AMSAT News Service
ANS-271
September 28, 2025
In this edition:
- 2025 AMSAT Symposium Registration Continues
- Hams Needed to Track Artemis II
- AMSAT-DL Hosts futureGEO Meeting, Bochum Space Days Symposium
- ISS SSTV Events Upcoming
- Changes to AMSAT TLE Distribution for September 26, 2025
- ARISS News
- AMSAT Ambassador Activities
- Satellite Shorts From All Over
The AMSAT News Service bulletins are a free, weekly news and information service of AMSAT, The Radio Amateur Satellite Corporation. ANS publishes news related to Amateur Radio in Space including reports on the activities of a worldwide group of Amateur Radio operators who share an active interest in designing, building, launching and communicating through analog and digital Amateur Radio satellites.
The news feed on https://www.amsat.org publishes news of Amateur Radio in Space as soon as our volunteers can post it.
Please send any amateur satellite news or reports to: ans-editor [at] amsat.org
You can sign up for free e-mail delivery of the AMSAT News Service Bulletins via the ANS List; to join this list see: https://mailman.amsat.org/postorius/lists/ans.amsat.org/
2025 AMSAT Symposium Registration Continues
Registration for the 2025 AMSAT Symposium, to be held October 17-19, 2025 in Phoenix, AZ continues.
For details, visit https://www.amsat.org/43rd-amsat-space-symposium-and-annual-general-meeting/
Proposals for Symposium papers and presentations are invited on any topic of interest to the amateur satellite community. We request a tentative title of your paper or presentation as soon as possible, with final copy submitted by October 8th for inclusion in the Symposium Proceedings.
Proposals for presentations at the Symposium do not require a paper. Presentations will be recorded and made available on AMSAT’s YouTube Channel and transcribed and published with its slides in the Proceedings.
Proposals should be sent to Frank Karnauskas, N1UW via f.karnauskas@amsat.org
[ANS thanks AMSAT 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
Hams Needed to Track Artemis II
The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) is seeking volunteers to passively track the 2026 Artemis II Orion spacecraft as the crewed mission travels to the Moon and back to Earth.
The Artemis II test flight will send NASA astronauts Reid Wiseman, KF5LKT; Victor Glover, KI5BKC; and Christina Koch, along with Canadian Space Agency (CSA) astronaut Jeremy Hansen, KF5LKU, on an approximately 10-day mission around the Moon.
Targeted for no later than April 2026, the mission will rely on NASA’s Near Space Network and Deep Space Network for primary communications and tracking support throughout its launch, orbit, and reentry. However, with a growing focus on commercialization, NASA wants to further understand industry’s tracking capabilities.
This collaboration opportunity builds upon a previous request released by NASA’s Space Communication and Navigation Program (SCaN ) during the Artemis I mission in 2022. Ten volunteers successfully tracked the uncrewed Orion spacecraft on its journey thousands of miles beyond the Moon and back.
One of those volunteers tracking in 2022 was Scott Chapman, K4KDR, of Montpelier, Virginia. “Sometimes it’s what you don’t know that makes this kind activity interesting,” said Chapman. “All I had was a small S-band dish and receiver and wasn’t sure what I could or couldn’t hear…but when I started hearing the signals…it made everything worth it.”
Chapman said he felt good about the whole process and, while it was interesting, it was also lot of fun!
There were also other participants during the Artemis I mission, including international space agencies, academic institutions, commercial companies, nonprofits, and private citizens who were also attempting to receive Orion’s signals. Chapman added that NASA is also looking for commercial partnerships to share in the process.
If you’re interested in volunteering for next year’s event, all of the information can be found at SAM.gov. The response deadline is October 27, 2025, at 5:00 PM EDT.
[ANS thanks the ARRL Letter for the above information]
The 2025 AMSAT President’s Club Coins Are Here!
Celebrating the 40th Anniversary of Amateur Radio on Human Spaceflight
Help Support GOLF and Fox Plus.
Join the AMSAT President’s Club today!
AMSAT-DL Hosts futureGEO Meeting, Bochum Space Days Symposium
AMSAT-DL hosted its annual Symposium during the Bochum Space Days on September 19-21. Prior to the opening of the Symposium, AMSAT-DL hosted a meeting regarding the futureGEO project. The futureGEO project is a prospective geostationary amateur radio payload potentially hosted on board a satellite with coverage including portions of North America. AMSAT was represented at this meeting by Vice President – Operations Drew Glasbrenner, KO4MA.
AMSAT-DL’s Symposium included presentations on the futureGEO project as well as presentations on AMSAT-DL’s ERMINAZ-1 PocketQubes, updates from AMSAT-UK on the Jovian-1 and FUNcube+ projects, as well as other updates on various amateur satellite related projects.
[ANS thanks AMSAT-DL for the above information]
ISS SSTV Events Upcoming
Two ARISS SSTV events are planned over the next few weeks. First, an event is planned for October 3-6 commemorating the launch of Sputnik in 1957. Then, on October 17-20, scouting themed images will be transmitted to coincide with the International Scouting Jamboree.
ISS SSTV images are transmitted using the PD-120 mode on 145.800 MHz.
More information about start/end times will be available closer to the event start dates.
[ANS thanks ARISS for the above information]
Changes to AMSAT TLE Distribution for September 26, 2025
Two Line Elements or TLEs, often referred to as Keplerian elements or keps in the amateur community, are the inputs to the SGP4 standard mathematical model of spacecraft orbits used by most amateur tracking programs. Weekly updates are completely adequate for most amateur satellites. TLE bulletin files are updated daily in the first hour of the UTC day. New bulletin files will be posted immediately after reliable elements become available for new amateur satellites. More information may be found at https://www.amsat.org/keplerian-elements-resources/.
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]
Need new satellite antennas?
Purchase an M2 LEO-Pack from the AMSAT Store!
When you purchase through AMSAT, a portion of the proceeds goes towards Keeping Amateur Radio in Space.
ARISS News
Amateurs and others around the world may listen in on contacts between amateurs operating in schools and allowing students to interact with astronauts and cosmonauts aboard the International Space Station. The downlink frequency on which to listen is 145.800 MHz worldwide.
Scheduled Contacts
Pinecrest Academy, Cumming, Georgia, direct via KI4ITG
The ISS callsign is presently scheduled to be NA1SS
The downlink frequency is presently scheduled to be 145.800 MHz
The scheduled crewmember is Mike Fincke KE5AIT
The ARISS mentor is K4RGK
Contact is go for: Tue 2025-09-30 15:58:19 UTC 29 deg
Watch for Livestream at https://www.youtube.com/live/l79jp1HC10k and https://live.ariss.org/
Instituto Politecnico Nacional: Planetario “Luis Enrique Erro”, Mexico City (Gustavo A. Madero), Mexico, Direct via XE2L
The ISS callsign is presently scheduled to be NA1SS
The downlink frequency is presently scheduled to be 145.800 MHz
The scheduled crewmember is Zena Cardman KJ5CMN
The ARISS mentor is VE3TBD
Contact is go for: Wed 2025-10-01 16:41:48 UTC 67 deg
Girl Guides Association of NSW/ACT/NT, Murwillumbah, NSW, Australia, telebridge via VK4ISS
The ISS callsign is presently scheduled to be TBD
The downlink frequency is presently scheduled to be 145.800 MHz
The scheduled crewmember is Mike Fincke KE5AIT
The ARISS mentor is VK4KHZ
Contact is go for: Sat 2025-10-04 10:26:23 UTC 62 deg
Many times a school may make a last minute decision to do a Livestream or run into a last minute glitch requiring a change of the URL but we at ARISS may not get the URL in time for publication. You can always check https://live.ariss.org/ to see if a school is Livestreaming.
As always, if there is an EVA, a docking, or an undocking; the ARISS radios are turned off as part of the safety protocol.
The crossband repeater continues to be active (145.990 MHz up {PL 67} & 437.800 MHz down), If any crewmember is so inclined, all they have to do is pick up the microphone, raise the volume up, and talk on the crossband repeater. So give a listen, you just never know.
Note, all times are approximate. It is recommended that you do your own orbital prediction or start listening about 10 minutes before the listed time.
The latest information on the operation mode can be found at https://www.ariss.org/current-status-of-iss-stations.html
The latest list of frequencies in use can be found at https://www.ariss.org/contact-the-iss.html
[ANS thanks Charlie Sufana, AJ9N, one of the ARISS operation team mentors for the above information]
Want to fly the colors on your own grid expedition?
Get an AMSAT car flag and other neat stuff from our Zazzle store!
25% of the purchase price of each product goes towards Keeping Amateur Radio in Space
AMSAT Ambassador Activities
AMSAT Ambassadors provide presentations, demonstrate communicating through amateur satellites, and host information tables at club meetings, hamfests, conventions, maker faires, and other events.
AMSAT Ambassador Clint Bradford, K6LCS, says,
“Think a 75-minute presentation on “working the easy satellites” would be appropriate for your club or event? Let me know by emailing me at k6lcsclint (at) gmail (dot) com or calling me at 909-999-SATS (7287)!”
Clint has NEVER given the exact same show twice: EACH of the 150+ presentations so far has been customized/tailored to their audiences.
Scheduled Events
North Star Radio Convention – October 11, 2025
Hennepin Technical College
9000 Brooklyn Boulevard
Brooklyn Park, MN 55445
https://northstarradio.org/
ADØHJ
43rd Annual AMSAT Space Symposium & Annual General Meeting – October 16 thru 19, 2025
Holiday Inn & Suites Phoenix Airport North
1515 North 44th Street
Phoenix, Arizona 85008
Details at https://www.amsat.org/2025-symposium/
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
+ Stretching the footprint of QO-100 continued this past week with activations from Newfoundland by VO1/F4BXV. VO1/F4BXV conducted the first activations of GN36 and GN38 on QO-100 (Via DF2ET (@flo_0_) on X).
+ FO-29’s analog transponder will be activated at the following times in October:
Oct 3rd 23:36-
Oct 5th 00:26-, 23:30-
Oct 11th 00:10-, 23:14-
Oct 13th 00:04-
Oct 17th 22:58-
Oct 18th 23:48-
Oct 24th 23:31-
Oct 26th 00:22-
Due to FO-29’s battery status, the satellite remains active following the activation times until the satellite’s undervoltage control shuts the transponder off. (Via JARL)
+ Satellite DXpeditions to PJ7 (Sint Maarten) and FP (St. Pierre & Miquelon) over the past week were successful with PJ7K and FP5KE making numerous satellite QSOs.
+ AO-123’s FM transponder returned to service this past week. The uplink is 145.850 MHz with a 67 Hz CTCSS tone and the downlink is 435.400 MHz. (Thanks to Harbin Institute of Technology)
+ AMSAT -EA has announced that SO-125’s FM transponder will now be left on full-time. The uplink for SO-125 is 145.875 MHz (no tone needed) and the downlink is 435.666 MHz. (Thanks to AMSAT-EA)
Join AMSAT today at https://launch.amsat.org/
In addition to regular membership, AMSAT offers membership to:
- Societies (a recognized group, clubs or organization).
- Primary and secondary school students are eligible for membership at one-half the standard yearly rate.
- Post-secondary school students enrolled in at least half time status shall be eligible for the student rate for a maximum of 6 post-secondary years in this status.
- Memberships are available for annual and lifetime terms.
Contact info [at] amsat.org for additional membership information.
73 and remember to help Keep Amateur Radio in Space!
This week’s ANS Editor,
Paul Stoetzer, N8HM
n8hm [at] arrl.net
ANS is a service of AMSAT, the Radio Amateur Satellite Corporation, 712 H Street NE, Suite 1653, Washington, DC 20002