introduction to Satellite Meteorology” course provides students with the opportunity to learn the role that satellites play in the field of weather forecasting. Following the program’s theme, “Satellites in Space Help Us Lead Better Lives on Earth,” the course appeals to student’s inherent interest in earth sciences. As the courses progress, they are introduced to the concepts of radio communications and eventually amateur radio. The free courses are available directly to students and their families but teachers and youth leaders are also encouraged to use the courses as they see fit. Anyone interested in STEM education is encouraged to experience the online course firsthand is encouraged to visit AMSAT in the Maxim building, booth #1007. (ANS thanks AMSAT for the above information.)

+ The Trump administration’s preliminary 2026 budget proposes the biggest single-year cut to NASA funding in the agency’s 67-year history. The cuts are part of the White House’s broader government “skinny budget,” which aligns with Elon Musk’s DOGE wishlist. The NASA portion would gut the agency’s science programs, cancel the Gateway space station project and phase out the Space Launch System (SLS) rocket and Orion capsule after only three flights. Congress would have to approve the budget, so some or all of these cuts may change before the 2026 funding is approved. (ANS thanks engadget.com for the above information.)

+ Scott Kelly, who was the first American astronaut to spend almost a year in Earth orbit on board the International Space Station, stars in “Never Stop Dreaming,” a minute-long film made by Goodnites as part of its “Mission Dry” campaign. The video was released by the nighttime underwear brand on National Astronaut Day, May 5, which coincides with the event when NASA first learned that it needed absorbent undergarments for its crew members. “Man, I gotta pee,” Alan Shepard, America’s soon-to-be first man in space, radioed to the launch control room from atop his Redstone rocket on May 5, 1961. Astronauts are helping to destigmatize a common childhood experience by pointing out the similarities between what some kids wear to bed and what explorers wear into space. Full story at https://bit.ly/43hMK0x (ANS thanks space.com for the above information.)

+ The AMSAT website offers a comprehensive list of communications satellites and supporting details was updated on April 27,2025. This list is an excellent overview of FM Repeater, Linear Transponder, and Digital Satellites as well as Re-entered or Inoperative Satellites. Each listing includes a brief comment about links to details about each one. Also, there are frequency charts for each type of satellite. Access the information from the “Satellite Info” top level menu dropdown list which also includes many other related choices. Alternatively, go directly from this link: https://www.amsat.org/two-way-satellites/. (ANS thanks AMSAT for the above information.)

+ ARISS is planning a special get together for all the Fram2 “alumni” attending Hamvention. This includes the Fram2 youth, hams and ARISS volunteers. The special get together will be held in the Education mini-forum area located right behind the ARISS and YOTA booths in the Volta Building. Please stop by at 10 a.m. on Saturday May 17 for this special event. This will be an outstanding opportunity for all of the Fram2 participants and volunteers to meet face-to-face, share stories and gather lessons learned. (ANS thanks Frank Bauer, KA3HDO, ARISS-USA Executive Director, for the above information.)

+ The International Amateur Radio Union is considering restructuring by consolidating all three Regions. A Zoom meeting was conducted in English for Region 2 (North America) on May 7, 2025. Listen to a summary of a This Week In Amateur Radio podcast two-minute report via Hamshack TV on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8yoQ2vjAU4E (ANS thanks TWIT, HamShack TV and YouTube 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, David Vine, WA1EAW, and Mark Johns, KØJM
mjohns [at] amsat.org

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

ANS-110 AMSAT News Service Weekly Bulletins

April 20, 2025 by Frank Karnauskas

In this edition:

Volunteer for Engineering Drawings Needed
AMSAT at Hamvention 2025 – Volunteer at the AMSAT Booth
AMSAT Forum on Saturday, May 17th
TAPR/AMSAT Banquet on Friday, May 16th
Dinner at Tickets Party on Thursday, May 15th
Sonate-2 SSTV Scheduled
Changes to AMSAT TLE Distribution for April 18, 2025
Results of Fram2Ham Competition Announced
JPL Lays Off Its K-12 Education Team
ARISS News
Upcoming Satellite Operations
AMSAT Ambassador Activities
Satellite Shorts From All Over

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

Please send any amateur satellite news or reports to: ans-editor [at] amsat [dot] 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-110 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 20

Volunteer for Engineering Drawings Needed

As the AMSAT engineering team prepares to build an engineering prototype of its GOLF 3U CubeSat with deployable solar panels, its mechanical engineers could use a bit of help creating drawings for the satellite solar panels, antennas, and associated small parts. You will work directly with the engineer who created the parts.

When asked to make a drawing, the engineer will provide you with the AutoCAD Inventor file of the part plus the assembly model where the part is used. From the assembly model you can learn the function of the assembly and the role of-the part in the assembly. This information will help you determine how to dimension the part and chose tolerances so that it is machined properly. Also, the engineer will provide written instructions for guidance and be available to answer questions.

If you have some spare time to create about 20 drawings, each consisting of a latch, spring, bushing, structural post, antenna mount, PCBs, etc., AMSAT engineers could use your help to stay on schedule. The time estimate that a drawing might require is 1-3 hours of time. Their modelling software is AutoCAD Inventor. They can provide access to an Inventor license if you need it.

For more information please send your email with a short description of your experience to volunteer [at] amsat [dot] org.

[ANS thanks AMSAT for the above information.]

The 2025 AMSAT President’s Club coins are here now!
Celebrating the 40th Anniversary of Amateur Radio on Human Spaceflight
Help Support GOLF and Fox Plus

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

AMSAT at Hamvention 2025 – Volunteer at the AMSAT Booth

The 2025 Dayton Hamvention will be held at Greene County Fairgrounds in Xenia, OH on May 16-18, 2025! AMSAT will have our usual robust presence and after-hours activities. (AMSAT is one of the larger exhibitors at Hamvention, occupying booths 1007-1010 & 1107-1110 in Building 1.

AMSAT is actively seeking volunteers to assist with booth activities and invites enthusiasts to dedicate their time. Last year, around 20 volunteers played crucial roles in fostering meaningful interactions with attendees. Volunteers, whether able to commit a few hours or the entire weekend, are warmly encouraged to participate.

For those eager to be part of AMSAT’s presence at Dayton Hamvention or request more information about volunteering, contact Phil Smith, W1EME, AMSAT Hamvention Team Leader.

To volunteer or inquire further, individuals can reach out to Phil via email at w1eme [at] astrocom [dot] net. Your involvement not only enriches the event but also contributes to the vibrant amateur radio community.

[ANS thanks AMSAT for the above information.]

AMSAT Forum on Saturday, May 17th

The AMSAT Forum will take place in Forum Room 2 at 1:35 PM – 3:10 PM EDT on Saturday, May 17th. This will immediately follow the ARISS Forum in the same room at 12:40 PM EDT, so get there early and see both presentations!

[ANS thanks AMSAT for the above information.]

TAPR/AMSAT Banquet on Friday, May 16th

The 16th annual TAPR/AMSAT Banquet will be held at the Kohler Presidential Banquet Center on Friday, May 16th at 18:30 EDT. This dinner is always a highlight of the TAPR (Tucson Amateur Packet Radio) and AMSAT (Radio Amateur Satellite Corp.) activities during the Dayton Hamvention. This year’s banquet speaker will be Phil Karn, KA9Q, who will highlight developments and use cases for his ka9q-radio software suite.

The Kohler Presidential Banquet Center is located at 4548 Presidential Way, Kettering, Ohio – about 20 minutes away from the Greene County Fairgrounds.

Tickets ($70 each) may be purchased from the AMSAT store at https://www.amsat.org/product/2025-tapr-amsat-friday-night-banquet-registration/.

The banquet ticket purchase deadline is Monday, May 12th at 17:00 EDT / 21:00 UTC. Banquet tickets must be purchased in advance and will not be sold at the AMSAT booth. There will be no tickets to pick up at the AMSAT booth. Tickets purchased on-line will be maintained on a list with check-in at the door at the banquet center.

Seating is limited to the number of meals reserved with the Kohler caterers based on the number of tickets sold by the deadline.

[ANS thanks AMSAT 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/

AMSAT Dinner at Tickets – Thursday, May 15th

The annual AMSAT “Dinner at Tickets” party will be held at Tickets Pub & Eatery on Thursday, May 15th from 6:00 PM to 8:00 PM EDT. There is no program or speaker – just good conversation. Everyone is invited regardless of whether or not they helped with setup or plan to work in the booth.

Tickets has a great selection of Greek and American food and great company! Food can be ordered from the menu; drinks (beer, wine, sodas and iced tea) are available at the bar.

Come as you are; no reservations required. Bring some friends and have a great time the night before Hamvention. Tickets Pub & Eatery is located at 7 W. Main St, Fairborn, OH 45324. (Telephone (937) 878-9022)

[ANS thanks AMSAT for the above information.]

Sonate-2 SSTV Scheduled

Kees Habraken, PD2CH, reports on Discord that Sonate-2 will transmit SSTV from April 18-20. Two images are transmitted sequentially at these times. Due to unforeseen circumstances, the scheduled times may change at short notice.

A detailed operating schedule can be seen on the SSTV pulldown at https://www.informatik.uni-wuerzburg.de/en/space-technology/projects/active/sonate-2/information-for-radio-amateurs/.

[AMSAT thanks Kees Habraken, PD2CH, for the above information.]

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

25% of the purchase price of each product goes towards
Keeping Amateur Radio in Space
https://www.zazzle.com/amsat_gear

Changes to AMSAT TLE Distribution for April 18, 2025

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

HYDRA-W NORAD Cat ID 63490
HADES-ICM NORAD Cat ID 63492

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 five digit 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 www.amsat.org/webmaster-contact/ on the AMSAT web site.

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

Results of Fram2Ham Competition Announced

Rabea Rogge, LB9NJ/KD3AID, has announced the three teams that scored the highest in the Fram2Ham SSTV competition for students.

“Dear @everyone,
first of all: Thank you to everyone participating! It was such fun seeing the engagement and having this direct connection to you all on the ground – literally. These were the best moments on the mission: sending down the pictures, looking down at Earth and knowing that there is someone right there looking up at the same moment. We have seen great submissions to the SSTV gallery and quiz submissions. Without further ado, the three teams that scored the highest are the following:

1st Place – Grand Prize: Team ARISStocats! Active countries: Lithuania, Italy, US (Pennsylvania), Switzerland, US (California)

2nd Place: Team W1HLO-LA1K! Active countries: US (Connecticut), Norway, US (Pennsylvania), Germany

3rd Place: Team GuufyFram! Active countries: Greece, US (Pennsylvania), France, US (Kentucky), US (New York)

“The winning teams will be contacted by email in the next days.

“Well done everyone – we loved to see that all the teams were very international. My hope is that some friendships have formed, the passion for technology has been kindled and that most of all everyone had fun.

“For everyone who is not listed above – don’t forget to claim your digital SSTV certificate! We are looking forward to seeing all the pictures of your setups and hearing the stories.”

Further information on the Fram2Ham mission is available at https://amsat-uk.org/2025/04/01/fram2-mission-launched/.

[ANS thanks AMSAT-UK 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

JPL Lays Off Its K-12 Education Team

For years, the K-12 education team at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory worked to get students to see themselves. Now teachers lament how to fill the gap.

The team made hundreds of lesson plans around major space events. They facilitated workshops for teachers, created a high school internship, took meteor rocks to local campuses, and much, much more. All of these activities were meant to foster the next generation of STEM professionals.

In 2018, JPL’s K-12 education team was part of a group that won an Emmy for its coverage of the Cassini mission’s Grand Finale at Saturn. (Courtesy NASA/JPL-Caltech)

But during the latest round of layoffs at JPL, the tiny team was among the 325 let go. And though some parts of the educational program remain, educators across the country mourn what was lost.

The program was for teachers, by teachers. Three of the K-12 education team’s four members are former classroom teachers. That experience helped them know what to do — and what not to do — to make their materials useful. “We wanted to make sure that teachers didn’t have to figure out how to get our stuff in,” said Ota Lutz, former manager for STEM elementary and secondary education, and a former math teacher.

The education team served as a pipeline, taking the missions, discoveries, and engineering innovations that happened at JPL and turning them into resources for teachers.

The team’s efforts proved fruitful. The JPL education website “drove about 30% of [the research center’s] annual web traffic, to the tune of about a little over two million visits annually,” Lutz said. Read the complete story at https://tinyurl.com/ANS-110-JPL-K12-Education.

[ANS thanks laist.com for the above information.]

ARISS NEWS

Completed Contacts

Magnet Innovation Center, Inlet Beach, Florida, telebridge via AB1OC
The ISS callsign was NA1SS .
The crewmember is Nichole Ayers, KJ5GWI.
The ARISS mentor is David Jordan, AA4KN .
Contact was successful on Thursday April 17, 2025.
Pan-African Citizen Science e-lab, Africa, telebridge via IK1SLD
The ISS callsign was OR4ISS.
The crewmember was Nichole Ayers, KJ5GWI.
The ARISS mentor is Peter Kofler, IN3GHZ
Contact was successful: Friday, April 18, 2025.

Upcoming Contacts

Karabaglar Municipality Nasreddin Hodja Child Culture and Science Center, Izmir, Turkey, telebridge via IK1SLD
The ISS callsign is presently scheduled to be OR4ISS.
The scheduled crewmember is Takuya Onishi KF5LKS.
The ARISS mentor is Peter Kofler, IN3GHZ
Contact is go for: Tuesday, April 22, 2025 at 08:50:43 UTC.
Kars on the Rideau School, Kars, Ontario, Canada, telebridge via AB1OC
The ISS callsign is presently scheduled to be NA1SS.
The scheduled crewmember is Nichole Ayers, KJ5GWI.
The ARISS mentor is Steven McFarlane, VE3TBD.
Contact is go for: Tuesday, April 22, 2025 at 13:28:02 UTC.
Oakwood High School, Morgan Hill, CA, direct via KK6OAK
The ISS callsign is presently scheduled to be NA1SS.
The scheduled crewmember is Jonathan (Jonny) Kim, KJ5HKP.
The ARISS mentor is Charles Sufana, AJ9N.
Contact is go for: Friday, April 25, 2025 at 17:22:58 UTC.

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

EI49; April 19-25
Paulo, PV8DX, and company will operate HD8G from grid EI49uf in the Galapagos Islands, April 19-25, using IO-86, RS-44, and possibly AO-07. Watch @HD8G on X.com for updates. Website is https://www.labre-rr.org/galapagos2025.html
EP28; April 30-May 3
Mark Saurman, N8TLV, will be operating as VYØSAT in Gjoa Haven, Nunavut in northern Canada, grid EP28, from 30-April/2025 1840Z to 3-May/2025 1945Z, weather and logistics permitting. Watch @VO1ONE on X.com for updates.

[ANS thanks Ian Parsons, K5ZM, AMSAT Rover Page Manager, and Alex Ners, K6VHF, 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
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/

June 21, 2025
Rochester Amateur Radio Association Hamfest 2025
Barnard Fire Field
410 Maiden Lane Rochester, NY 14616
AMSAT Ambassador: Don Rhodes, KB2YSI

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

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

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

Satellite Shorts From All Over

PD2CH Kees H. reports on Discord that Sonate-2 will transmit SSTV pictures from April 18 through April 21. Two images are transmitted sequentially at these times. Due to unforeseen circumstances, the scheduled times may change at short notice. The SSTV pulldown on the following link has a detailed schedule: More information at https://tinyurl.com/ANS-110-Sonate-2-SSTV. [ANS thanks Kees Habraken, PD2CH for the above information.
SWL operators wishing to enter reception reports on the AMSAT Live OSCAR Satellite Status Page can now do so again. After the AMSAT IT team tightened up the security for the “Your Callsign” field, SWL identifiers were no longer allowed. At the request of SWL’er Christian Mayer, the IT team was able to accept callsigns in the format of “OE” followed by 8 numerical digits. AMSAT looks forward to many observations from the Styrian Mountains in Austria as well as the rest of the world. [ANS thanks Joe Fitzgerald, KM1P, AMSAT Information Technology, 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 [dot] org for additional membership information.

73 and remember to help Keep Amateur Radio in Space!

This week’s ANS Editor, Frank Karnauskas, N1UW
f.karnauskas [at] amsat [dot] org

ANS-068 AMSAT News Service Weekly Bulletins

March 9, 2025 by Frank Karnauskas

AMSAT NEWS SERVICE
ANS-068

In this edition:

Another Batch of CubeSatSim Kits Available Soon in AMSAT Store
GOLF-TEE Advances: Flight Software and Bus Status
New Textbook Featuring GNU Radio Published
ISS Astronauts Reject Call for Early Retirement of the Station
VUCC Satellite Standing March 2025
DXCC Satellite Standing March 2025
Changes to AMSAT TLE Distribution for March 7, 2025
ARISS News
Upcoming Satellite Operations
AMSAT Ambassador Activities
Satellite Shorts From All Over

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

Please send any amateur satellite news or reports to: ans-editor [at] amsat [dot] 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-068 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 Mar 09

Another Batch of CubeSatSim Kits Available Soon in AMSAT Store

A new batch of twenty CubeSatSim Kits will be available for purchase in the AMSAT Store on Wednesday, March 12, 2025, at 7:00 PM US EDT (2300 UTC). Priced at $400 with shipping included for U.S. addresses, the CubeSatSim Kit offers a hands-on learning experience with no soldering and some assembly, making it ideal for both educational use and public demonstrations.

The CubeSatSim Kit includes:

Fully assembled and tested PCBs (Main, Solar, and Battery Boards)
Raspberry Pi Zero 2 with a Pi Camera and fully programmed micro-SD card, along with a fully programmed Raspberry Pi Pico WH
AMSAT logo Remove Before Flight tag switch
3D printed frame, nylon screws, and nuts, with a mini screwdriver included for assembly
Metal standoffs, stacking headers, and JST jumpers for stacking the PCBs and Pi Zero 2
10 solar panels with pre-soldered JST connectors and mounting tape
BME280 sensor (pressure, temperature, altitude, humidity) and MPU6050 IMU/gyro pre-soldered
Two 6? SMA coax cables and two SMA antennas

The kit also comes with an instruction sheet, parts inventory, and links to online instructions. Assembly time is estimated to be under two hours, with scissors and the provided mini screwdriver.

The v2.0 CubeSatSim features improvements over v1.2, such as an FM transceiver, Raspberry Pi Pico microcontroller, and RF command and control using DTMF or APRS packets. It can also be modified to function as a 500mW high altitude balloon payload.

For those interested in creating their own CubeSatSim, v2.0 blank PCB sets are available at the AMSAT Store for $35. These require additional components, which can be purchased for approximately $300 using the provided Bill of Materials.

Additional resources include:

Kit Instructions https://cubesatsim.org/kit
it Videos https://cubesatsim.org/kit-videos
Discussion Forum https://github.com/alanbjohnston/CubeSatSim/discussions
Quick Start Guide https://cubesatsim.org/qsg

For more information or to borrow a loaner CubeSat Simulator, contact Alan Johnston, AMSAT VP Educational Relations, at ku2y [at] arrl [dot]net.

How to Order
Kits will be sold exclusively on the AMSAT Store website.
Only U.S. shipping addresses are eligible; orders with non-U.S. addresses will be refunded and closed.

About CubeSatSim
CubeSatSim is a low-cost satellite emulator powered by solar panels and batteries. It transmits UHF radio telemetry and can be expanded with additional sensors and modules, making it ideal for educational and public demonstrations.

The 2025 AMSAT President’s Club coins are here now!
Celebrating the 40th Anniversary of Amateur Radio on Human Spaceflight
Help Support GOLF and Fox Plus

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

GOLF-TEE Advances: Flight Software and Bus Status

Burns Fisher, WB1FJ recently presented a review of the progress being made on the GOLF-TEE flight software, and an overview of the satellite electrical busses and telemetry.

This next generation of GOLF satellites (Greater Orbit – Larger Footprint) marks a new era of communications satellites. The GOLF series of satellites requires technologies that are new to AMSAT’s CubeSat program. The first satellite of this ambitious effort is called GOLF-TEE for Technology Exploration Environment. As an experimental mission, GOLF-TEE is designed to fly in an readily available and low cost low-earth orbit. Its purpose is to test technologies that will be used in later GOLF satellites.

*Figure 1 shows a 3D printed model of the circuit boards for the GOLF-TEE satellite* *built by Tom Karnauskas, N0UW, AMSAT mechanical engineer.*

Fisher showed the audience a new 3D printed model of GOLF-TEE and its circuit board mockups to be secured on aluminum rails. GOLF Project Engineers are optimizing placement of the circuit boards so a model of each board is a big help. They are confronting the challenges that satellite designers face when trying to fit stacks of circuit boards, batteries, complex control systems, and experimental payloads inside a 10cm x 10cm x 30cm spaceframe that is the core of a three-unit CubeSat. He explained that the four fold-out solar panels are expected to generate about 36 Watts of power in full-sun. Fisher commented, “That’s a surprising amount of power.”

But, before GOLF-TEE is ready to fly, several earth-bound versions of the satellite are used by AMSAT engineers. A “flatsat” is a generic term describing the first attempt at interconnecting the circuit boards to be used in the satellite. The components are spread out on a table for easier access to subsystems. At this point, the circuit boards may not even look like what the final items will look like. The flatsat is used for initial testing and development of the circuits as well as the software that runs and communicates with the systems.

*Figure 2 shows a device under test in the WB1FJ shack. It illustrated why the term flatsat is used to describe how prototypes are initially assembled for development and testing.*

The project uses an AMSAT Linear Transponder Module (LTM) for command/control, telemetry, and a V/U linear transponder as well as a newly designed Radiation-Tolerant processor (the RT-IHU). The satellite will utilize a real-time operating system controlling three microprocessors. He said, “Processor coordination is new to GOLF. It keeps watch over processing monitoring for failures. It copes with failures by switching processors.”

GOLF-TEE uses a number of different electrical busses, including I2c and SPI. The purpose of any bus is to communicate among different electrical units while reducing wiring complexity,

Fisher described the eight software programs, also called tasks, that the Real-Time operating system manages:: Downlink Control; Telemetry Collection; Diagnostic Console; Receiver/Transmitter Control; Commanding; Experiment Control; Processor Coordination; and CAN Support.

*Figure 3 identifies the circuit boards that must communicate with each other via different electrical busses and their stacking arrangement.*

Fisher’s work includes tests of the CAN bus and the Central Interface Unit connecting various subsystems. The CAN bus is a controller area network that is a vehicle bus standard designed to enable efficient communication primarily between electronic control units. The CAN bus is new to the AMSAT CubeSat program.

GOLF-TEE will carry a Vanderbilt University a RadFx (Radiation Effects) experiment using I2C data communication format. Vanderbilt University’s Institute for Space and Defense Electronics analyzes radiation-hardened electronics, develops test methods and plans for assuring radiation hardness, and develops solutions to system-specific problems related to radiation effects.

An upcoming feature of a future GOLF satellite will be the ability to comply with NASA’s Orbital Debris and Collision Avoidance Requirements for satellites flying at higher orbits. This means carrying not only an attitude detection and control system but a possible propulsion system needed to de-orbit the satellite at the end of its useful life.

Burns Fisher credited technical contributions to the program by Chris Thompson, VE2TCP, Rich Gopstein, KD2CQ, and Bill Schell, W2WZ. Fisher is a life member of AMSAT and the volunteer lead flight software developer for GOLF Satellites.

[ANS thanks Burns Fisher, WB1FJ, AMSAT GOLF Lead Flight Software Developer for the above information.]

New Textbook Featuring GNU Radio Published

The GNU Radio community announces the publication of a new textbook dedicated to GNU Radio and its applications. Communication Systems Engineering with GNU Radio: A Hands-on Approach explores a wide range of topics, including RADAR, GNSS reception, satellite communication, and digital communications. This book encapsulates over 12 years of experience working with GNU Radio and provides a structured, hands-on approach for students, educators, and practitioners alike.

Software-defined radio (SDR), which emerged in the 1990s, has become a core development method in certain high-profile fields, including military and space communications. High cost and problems with hardware availability, however, prevented this technology from being widely disseminated. The advent of low-cost hardware beginning in the 2010s, however, has made GNU Radio the leading open-source software toolkit for developing SDR systems an increasingly viable and even critical tool for a new generation of radio frequency communication engineers.

Communication Systems Engineering with GNU Radio provides an accessible overview of this toolkit and its applications. Beginning with the fundamentals of using GNU radio for digital signal processing, the volume then moves to the practicalities of decoding data and the advantages of accessing raw data normally unavailable in hardware-defined radio frequency receivers. The result is a potentially crucial tool for engineers looking to adopt this cost-effective and flexible standard for transmitting and processing radio frequency signals.

Readers will find a careful balance of radio communications theory with GNU Radio practicalities, practical implementation examples employing well-developed open-source GNU Radio platforms and extensive accompanying documentation and explanation.

We also encourage educators looking to connect with the GNU Radio community to join #edu on chat.gnuradio.org, or reach out via email at [email protected].

Communication Systems Engineering with GNU Radio is ideal for graduate and undergraduate students in communications systems courses, as well as professionals working in SDR.

The GNU Radio community extends its gratitude to the authors, Jean-Michel Friedt and Herve Boeglen, for their work making this resource available.

More information is available at https://www.gnuradio.org/news/2025-01-29-gnuradio-textbook.

[ANS thanks gnuradio.org for the above information.]

ISS Astronauts Reject Call for Early Retirement of the Station

Astronauts on the International Space Station said they disagreed with Elon Musk’s claim that the station was past its prime and should be deorbited in as soon as two years.

Speaking to reporters March 4, NASA astronauts Suni Williams, KD5PLB, and Butch Wilmore, who have been on the station since June on a flawed Starliner test flight, and Nick Hague, KG5TMV, the commander of the Crew-9 mission that will bring the two back with him later this month, addressed political issues like an early retirement of the ISS and Musk’s claim he offered NASA an early return of the Starliner crew.

That included comments on social media by Musk on Feb. 20 where he said the ISS “has served its purpose” and has “very little incremental utility.” Musk called for deorbiting the ISS as soon as possible, which he said should be in two years. NASA’s current plans call for operating the ISS to 2030.

“I actually was extremely impressed coming up here and seeing how much science is going on,” Williams said when asked about Musk’s comments. “I would say we’re actually in our prime right now. We’ve got all the power, all the facilities, up and operating.”

“I would think that right now was probably not the right time to call it quits,” she concluded. “We have probably until 2030 in our agreements, and I think that’s probably really accurate, because we should make the most of this space station for our taxpayers and for all of our international partners, and hold our obligations.”

NASA is instead proceeding with its plan announced in August to have Wilmore and Williams return on the Crew-9 Crew Dragon spacecraft, which launched with two empty seats to provide room for their return. NASA did not consider bringing that capsule back early to ensure there would be an overlap with the Crew-10 mission launching as soon as March 12

“When I launched in late September, our planned return date was the end of February,” Hague said. “Given the amount of training that’s required to get a crew ready and the complexities associated with getting a spacecraft ready to launch and operate in space, targeting a March return is pretty much on target.”

Because Williams and Wilmore did not launch as part of a planned Crew Dragon mission, they do not have customized pressure suits, using instead suits either on the station or brought up on cargo spacecraft.

That means, Williams said, they don’t have their names on them like a typical Crew Dragon suit. “But that’s ok. We’re just Butch and Suni and everybody knows who we are by now.”

“We do have Sharpies up here,” Wilmore added, “so my suit might have a name on it.”

[ANS thanks spacenews.com 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

VUCC Satellite Standing March 2025

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

Call	Feb.	March
WC7V1611	1619
F4BKV	1200	1300
YO2CMI	1003	1170
N3GS	1103	1122
JK2XXK	1086	1103
EA2AA	1026	1050
N9FN	700	752
HB9GWJ	553	575
PA7RA	495	534
N8URE(FM19)	450	471
KB3IAI	358	400
DF5SF	217	301
K5WO	255	270
WD5GRW	205	213
WD5GRW(EM13QC)	New	213
BI4IA	New	110

Congratulations to the new VUCC Satellite holders.

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

DXCC Satellite Standing March 2025

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

Call	Feb.	March
OE9DGV	213	214
HB9BZA	188	196
YO2CMI	174	180
G4GIR	171	172
HB9AOF	151	163
YO2KHK	156	158
HB9RYZ	153	155
F6AOJ	143	145
W0NBC	124	142
A65BR	112	117
LA0FA	112	117
ON6AA	New	114
TF1A	103	112
DJ7NT	105	110
IK8YTA	100	107
DL6JZ	New	101
G0MRF	New	100

Congratulations to the new DXCC Satellite holders.

ON6AA is first DXCC Satellite holder from JO11

[ANS thanks Jon Goering, N7AZ, 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 TLE Distribution for March 7, 2025

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

The following satellite has been deleted from this week’s AMSAT TLE distribution:

FO-118 NORAD Cat ID 54684 Decayed from orbit on or about 6 March 2025

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

ARISS NEWS

Upcoming Contacts
No upcoming contacts scheduled.

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

No operations listed.

[ANS thanks Ian Parsons, K5ZM, AMSAT Rover Page Manager, and Alex Ners, K6VHF, 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.

March 22, 2025
Midwinter Madness Hamfest
Buffalo Civic Center
1306 County Rd 134
Buffalo MN 55313
https://k0ltc.org/midwinter-madness/
Hosts: K0JM, AD0HJ, KE0PBR

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

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

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

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

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

Satellite Shorts from All Over

Are the kiddies bored and driving you crazy? Have you read the last issue of the ANS Weekly Bulletins ten times and you still have nine hours to go before the next useable pass of the ISS? How about spending some time with a rocket-oriented coloring book? Get your kids and their crayons out and navigate to https://mondaymandala.com/rocket-coloring-pages. Here you’ll find 24 printable coloring book pages with ready-to-color images of everything from the Space Shuttle, SLS, Soyuz, SpaceX Heavy and so much more. What? Done already? Go to https://mondaymandala.com/astronaut-coloring-pages/ for another twenty coloring book pages of astronauts! Did you color out of the lines? No worry. Print as many pages as you like. These pages are totally FREE! [ANS thanks mondaymanda.com for the above information.]

Run out of crayons? Time to sit back and relax with one or two of sixteen NEW videos of the 2023 AMSAT Space Symposium. David Beaujean, N8EPF, has broken the hours-long You Tube videos of two days worth of Symposium presentations into separate, easy-to-click programs. Topics range from CubeSat propulsion systems to space qualified antenna systems and everything in between. David is working on the 2024 Symposium presentations and will be available soon. So, grab a beverage, a bowl of pretzels and navigate to https://tinyurl.com/ANS-068-Videos. Choose from the topics in the right-hand column. Thank you, Dave, for your tireless work in helping to make AMSAT members aware of what AMSAT is doing to Help Keep Amateur Radio in Space! [ANS thanks AMSAT for the above information.]

Still looking for something to do? The AMSAT News Service can use one or two more rotating weekly editors to help keep its members and other satellite enthusiasts up-to-date. Rotating Editors are expected to make a commitment of once a month or so to get their issue of the ANS Weekly Bulletin out on time. Each issue basically requires six hours or so of reviewing a variety of news sources, copying and editing published stories into the ANS format. Some weeks or chock full of news and some are on the thin side so a bit of original writing maybe be needed. You’ll work with a small group of fellow editors trading stories and pitching in. If you want more information or want to talk to Mark Johns, K0JM, AMSAT News Service Editor-in-Chief, drop a note at volunteer [at] amsat [dot] org. and we’ll get you connected.

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 [dot] org for additional membership information.

73 and remember to help Keep Amateur Radio in Space!

This week’s ANS Editor, Frank Karnauskas, N1UW
f.karnauskas [at] amsat [dot] org

ANS-026 AMSAT News Service Weekly Bulletins

January 26, 2025 by Frank Karnauskas

In this edition:

AMSAT Fox-Plus CubeSat Moves Toward CDR Milestone
Hacking a Motorized RV Satellite Dish for Tracking LEO Satellites
AMSAT Thanks 2024 President’s Club Members
ARISS News
Upcoming Satellite Operations
AMSAT Ambassador Activities
Satellite Shorts From All Over

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

Please send any amateur satellite news or reports to: ans-editor [at] amsat [dot] 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-026 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 Jan 26

AMSAT Fox-Plus CubeSat Moves Toward CDR Milestone

Critical Design Review (CDR) of the new AMSAT FOX-Plus CubeSat concept is expected to occur during late May 2025 according to Mike Moore, K4MVM, AMSAT Fox Plus Systems Engineer. Launch of the newly-designed CubeSat is planned for late 2025.

Moore explained, “The purpose of the Fox-Plus Amateur Radio satellite is to continue and augment the success of the original Fox series of AMSAT 1U CubeSats. We want to have units ready to fly experimental payloads on short notice.” The term “1U” refers to the standard size CubeSat, also known as a nanosat, measuring 10x10x10 centimeters, weighing one to 1.33 kilograms.

According to Moore, “To expedite the development, commercial off the shelf (COTS) components were selected. The components included the frame, electrical power system (EPS), solar panels, and antenna system (AntS) from ISISPACE.” Netherlands-based ISIS describes itself as “Disruptive Space Solutions For A Better Tomorrow” provider turn-key missions, launch services and components.

AMSAT concentrates on the Linear Transponder Module (LTM) which includes Legacy Internal Housekeeping Unit (LIHU), Improved Command Receiver (ICR) and receiver/transmitter (RX/TX) subsystem. The CubeSat Power Integrated Unit (PIU) consists of three subsystems deriving electrical energy from solar panels stored in a power battery pack (PBP).

AMSAT’s Fox-Plus A began during 2022 with a Concept of Operations (ConOps) presentation on February 11, 2022. ISIS produced components were received during 2023 then evaluated and tested during 2024. EM build and test began in the later part of 2024 and continues into 2025.

Mike Moore was first licensed in March of 2018 and earned his extra class license in November of the same year. In addition to his AMSAT work he is the ARES Emergency Coordinator for Culpeper County, Virginia and a member of the Culpeper Amateur Radio Association. He is a charter member of the Rappahannock-Rapidan Regional Emergency Communications, also known as R3EMCOMM, an all-volunteer community-wide public service organization. He uses an Icom 9700 for satellite work.

In addition to Moore, the Fox-Plus Engineering Team includes Andrew Robinson, KA3WDW (Mechanical & Structural Engineer), Cliff Jenkins, KE8JAE (Software), Will Brozovic (Software), Leandra MacLennan, AF1R (Electrical Engineer, Hardware), and Patrick Thomas, KB8DGC (System Engineer & PACSAT Liaison).

Fox CubeSat Program Background
AMSAT’s Fox CubeSat program is aligned with the U.S. National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) CubeSat Launch Initiative. This provides opportunities for CubeSats built by U.S. educational institutions, and non-profit organizations to fly on upcoming launches.

Also known as the Educational Launch of Nanosatellites (ELaNa) program, NASA’s innovative technology partnerships provide CubeSat developers a low-cost pathway to conduct scientific investigations and technology demonstrations in space, thus enabling students, teachers, and faculty to obtain hands-on flight hardware design, development, and build experience.

Fox-1A (now designated AO-85) was among the earliest CubeSats launched by NASA. Fox-1 is a 1-Unit CubeSat with U/V FM repeater operating at up to 800mw along with experimental pay-loads facilitating STEM learning.

Ham Radio Now Episode 85 show host Gary Pierce, KN4AQ reveals the early days of the Fox program in his July 9, 2013 YouTube video. The show included an interview of Tony Montiero AA2TX (AMSAT VP Engineering) and Mark Hammond N4MH (AMSAT VP Education). They provided background information about the Fox-1 Satellite and talked about the AMSAT transition from purely Amateur Radio satellites to becoming a platform and communications provider for educational space science experiments.

AMSAT FoxTelem software for Windows, Mac and Linux operating systems is used to transmit satellite telemetry signals. It was developed by Christopher Thompson, G0KLA/AC2CZ/VE2TCP. Thompson also has developed other Amateur Radio Satellite software.

Payloads included a Penn State University capstone project for 2011-2012 academic year, senior engineering students. They developed a 3-axis Micro-Electro-Mechanical-System (MEMS) gyroscope to measure the spin and wobble of the satellite.

The second payload was developed by Vanderbilt University students. It recorded occurrences of radiation-induced bit upsets in modern commercial-off-the-shelf memory chips that exhibit a sensitivity to low-energy protons. The mission contributed to the validation of ground-based test methods for hardness assurance and error rate predictions.

An offshoot of the Penn State University experiment on Fox-1, Mark Spencer, WA8SME wrote about an Attitude Determination Experiment Simulator (Wobbler) in the AMSAT Journal July/August 2013 issue.

[ANS thanks Mike Moore, K4MVM, AMSAT Fox Plus Systems Engineer for the above information.]

The 2025 AMSAT President’s Club coins are here now!
Celebrating the 40th Anniversary of Amateur Radio on Human Spaceflight
Help Support GOLF and Fox Plus

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

Hacking a Motorized RV Satellite Dish for Tracking LEO Satellites

Over on the SaveItForParts YouTube channel, Gabe Emerson, KL1FI, has uploaded a new video showing how he’s hacking an old motorized Winegard RV satellite dish for tracking low earth orbit satellites, such as the NOAA and Meteor weather satellites as well as the US Military’s DMSP system.

The motorized RV satellite dish was originally intended for tracking TV satellites, but by connecting to the serial port on the control unit, Gabe is able to control the satellite dish through his own code.

Gabe reports, “In this video I’m creating a motorized satellite tracker for S-Band signals. S-Band includes NOAA weather satellites and the US Military’s DMSP system (it’s also the radio band for WiFi, which I might look at later).

“I’m using a Winegard brand “Trav’ler” antenna designed for use on campers and recreational vehicles. It has a built-in three-axis motor system for pointing at TV satellites, but I wanted to use it for tracking satellites closer to earth. Since a low-orbit satellite like NOAA 18 or DMSP passes overhead in about 10 minutes, I need to move the dish faster and more precisely then it was intended for.

“This project is still ongoing, and I don’t yet have the code up on Github. When I do, it will be available at https://github.com/saveitforparts/ alongside the code for some similar antennas I’ve hacked in the past.

“The serial cable I’m using is described here: https://saveitforparts.wordpress.com/2023/12/29/another-portable-radio-telescope/.”

[ANS thanks rtl-sdr.com for the above information.]

AMSAT Thanks 2024 President’s Club Members

Now that the books are being closed for the 2024 calendar year, AMSAT would like to extend its deepest thanks to those individuals and organizations for their extraordinary gifts to AMSAT during the past year. The President’s Club recognizes these generous donors, who together, have provided over $45,000 during 2024. The AMSAT Officers and Board of Directors thank the following:

Titanium Level ($4,800+)
Barry Baines, WD4ASW
Alan Biddle, WA4SCA
William Brown, K9LF

Platinum Level ($2,400+)
Ray Crafton, KN2K
M2 Antenna Systems
Quarter Century Wireless Association

Gold Level ($1,200+)
Anonymous
Anonymous
Burns Fisher, WB1FJ
Mark Hammond, N8MH
John Kludt, K7SYS
Glenn Miller, AA5PK
Michael Stipick, KC4RI

Silver Level ($600+)
John Boehme, K4PRK
Donald Coker, KM6TRZ
Richard Dittmer, KB7SAT
Warren Fugate, W3WE
Mark Johns, K0JM
Joseph, Lynch,N6CL
Bruce Paige, KK5DO
Peter Prendergast, W2PP
Jason Schwarz, N4JJS
Jim Tittsler, 7J1AJH

Bronze Level ($300+)
Keith Baker, KB1SF
George Gallis, AL7BX
Edward Krome, K9EK
Donald Lum, WA6ICW
Donald Pettigrew, K9ECT
Barbara Simpson, KA5CFB
Dave Taylor, W8AAS
Ronald Verweerdt, ZS6RVC
David Vine, WA1EAW

Core Level ($120+)
Oscar Alonzo, N6PAZ
Anonymous
Alan Arrison
David Batzle, N2VDY
Robert Beatty, WB4SON
Alan Boggs, K7IIV
Carlos Cardon, W7QL
James Gallagher III, KB3SQS
George Gallis, AL7BX
David Hartrum, WA3YDZ
Steven Husey, KB1UOJ
Brian Lopeman, KI7WXP
Doug Papay, K8DP
William Pesci, N4WLP
Carlos Picoto, AD7NP
Tim Pierce, N9PN
Larry Schroeder, KD4HSL
Martin Shinko, KB3AEV
Paul Stoetzer, N8HM
Owen Trott, KF5BLK
Stefan Wagener, VE4SW
Wayne Wagner, AG1A

Frank Karnauskas, N1UW, AMSAT VP-Development comments, “AMSAT receives contributions of all sizes from members and other supporters who appreciate the work that AMSAT is doing to keep Amateur Radio in Space. Every donation, big or small, is essential to AMSAT’s success. But, it is this group of donors, representing only 1.3% of AMSAT membership, that do the heavy lifting for AMSAT fund raising.

“Donations of whatever amount that makes sense for each member is especially important for 2025. After years of design work by AMSAT’s Engineering Team, they are now buying tens-of-thousands of dollars worth of parts and beginning to build the actual Fox Plus and GOLF satellites that we will have the benefit of enjoying. If you can, please donate through the members’ portal or the AMSAT Store https://www.amsat.org/product-category/amsat-presidents-club-donations/.”

[ANS thanks AMSAT 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/

ARISS NEWS

Upcoming Contacts

Pine View School, Osprey, FL, direct via W4AC
The ISS callsign is presently scheduled to be NA1SS.
The scheduled crewmember is Sunita Williams, KD5PLB.
The ARISS mentor is Phillip Shreves, N7GZT.
Contact is go for Tuesday, January 28, 2025 at 17:21 UTC.
Watch for Livestream at:
https://www.youtube.com/@SarasotaSchools
https://www.facebook.com/sarasotaschools (Possibly)

Kyoto Municipal Shimogamo Junior High School, Kyoto-city, Japan direct via JL3ZPU
The ISS callsign is presently scheduled to be OR4ISS.
The scheduled crewmember is Nick Hague, KG5TMV.
The ARISS mentor is Satoshi Yasuda, 7M3TJZ.
Contact is go for Friday, January 31, 2025 at 09:09 UTC.

Aznakaevsky district of the Republic of Tatarstan, Russia, direct via TBD
The ISS callsign is presently scheduled to be RS0ISS.
The scheduled crewmember is Ivan Vagner.
The ARISS mentor is A.R.C. “ENERGIA, RV3DR.
Contact is go for Saturday, February,1 2025 at 11:15 UTC.

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

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

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

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

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

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

AMSAT 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/

Upcoming Satellite Operations

NA-002; January 28 – February 2, 2025
VP5, Caicos Islands: Tony, KD8RTT, pays Providenciales Island a visit from Jan. 28 until Feb. 2. QRV as VP5/KD8RTT with a focus on satellites. QSL via his home callsign. (Per DARC DX Newsletter)

[ANS thanks Ian Parsons, K5ZM, AMSAT Rover Page Manager, and JoAnne Maenmpaa, K9JKM, 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.

Saturday February 1, 2025 (rescheduled from January 11, 2025)
Gwinnett Amateur Radio Society – TechFest
Gwinnett County Fairgrounds
Expo Center Building
2405 Sugarloaf Pkwy.
Lawrenceville, GA 30045
K4RGK

Friday, Saturday, Sunday February 7-9, 2025
Hamcation 2025 and ARRL Southeastern Division Convention
Central Florida Fairgrounds and Expo Park
4603 W. Colonial Dr.
Orlando, FL 32808
https://www.hamcation.com/
KE4AL

February 14-15, 2025
Yuma HAMCON and Southwestern Division Convention
Yuma County Fairgrounds
Yuma, AZ
https://www.yumahamfest.com/
N1UW

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

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

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

Satellite Shorts From All Over

HamSCI has announced Personal Space Weather Station sessions via zoom. The Personal Space Weather Station (PSWS) network is a distributed series of receivers designed to measure the space environment. These stations are built by professionals, citizen scientists, and ham radio operators. HamSCI and its partners are constantly at work on expanding the network, improving the PSWS data collection hardware and software, growing the network infrastructure for data storage and retrieval, as well as meeting HamSCI’s ultimate goal, analysis of the collected data. HamSCI has announced a recurring series of Zoom based sessions to help those interested in the project. Sessions occur each Thursday at 10:00 AM Eastern. More information is available on the HamSCI website https://hamsci.org/get-involved. [ANS thanks hamweekly.com for the above information.]
The High-frequency Active Auroral Research Program (HAARP) will be conducting a research campaign January 27-31 UTC, with operating times specified in the table below. Operating frequencies will vary, but all HAARP transmissions will be between 2.75 MHz and 10 MHz. Actual transmit days and times are highly variable based on real-time ionospheric and/or geomagnetic conditions. All information is subject to change. Research topics for this campaign include VLF generation and ducting, studies on STEVE airglow, and space debris detection. This campaign will also support the GIRAFF rocket launch from Poker Flat Research Range, which is investigating the mechanisms that cause flickering and pulsing within the aurora. Note that a number of experiments will be conducted based on the critical frequency (f0F2) determined by the Gakona ionosonde. The included transmission notice supplement contains information on the frequencies HAARP is authorized to transmit. HAARP transmissions will only occur on our authorized frequencies. More information is available at https://tinyurl.com/ANS-026-HAARP. [ANS thanks hamweekly.com for the above information.]
Electric propulsion is being increasingly used on space missions and could ultimately replace thrusters using chemical rockets. Spacecraft powered by electric propulsion could soon be better protected against their own exhaust, thanks to new supercomputer simulations. Electric propulsion is a more efficient alternative to traditional chemical rockets, and there are even plans to use electric propulsion on NASA’s Lunar Gateway space station. The idea behind electric propulsion is that an electric current ionizes (i.e. removes an electron from) atoms of a neutral gas, such as xenon or krypton, stored on board a spacecraft. The ionization process produces a cloud of ions and electrons. Then a principle called the Hall effect generates an electric field that accelerates the ions and electrons and channels them into a characteristically blue plume that emerges from the spacecraft at over 37,000 mph (60,000 kph). Hence an electric propulsion system is also referred to as an ion engine. More information at https://tinyurl.com/ANS-026-ION. [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 [dot] org for additional membership information.

73 and remember to help Keep Amateur Radio in Space!

This week’s ANS Editor, Frank Karnauskas, N1UW
f.karnauskas [at] amsat [dot] org