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Subj: AMSAT: ANS-298 AMSAT News Service Weekly Bulletins
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FULL AMSAT OFFICIAL BULLETIN - ENGLISH
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Title : ANS-298 AMSAT News Service Weekly Bulletins
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AMSAT News Service
ANS-298October 25, 2026
In this edition:
* AMSAT Youth Initiative Featured in Florida News* ERMINAZ-2
Satellites Receive OSCAR Numbers* Where Does Space Begin?* Falcon
9 Launches Bandwagon-5 Rideshare Mission* Greek-Built Satellite
Launched for Kazakh School* San Diego Balloon Launch Draws in
High School Students* OsTrax Now Available for Windows, macOS,
and Ubuntu* Changes to AMSAT TLE Distribution for Oct. 23, 2026*
ARISS SSTV Event in Progress* ARISS News* AMSAT Ambassador
Activities* Satellite Shorts from All Over
The AMSAT® News Service bulletins are a free, weekly news and
information service of AMSAT, The Radio Amateur Satellite
Corporation.
ANS publishes news related to Amateur Radio in Space including
reports on the activities of a worldwide group of Amateur Radio
operators who share an active interest in designing, building,
launching and communicating through analog and digital Amateur
Radio satellites.
The news feed on https://www.amsat.org publishes news of Amateur
Radio in Space as soon as our volunteers can post it.
Please send any amateur satellite news or reports to: ans-editor
[at] amsat.org
You can sign up for free e-mail delivery of the AMSAT News
Service Bulletins via the ANS List; to join this list see:
https://mailman.amsat.org/postorius/lists/ans.amsat.org/
AMSAT Youth Initiative Featured in Florida News
The following article was published in the Main Street Daily News
of Gainesville, Florida on October 12, 2026 under the headline,
"2 Alachua County schools develop student-built technology to
communicate with satellites":
Two Alachua County schools are developing hands-on science,
technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) programs that
could give students the opportunity to communicate with
satellites orbiting Earth and, potentially, astronauts aboard the
International Space Station (ISS).
At the 44th annual conference of the Radio Amateur Satellite
Corporation (AMSAT), held in Jacksonville, local educator Gordon
Gibby presented the schools efforts on Oct. 9, according to a
North Florida Amateur Radio Club (NFARC) press release. Students
at Gainesville Christian Community School (GCCS) and The Rock
School are learning the technical skills needed to build
satellite-tracking systems and establish radio communications
with spacecraft.
Frank Karnauskas, N1UW, AMSAT Vice President – Development,
who heads up the youth educational initiatives, giving a talk
about their free available materials for youth. (Photo courtesy
of the North Florida Amateur Radio Club.)
AMSAT is a nonprofit, volunteer organization dedicated to
advancing amateur radio satellite technology and education. Its
resources and activities help make satellite communications a
practical learning opportunity for students.
Gainesville Christian Community School Expands Technology
Curriculum
At GCCS, mathematics teacher John Seppala is teaching a class of
16 students, primarily at the middle-school level, using a
textbook developed by the school that covers a broad range of
practical technologies.
The curriculum explores systems and skills used to maintain a
home and vehicle, including electricity, electronics, 3D
printing, small engines, plumbing, amateur radio and computers.
Seppala is preparing to take the multiple-choice examination
required to obtain his Federal Communications Commission (FCC)
amateur radio license. Many of his students are expected to
pursue licenses as well, potentially allowing them to participate
in radio communications experiments and satellite operations.
The Rock School Students Build Satellite-Tracking Station
At The Rock School, 10 high school students have formed an
Amateur Radio Satellite Club. Organized into six overlapping
teams, the students are developing a robotic antenna-control
system and radio station designed to track and communicate with
low-Earth-orbit satellites and the ISS.
The project combines electronics, mechanical engineering,
computer programming and fabrication. Students are assembling a
robotic control board, learning to solder electronic components
and preparing to use a 3D printer to manufacture gears for the
antennas elevation and rotation mechanism.
Future steps include building the antenna support system with
aluminum masts, U-bolts and high-gain antennas. Students are also
studying independently for the FCC examinations required to
obtain amateur radio licenses.
“This is exciting!” said Lacy Basford, the schools academic
adviser, in the release.
Rather than purchasing a commercial antenna-rotator controller,
students plan to build their own system using an Arduino Nano
microcomputer and a custom-designed printed circuit board. They
will adapt open-source software written by a U.S. amateur radio
operator, manufacture mechanical components and assemble the
system themselves.
The project will bring together mathematics, electronics,
software and mechanical design, allowing students to see how
those disciplines work together in a functioning system.
Potential Opportunity to Communicate With Astronauts
Gibby hopes both schools will eventually be ready to apply to
host a scheduled radio contact through Amateur Radio on the
International Space Station (ARISS), an international educational
initiative that connects students with astronauts through amateur
radio.
If selected, students could have the opportunity to ask questions
of crew members aboard the ISS through a radio link. The process
requires an educational proposal, technical preparation and
formal selection, and both schools are in the early stages of
developing their programs.
Preparing for a potential contact involves more than learning to
operate a radio. Students must understand orbital motion, radio-
wave propagation, antenna direction, electronics and the
challenges of maintaining a reliable communications link with a
fast-moving spacecraft.
Students Learn to Track Satellites and Account for Doppler Shift
At the Jacksonville conference, participants demonstrated a life-
sized, operational simulator of small amateur radio satellites.
The simulator replicates aspects of a satellite radio system,
including the Doppler shift that changes a signals apparent
frequency as a satellite approaches and moves away from a ground
station.
The equipment can simulate several types of amateur radio
satellites, including those that handle digital data, repeat
voice transmissions and relay Morse code.
The simulator could help students learn to recognize and
compensate for Doppler shifts while tracking satellites overhead,
maintaining communications as their apparent signal frequencies
change. The experience connects classroom physics to a practical
engineering challenge in satellite communications.
Looking Beyond the International Space Station
The conference also featured a presentation by Frank Bauer, an
engineer and geologist who serves as ARISS executive director.
Bauer discussed the organizations work supporting educational
radio contacts with the ISS and its engagement with the future of
human spaceflight.
Communications with future space stations and, eventually, lunar
facilities offer a longer-term source of inspiration for students
learning radio technology. AMSAT Vice President Frank Karnauskas
also discussed educational materials developed by AMSAT for young
people.
For students in Alachua County, the immediate goals are to build
a functioning satellite-tracking station, earn amateur radio
licenses and develop the technical and educational foundation
needed to pursue an ARISS contact.
Resources Available for Other Schools
According to the release, Gibby said the projects could serve as
models for other schools interested in incorporating practical
engineering and space communications into their STEM programs.
With volunteer support, open-source software, affordable
microcomputers and student-built components, schools can offer
meaningful technical experiences without relying entirely on
expensive commercial systems.
Resources for schools interested in amateur radio satellite
communications and ARISS educational opportunities are available
through the local Amateur Radio Emergency Service website at
https://www.nf4rc.club/ariss-satellite-resources/.
[ANS thanks the Main Street Daily News of Gainsville, Florida for
their kind permission to re-publish this article. See the
original at
https://www.mainstreetdailynews.com/education/alachua-county-
schools-develop-student-built-technology.]
ERMINAZ-2 Satellites Receive OSCAR Numbers
Three Pocket Qubes built by teams from AMSAT-DL in Germany were
successfully launched on October 1 on a SpaceX Falcon 9 rideshare
from Vandenberg Space Force Base in California. Developed by
AMSAT-DL, the satellites, ERMINAZ-2V, -2U and -2X, carry pre-
stored SSTV images and digipeater payloads. Two of the three
satellites have now been officially designated as OSCARs —
Orbiting Satellites Carrying Amateur Radio!
Unexpectedly, the deployment sequence from UARX OSSIE-D Space Tug
began on October 2, 2026, at 11:48 UTC. This was a big surprise,
as UARX had stated that this was to be expected somewhere between
7 or 31 days after launch and not earlier. Worse, the AMSAT-DL
team was only informed on the evening of October 3 and thus lost
two days of tracking and telemetry because nobody was listening.
UARX later explained the early deployment as due to a technical
problem.
The PocketQubes ERMINAZ-2V, ERMINAZ-2X, and ERMINAZ-2U from
AMSAT-Deutschland (AMSAT-DL for short) prior to their October 1
launch. (Photo credit: AMSAT-DL)
Nevertheless, ERMINAZ-2U and ERMINAZ-2V are now active and under
control. On October 23, Drew Glasbrenner, KO4MA, AMSAT President
and OSCAR Number Administrator, issued the following statement:
"At the request of AMSAT-DL, AMSAT hereby designates ERMINAZ-2U
and ERMINAZ-2V as AMSAT-OSCAR 129 (AO-129) and as AMSAT-OSCAR 130
(AO-130). We congratulate AMSAT-DL, thank them for their
contribution to the amateur satellite community, and wish them
continued success on this and future projects."
Unfortunately, ERMINAZ-2X remains silent. It might be stuck in
the deployer or failed after deployment. Because of the important
time missed after deployment, the cause of the failure is
unknown.
The team has been able to perform several tests on ERMINAZ-2U
(AO-129) including activating the digipeater. See https://amsat-
dl.org/en/erminaz-2-satellites-are-transmitting-their-first-
signals for details.
[ANS thanks Peter Gülzow, DB2OS, President of AMSAT-Deutschland
e.V. and Drew Glasbrenner, KO4MA, AMSAT President and OSCAR
Number Administrator for the above information.]
Where Does Space Begin?
There is no line where the atmosphere stops. It thins the way a
beach gets wetter towards the sea, until at some point you are in
the water and nobody can say exactly when that happened. So the
edge of space is not something anyone discovered. It is something
people chose, and they chose differently.
For decades that disagreement cost almost nobody anything. It is
starting to. Tourist rockets fly into the disputed band with
paying passengers and come back down. Hypersonic military
vehicles pass through it. The question of which number is right
has turned into a question about astronaut wings, ticket sales
and, eventually, sovereign airspace.
Three numbers
The familiar figure is 100 kilometres, the Kármán line. The FAI,
the world air sports records body, uses it to separate aviation
records from astronautics records. A 2023 FAI presentation by
Nicolas Bérend says the federation set it in 1960, with a group
of scientists that included Theodore von Kármán, “for separating
aeronautics and astronautics records”. The name came slightly
earlier: Andrew G. Haley coined “Kármán line” in a 1957 paper
after discussions with Kármán. That is what the 100 kilometre
figure is, a records-keeping convention with a date on it.
The American figure is 50 miles, about 80 kilometres. The US Air
Force used it for its astronaut wings, and the Federal Aviation
Administration used the same threshold for the commercial
astronaut wings it handed out until it ended that programme after
2021. In 2005 NASA gave civilian astronaut wings to three X-15
pilots, retired NASA pilot Bill Dana and the families of the late
John B. McKay and Joseph A. Walker, acknowledging “their flights
above 264,000 feet altitude”. That is 50 miles. When those
flights happened only the military had wings to hand out, so
civilian pilots flew just as high and got no badge. Danas first
flight into space took him 58.13 miles above the Mojave Desert on
1 November 1966.
The legal figure does not exist. The 1944 Chicago Convention
gives every state complete and exclusive sovereignty over the
airspace above its territory. The 1967 Outer Space Treaty says
outer space is not subject to national appropriation. Neither
treaty says where one ends and the other begins, a gap a 2017
briefing to the UN space committees legal subcommittee lays out
plainly. The committee has had the item on its agenda since 1966.
Inside it the USSR repeatedly proposed 100 or 110 kilometres and
the United States rejected any definition at all. The
subcommittees 2026 draft report still carries “Matters relating
to the definition and delimitation of outer space”, sixty years
on.
What the physics says
The scientific answer depends on what question is actually being
asked. Kármán himself was blunt about this. In 1961 lectures
quoted in the FAI presentation he said that where atmosphere ends
and space begins “is a judiciary rather than a scientific
problem,” and he proposed a range, 300,000 to 400,000 feet,
roughly 91 to 122 kilometres, rather than a line. The 100
kilometre figure was a round number inside that range.
Jonathan McDowell, an astronomer who has worked at the Harvard-
Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics, made the satellite case in a
2018 paper in Acta Astronautica, “The edge of space: Revisiting
the Karman Line”, free to read on arXiv. He looked at the orbits
of real satellites. An elliptical orbit whose lowest point sits
at 100 kilometres can survive for long periods. A satellite whose
lowest point drops below 80 kilometres is “highly unlikely to
complete its next orbit”. That lowest point is the perigee.
McDowell argues that this makes roughly 80 kilometres a useful
boundary.
Two other things happen to land in the same place. Meteors,
moving much faster than satellites, usually break apart somewhere
in the 70 to 100 kilometre range, a sign that the atmosphere
starts to bite there. The mesopause, a boundary layer in the
upper atmosphere, lies in the same broad region, though its
height varies with latitude and season and is not fixed at 80
kilometres. McDowell also notes that 80 kilometres falls within
500 metres of the old 50-mile astronaut wings line. Those are
separate ideas that land in roughly the same place. He suggests
adopting exactly 80 kilometres as a better convention, one that
fits what satellites actually do.
Why the 20 kilometres now matter
On 11 July 2021 Richard Branson flew on Virgin Galactics Unity
22 to an apogee of about 86 kilometres. Nine days later Jeff
Bezos flew on Blue Origins New Shepard past 100. Two days before
Bransons flight, Blue Origin posted that New Shepard was
designed to fly above the Kármán line “so none of our astronauts
have an asterisk next to their name”. By McDowells number, and
by the US number, Bransons passengers went to space. By the
FAIs, they did not. Virgin Galactic has kept selling tickets in
that gap ever since, even through its current pause in flights
while it builds its next ships. The dispute is no longer about an
X-15 pilots badge. It is about what a company can truthfully
print on a brochure.
The military version is less visible and more serious. For a
vehicle passing over another country at 90 kilometres, an agreed
boundary could help determine whether it had entered sovereign
airspace. Neither an astronaut-wings rule nor an air sports
convention settles that question. Nor would being in space put a
weapon beyond the law: the Outer Space Treaty says activities
there are carried out in accordance with international law,
including the UN Charter. An agreed boundary could clarify the
sovereignty question, although it would not by itself settle the
legality of a weapons passage or use. It is the piece that is
missing.
[ANS thanks Space Daily and author Lachlan Brown for the above
information. Read the full article at
https://spacedaily.com/karman-line-100km-vs-50-miles/.]
It's October! Time is running out for the 2026 President's Club
Coin!Help Support GOLF and FoxPlus.
Annual memberships start at only $120
Join the AMSAT Presidents Club today and help Keep Amateur Radio
in Space! https://www.amsat.org/join-the-amsat-presidents-club/
Falcon 9 Launches Bandwagon-5 Rideshare Mission
Following on from the successful Transporter 18 mission at the
beginning of the month, SpaceXs Falcon 9 vehicle launched an
additional 32 rideshare payloads for the Bandwagon-5 mission on
Tuesday, Oct. 20, delayed by a day due to unfavorable recovery
weather. Falcon 9 lifted off from Space Launch Complex 40
(SLC-40) at the Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida. A
one-hour launch window opens at 10:30 UTC, with the vehicle
following a southeasterly trajectory to low-Earth orbit.
SpaceXs Transporter and Bandwagon rideshare missions allow small
satellite companies and government and educational institutions
to launch payloads of up to 50 kg for $350,000, significantly
cheaper than a full Falcon 9 launch. This offers a more
affordable and straightforward route to space for many companies.
Alongside the rideshare payloads, SpaceX is launching the second
of its Starfall capsules, which is mounted atop the satellite
stack.
SpaceX included its second Starfall capsule on the Bandwagon 5
mission. The disk-shaped reentry vehicle can remain in space
indefinitely and can reenter and be recovered by SpaceX at any
time. The capsule measures 3.1 m in diameter and 0.75 m in
height, has a mass of 2,100 kg, and can carry up to 1,000 kg of
payload. SpaceX will use the vehicle for point-to-point cargo
delivery and for transporting goods manufactured in microgravity.
SpaceX will ultimately launch the capsules aboard its super-
heavy-lift Starship, with multiple capsules likely to launch
aboard the vehicle at one time.
Exolaunch, a launch services and mission management provider, is
manifesting 22 customer satellites on Bandwagon-5. Other payloads
include multiple synthetic aperture radar (SAR) Earth observation
satellites from ICEYE, two high-resolution SAR satellites from
Capella Space, and two commercial SAR payloads from Umbra Space.
SAR satellites use remote sensing to produce high-resolution
imagery in any weather conditions, at any time of day. In
addition to supporting military applications, SAR can also
measure and observe Earths surface features in extreme detail.
[ANS thanks the NASASpaceflight for the above information. Read
the full article at
https://www.nasaspaceflight.com/2026/10/bandwagon-5/.]
LIMITED TIME OFFER!!!
AMSAT is offering a limited-time promotion for new and renewing
members that includes a free digital copy of Getting Started with
Amateur Satellites. The promotion is being offered as AMSAT
begins the 2026 membership year.
Anyone who joins or renews their AMSAT membership during the
promotional period will receive a download link for the latest
edition of Getting Started with Amateur Satellites in their
membership confirmation email. JOIN TODAY at
https://launch.amsat.org/ (Remember! Students join for FREE!)
Greek-Built Satellite Launched for Kazakh School
It is past midnight in Kazakhstan when, 10,392 kilometres away, a
SpaceX rocket lifts off through dense morning fog from Vandenberg
Space Force Base in California carrying a satellite payload.
Despite the late hour, some children in Kazakhstans capital
Astana remain wide awake with excitement. The following day, the
rocket will deploy an orbital system carrying a tiny Greek-built
satellite on their behalf.
Measuring just 5 x 5 x 5 centimetres roughly the size of a
Rubiks Cube the satellite was developed in Athens by
programmers and engineers at the non-profit Libre Space
Foundation (LSF).
Founded by nine people in 2015, LSF develops open-source space
technology and designs. It now employs around 25 people, about
one-quarter of them women, as well as young people undertaking
internships. The organisation has so far sent more than 10
microsatellites, nanosatellites and picosatellites into space.
One of its picosatellites launched on October 1 for a school in
Astana, the capital and second-largest city of Kazakhstan.
LSF was surprised when Kazakhstans Space Agency approached it
directly after learning about its work at international
conferences.
“They wanted an estimate of how much a ‘pocket-class satellite
would cost for use in a school in Kazakhstan,” LSF vice president
Eleftherios Kosmas told the Athens-Macedonian News Agency (AMNA).
He said Kazakhstan appeared keen to gradually develop an
independent space programme but had a limited budget, so
officials decided to start with a school.
LSF initially provided an engineering model designed only for
laboratory testing and used it to train the students. It then
built the satellite that eventually launched into orbit.
“As the father of a young girl, I understand how these children
feel now that something of their own is travelling through
space,” Kosmas said. The students will also be able to
communicate with the satellite and observe how a ground station
receives its signal under different signal configurations.
The SpaceX rocket that launched during the early hours of October
1-2 carried more than the tiny school satellite. It transported
eight satellites in total, all of which carried the LSFs
signature in one way or another.
Four additional SIDLOC picosatellites part of a system for
identifying and locating satellites and other space objects
were registered as Greek satellites.
Three others belonged to AMSAT Deutschland, the German Amateur
Radio Satellite Association. They used LSFs open-source software
and designs to build their own pocket satellites.
LSF staff work in the clean room in Athens, Greece. (Photo
credit: Greek City Times.)
Until a few years ago, LSF operated from Abatiellou Street in
Athens, in a former printing house that once produced maps.
The organisation has since moved to Lenorman Street, near the
Plato Academy, where it has again taken over a former printing
facility.
The new premises house the organisations offices as well as a
clean room, where temperature, pressure, humidity and cleanliness
remain under controlled conditions.
The facility allows LSF to assemble circuit boards destined for
space while protecting them from microscopic particles of dust
that could compromise their operation.
[ANS thanks the Greek City Times and author Kosta Papadopoulos
for the above information. Read the full article at
https://greekcitytimes.com/2026/10/08/greek-space-technology-
sends-kazakh-school-into-space/.]
AMSAT Remove Before Flight Key Tags Now Available Yes, These are
the Real Thing!
Your $20 Donation Goes to Help Fly a FoxPlus Satellite Includes
First Class Postage (Sorry – U.S. Addresses Only) Order Today
at https://www.amsat.org/product/amsat-remove-before-flight-
keychain
San Diego Balloon Launch Draws in High School Students
Members of the Mt. Carmel High School Amateur Radio Club in San
Diego, California, used a high-altitude balloon launch October 17
to generate interest among their fellow students and the
community in amateur radio, science, technology, engineering and
math. Members of the public were encouraged to track the balloon
flight in real time using an app called Sondehub-Amateur, which
displays telemetry from amateur radio high altitude balloon
launches.
Gayle Olson, K6GO, holding the weather balloon that would carry
her call sign to an altitude of more than 17 miles from its
launch at the San Diego Repeater Associations Hamtastic event on
October 17. [Photo courtesy of Gayle Olson, K6GO]
This flight, which carried the call sign K6GO, belonging to Gayle
Olson, a volunteer for the ARRL Foundation Scholarship Committee
and Maxim Society member, flew to an altitude of 17-1/2 miles
before the balloon burst and the payload parachuted back to the
ground in Julian, California, some 60 miles inland from its
launch point on Fiesta Island.
The launch was part of the San Diego Repeater Associations
annual “Hamtastic” event, which brings together hams and clubs
from throughout the region to get on the air, socialize, and
demonstrate amateur radio to the public. The San Diego Repeater
Association is an ARRL Affiliated Club.
[ANS thanks The ARRL Letter for the above information.]
OsTrax Now Available for Windows, macOS, and Ubuntu
Avinstar, LLC has announced the general availability of OsTrax,
an orbiting satellite tracking and operating platform for
Windows, macOS and Ubuntu.
Satellite communication presents one of the more interesting and
involved opportunities using radio. The need to know when and
where a satellite is at a given time, while carefully
coordinating radios and antennas to communicate using the
satellite presents many challenges.
OsTrax addresses these challenges by incorporating a fresh,
modern approach combined with a central satellite information
repository to eliminate problems associated with obtaining
accurate and timely satellite information. The result is more
operating time with less effort.
OsTrax is user customizable to create a personalized operating
experience with full control of satellite selection and satellite
pass control.
OsTrax controls radios and antenna rotors based on the
requirements of a satellite pass and communication type. Radios
and rotor selections extend from legacy to current.
Automatic updating of orbital elements and satellite profile
information ensure the latest operating information is always
available.
User defined orbital elements and satellite profiles provide
access opportunities for new or exploratory satellites and
features.
OsTrax enhances operating with simplified contact logging and
advanced tools to determine future satellite pass predictions and
perform satellite pass modeling.
In addition to satellite tracking, OsTrax tracks the Sun and Moon
with antenna rotor control.
(Image credit: Jim McCullers, WA4CWI)
Publication images are available at
https://www.avinstar.com/ostrax/media/images
The User Guide can be viewed at
https://www.avinstar.com/ostrax/docs
A fully functional trial license is available for 15 days for
each operating system version.
For more information, please view the OsTrax web site at
https://www.ostrax.com or contact Jim McCullers at
jmccullers@avinstar.com.
OsTrax was created by Jim McCullers, WA4CWI, an Extra Class
amateur radio operator licensed since 1961. OsTrax combines his
interest and experience in satellite operation with his
professional programming experience. He is the developer of
SigTrax, the signal tracking toolkit available on the Apple App
Store for iOS devices and the Google Play Store for Android
devices.
[ANS thanks Jim McCullers, WA4CWI, for the above information.]
Changes to AMSAT TLE Distribution for Oct. 23, 2026
Two Line Elements or TLEs, often referred to as Keplerian
elements or keps in the amateur community, are the inputs to the
SGP4 standard mathematical model of spacecraft orbits used by
most amateur tracking programs. Weekly updates are completely
adequate for most amateur satellites. TLE bulletin files are
updated daily in the first hour of the UTC day. New bulletin
files will be posted immediately after reliable elements become
available for new amateur satellites. More information may be
found at https://www.amsat.org/keplerian-elements-resources/.
Bulletin format elements for all satellites of interest to radio
amateurs. This file is updated at least every 24 hours.Bare
elements are derived from the bulletin, but contain no header or
footer. These data are used as input to the AMSAT Pass
Predictions page.
This week there are no additions or deletions to the AMSAT TLE
distribution.
General Perturbations Data Support
AMSAT is pleased to announce that modern forms of what are called
General Perturbations data are being disseminated via modern
formats including JSON, XML and KVN at
https://newark192.amsat.org/gpdata/current/. The reason this
change is being made is that we are running out of 5-digit
catalog numbers and the TLE format is not viable for satellites
launched after July of this year. See
https://celestrak.org/NORAD/documentation/gp-data-formats.php for
details.
These data are presently considered in beta test for the next two
months while hosted on the test server newark192.amsat.org, and
we are very open to community feedback at webmaster at amsat.org.
Testers may experience outages and errors while we make
improvements. We intend to put this into production on our main
web server in July as we expect that satellites launched after
this summer will require one of the new formats to accommodate
longer object numbers. AMSAT will continue to publish TLE
bulletins for satellites launched before July 2026 indefinitely.
[ANS thanks Joe Fitzgerald, KM1P, AMSAT Orbital Elements Manager,
for the above information.]
ARISS SSTV Event in Progress
A series Slow-Scan Television (SSTV) transmissions from the
International Space Station (ISS) is currently taking place, and
will continue until Monday. Persons who upload images they have
received to the SSTV gallery at https://ariss-usa.org/ARISS_SSTV/
will receive an event certificate. Because this activity does not
involve transmitting to the ISS, but only receiving, no amateur
radio license is required to participate. More information is
available at https://ariss-usa.org/ARISS_SSTV/.
[ANS thanks the ARISS for the above information.]
Buying from DX Engineering?Add AMSATs Getting Started With
Amateur Satellites to your order.
Available for $30 from DX Engineering (free shipping on most
orders over $99)https://www.dxengineering.com/parts/amt-
satellites
ARISS News
Amateurs and others around the world may listen in on contacts
between amateurs operating in schools and allowing students to
interact with astronauts and cosmonauts aboard the International
Space Station. The downlink frequency on which to listen is
145.800 MHz worldwide.
Recently Completed Contacts
Sarasota Military Academy, Sarasota, FL, direct via W4SMAThe ISS
callsign was scheduled to be NA1SSThe scheduled crewmember was
Luke Delaney, KJ5PPFThe ARISS mentors are KM4YHZ are W4NTRContact
was successful: Thu 2026-10-22 16:25:17 UTC 23 degrees maximum
elevationWatch for Livestream at
https://www.facebook.com/SarasotaMilitaryAcademy/ Congratulations
to the Sarasota Military Academy, Luke, mentors KM4YHZ and W4NTR,
and ground station W4SMA!
Upcoming Contacts
Paul Duke STEM High School, Norcross, GA, direct via KN4SIEThe
ISS callsign is presently scheduled to be NA1SSThe scheduled
crewmember is Joshua Kutryk, KJ5BFUThe ARISS mentor is
K4RGKContact is go for Option #4: Mon 2026-10-26 13:11:42 UTC 39
degrees maximum elevation
Smile Of The Child – Smile Academy, Attica, Greece,
telebridge via AB1OCThe ISS callsign is presently scheduled to be
OR4ISSThe scheduled crewmember is Luke Delaney, KJ5PPFThe ARISS
mentor is IKØWGFContact is go for: Fri 2026-10-30 10:01:41 UTC 61
degrees maximum elevationWatch for possible Livestream at:
Greek https://www.hamogelo.gr/gr/el/ta-nea-mas/to-chamogelo-tou-
paidiou-sindeei-mathites-me-ton-diethni-diastimiko-stathmo-
iss/English https://www.hamogelo.gr/gr/en/ta-nea-mas/to-
chamogelo-tou-paidiou-sindeei-mathites-me-ton-diethni-diastimiko-
stathmo-iss/
**********************************
Many times, a school makes a last-minute decision to do a
Livestream or runs into a last-minute glitch requiring a change
of the URL, but we at ARISS may not get the URL in time for
publication. You can always check https://live.ariss.org/ to see
if a school is Livestreaming.
As always, if there is an EVA, a docking, or an undocking; the
ARISS radios are turned off as part of the safety protocol.
Also, some of the activities listed below are suspended until the
completion of the SSTV event currently underway (see article
above).
The crossband repeater remains configured in the Columbus Module
(145.990 MHz up {PL 67} & 437.800 MHz down). If a crewmember
decides to pick up the microphone and turn up the volume, you may
hear them on the airso keep listening, as you never know when
activity might occur.
Kenwood D710GA in the Zvezda Service Module – Call sign RSØISS.
Please note were still in the process of troubleshooting and
testing this radio. APRS is currently active on 437.825 MHz. Feel
free to check out status reports at https://ariss-
usa.org/ARISS_APRS/.
Ham TV is currently transmitting a test signal at 2395.00 MHz.
For more information, see https://live.ariss.org/hamtv/
Note, all times are approximate. It is recommended that you do
your own orbital prediction or start listening about 10 minutes
before the listed time.
The latest information on the operation mode can be found
at https://www.ariss.org/current-status-of-iss-stations.html
The latest list of frequencies in use can be found
at https://www.ariss.org/contact-the-iss.html
[ANS thanks Charlie Sufana, AJ9N, one of the ARISS operation team
mentors for the above information]
Give Your Next Rove a Payload Put Your Lunch into Orbit!
Pack the rover dogs and hit the grid line with an all-newAMSAT
Round Logo Metal Lunchbox.
Keep Amateur Radio in Space and your lunch in the box!
https://www.zazzle.com/amsat_round_logo_metal_lunchbox-256761530568368967
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.
November 7, 2026JARSfest (Johnston Amateur Radio Society
Hamfest)The Farm at 95215 Batten Rd.Selma, NC
27576https://jars.net/jarsfest-2026KF4EAG
November 14, 2026Southern Arizona Fall HamfestOro Valley Amateur
Radio ClubMarana Middle School11285 W. Grier Rd. Marana
AZhttps://www.tucsonhamradio.org/hamfestN1UW
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
+ A Russian satellite just took a very close look at an American
spacecraft in low Earth orbit. The snooping satellite, Kosmos
2612, rendezvoused with ICEYE-X36, a commercial craft that
observes our planet using synthetic aperture radar (SAR). The
close encounter, which occurred between Oct. 15 and Oct. 19, was
reported by Marco Langbroek and other satellite trackers, with
Langbroek calling it "a worrisome cat-and-mouse game" in orbit.
The rendezvous has garnered a lot of attention in space circles,
because it was non-consensual and startlingly close; at one
point, the two spacecraft may have been separated by just a few
meters. There are about 80 ICEYE spacecraft in LEO at the moment.
At least some ICEYE satellites provide imagery to Ukraine, which
Russia invaded in February 2022 and continues to assault with
ground troops and missile and drone attacks. (ANS thanks
Space.com for the above information. See the full story at
https://www.space.com/space-exploration/satellites/russian-
satellite-plays-cat-and-mouse-with-a-commercial-us-satellite-
likely-used-by-ukraine-but-why-the-risky-close-encounter.)
+ NASA finally released its Request for Proposals (RFP) for the
next phase of its Commercial LEO Destinations (CLD) program on
October 9, about ten days later than promised. The CLD is the
program to replace the International Space Station (ISS) with a
privately developed orbiting platform. Seeking proposals from
industry by December 8, the agency said it would select at least
two companies by next April for initial awards to continue work
on their stations, with at least one later selected for full
development. Companies developing commercial space stations have
an array of challenges to overcome, from the ongoing NASA
competition to securing outside investment and non-NASA customers
to the technical issues of building a commercial space station.
(ANS thanks The Space Review for the above information. Read the
full story at https://www.thespacereview.com/article/5340/1.)
+ The space around Earth is turning into a junkyard. Researchers
think a refundable deposit scheme could force satellite operators
to clean up their act before a tipping point is reached. In a
paper published last month in the journal Nature Communications,
a group of scientists propose a scheme that would require
satellite operators to post a bond of $200,000 before launch,
refundable with interest upon the completion of a successful
deorbit. Companies that fail to remove their junk would lose the
money, which could go toward a shared pool funding active debris-
removal missions. (ANS thanks Space.com for the above
information. Read the full story at https://www.space.com/space-
exploration/satellites/could-satellite-deorbit-deposits-prevent-
a-space-debris-disaster.)
+ Online marketplace eBay has imposed new restrictions on
listings of radio transmitting equipment in response to new FCC
rules that took effect last week, but responded to ARRL, The
National Association for Amateur Radio®, that its new policy will
not apply to gear that operates exclusively on amateur radio
frequencies. The FCCs rules are intended to use its equipment
authorization program to protect against “national security
threats to the communications supply chain” and cover a wide
variety of products. However, in response to a request from ARRL
for a clarification relating to amateur radio equipment that does
not require FCC authorization, an eBay spokesperson indicated
that the marketplace will not restrict sales of equipment that
does not require an FCC ID. Amateur radio equipment, except for
commercial HF amplifiers, continues to not require FCC
authorization. (ANS thanks ARRL for the above information. Read
the full story at https://www.arrl.org/news/ebay-restricts-
listings-of-radio-equipment-but-exempts-ham-band-only-gear.)
Join AMSAT today at https://launch.amsat.org/
In addition to regular membership, AMSAT offers membership to:
Societies (recognized groups, clubs or organization).
Students are eligible for FREE membership up to age 25.
Memberships are available for annual and lifetime terms.
Contact info [at] amsat.org for additional membership
information.
73 and remember to help Keep Amateur Radio in Space!
This week's ANS Editor,
Mark Johns, KØJM mjohns [at] amsat.org
ANS is a service of AMSAT, the Radio Amateur Satellite
Corporation, 712 H Street NE, Suite 1653, Washington, DC 20002.
AMSAT is a registered trademark of the Radio Amateur Satellite
Corporation.
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73 DE HP2DFA-5 / BPQ32 AMSAT MONITOR PANAMA
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