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I0OJJ > AMSAT 13.04.25 01:06z 567 Lines 25205 Bytes #55 (0) @ WW
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From: "Mark Johns, K0JM via ANS" <ans@amsat.org
Subject: [ANS] ANS-103 AMSAT News Service Bulletins
Date: Sat, 12 Apr 2025 20:08:49 EDT
Reply-To: k0jm.mark@gmail.com
To: space@ww
AMSAT News Service
ANS-103
April 13, 2025
In this edition:
* Fram2Ham Mission A Success
* ISS SSTV April 11-16 – Humans in Space
* OpenGD77 Handheld Radio Firmware Aids FM Satellite Operating
* Update about HADES-ICM
* A New Breed of Satellite and Space Focused “Makers” is Emerging
* Your Story Is Needed
* Changes to AMSAT-NA TLE Distribution
* Starliners Wild Ride
* ARISS News
* Upcoming Satellite Operations
* AMSAT Ambassador Activities
* Satellite Shorts From All Over
The AMSAT News Service bulletins are a free, weekly news and information
service of AMSAT, the Radio Amateur Satellite Corporation. ANS publishes
news related to Amateur Radio in Space including reports on the activities
of a worldwide group of Amateur Radio operators who share an active
interest in designing, building, launching and communicating through analog
and digital Amateur Radio satellites.
The news feed on http://www.amsat.org publishes news of Amateur Radio in
Space as soon as our volunteers can post it.
*Please send any amateur satellite news or reports to: ans-editor [at]
amsat.org <http://amsat.org>*
Sign up for free e-mail delivery of the AMSAT News Service Bulletins via
the ANS List; to join this list see:
https://mailman.amsat.org/postorius/lists/ans.amsat.org/
Fram2Ham Mission A Success
According to our education partner ARISS, “The Framonauts are back
on Earth
after a ground breaking mission and ham radio event!” The ARISS STEM
contest teams submission deadline for participants to submit their contest
entries was April 17, 2025. More than 110 STEM team submissions were
received, along with 1,100 general submissions to the gallery.
Once contest submissions are complete, ARISS will share when the gallery
images are live. That is then your opportunity to start sharing your
personal image SSTV captures on social media.
As with any experiment, there are many lessons learned. ARISS seeks
feedback from participants.
A Shortwave Listener (SWL), Ryszard Kowalski, on April 7, 2025 posted a
professional-quality framed collection of photos received during the
Fram2Ham SSTV Experiment. For details see: https://fram2ham.com/. Kowalski
has been a member of AMSAT since January 21, 2020.
The photos, captured during April 1-4, 2025, were posted on the AMSAT
Facebook Group. View the collection here:
https://www.facebook.com/photo/?fbid38703997045169&set2587259684
795960&idorvanityu2128438309103.
A Facebook account may be necessary to view the images.
In another attention-worthy AMSAT Facebook Group post, Matúš Nemec,
OM25ISS Administrator, on April 6, 2025 posted a set of photos and
information regarding a Day in Space event at the University of
Prešov, in Slovakia.
See https://www.facebook.com/groups/1167612127668053/user/100034118948580/.
A video of the day-long STEM oriented activity can be viewed here:
https://www.youtube.com/live/M3TRp9ykIQo?featurered.
[ANS thanks ARIS and David Vine, WA1EAW, for the above information]
------------------------------
*The 2025 AMSAT Presidents Club Coins Have Just Arrived!*
*Celebrating the 40th Anniversary of Amateur Radio on Human Spaceflight*
*Help Support GOLF and Fox Plus.*
[image: 2025 PC Coin Set]
*Join the AMSAT Presidents Club today and help *
*Keep Amateur Radio in Space! *
*https://www.amsat.org/join-the-amsat-presidents-club/*
<https://www.amsat.org/join-the-amsat-presidents-club/>
------------------------------
ISS SSTV April 11-16 – Humans in Space
April 12 is the International Day of Human Spaceflight so, what better
theme for the April 11-16 Slow Scan TV transmissions.
Start: Friday, April 11 1700 GMT
End: Wed, April 16 1430 GMT
Frequency: 145.800 MHz FM (+/-3.5 kHz Doppler Shift)
SSTV Mode: PD120 (Transmission cycle 2 minutes on, 2 minutes off)
Amateurs are invited to upload decoded images in the ARISS gallery, area
“Series 26 – Humans in space” at: https://ariss-usa.org/ARISS_SSTV/
Once submitted, clicking on the dedicated button enables application for
the official ARISS SSTV award.
The ARISS QSL can also be requested by contacting the European QSL bureau:
https://www.ariss-eu.org/index.php/ariss-station/european-qsl-bureau
To support everyone interested in such events, the European Space Agency
released tutorials about how to receive pictures transmitted over amateur
radio by the International Space Station: you can find them on
https://issfanclub.eu/2024/11/08/esa-tips-how-to-get-pictures-from-the-inte
rnational-space-station-via-amateur-radio-2/
Its always possible to receive the ISS SSTV signal by using the WebSDR at
the Goonhilly Earth Station, the audio can then be fed into your PC or
Smartphone SSTV App https://vhf-goonhilly.batc.org.uk/
Follow @ARISS_intl on X for official updates, since changes can occur.
Reminder, the images are sent on a (roughly) 2 minutes on, 2 minutes off
schedule. So if nothing is heard, give it 2 minutes!
Many FM rigs can be switched been wide and narrow deviation FM filters. For
best results you should select the filter for wider deviation FM. Handhelds
generally have a single wide filter fitted as standard.
Predictions for the ISS pass times are available at
https://www.amsat.org/track/
Useful information on receiving the pictures and links for Apps to display
the pictures can be found here: https://amsat-uk.org/beginners/iss-sstv/
[ANS thanks AMSAT-UK for the above information]
------------------------------
OpenGD77 Handheld Radio Firmware Aids FM Satellite Operating
An article In ARRL *QST *magazine, April 2025, pages 35 and 36, provides an
overview of an available open source firmware for held-held radios:
According to the article, the free firmware can provide some models of
analog FM and DMR capable radios with satellite capability including
screens showing; polar view graphic, satellite individual predictions, a
satellite alarm and the ability to upload Keps data into the radio
.
Doppler tuning and AOS and LOS information were mentioned in the QST
article. View the April 2025 *QST* issue via this link:
https://edition.pagesuite.com/get_image.aspx?w(0&eidu84fe3f-aae2-45
04-82c2-65a4c4f268bf&pnumst
.
ARRL members can access *QST* supplementary materials which are available
via this link: http://www.arrl.org/qst-in-depth. Several YouTube videos
about the firmware are live including how to create a code plug for
programming a handheld with GD-77 firmware. This unique firmware was
introduced several years ago.
The GD77 firmware also includes a number enhancements, including easier DMR
related functions. Recent discussion on OpenGD77 was heard via the CSRA
Multimode Tech Net from several satisfied users. Information about the net
is available on their Facebook Group page:
https://www.facebook.com/groups/1138357396634299/
The firmware is now available for use in some models of Radioddity, Baofeng
and TYT model radios and have been successfully used on an Anytone 878UV II
plus handheld.. A GD77 user guide is available via this link:
https://github.com/LibreDMR/OpenGD77_UserGuide?tabadme-ov-file#readme
and a forum is here: https://www.opengd77.com/
The developers site includes this caution statement, “firmware license
forbids any form of commercial use of the firmware binary or the source
code. Installing the firmware onto the radio will invalidate all FCC
certifications and those of other countries licensing bodies. However,
it is usually possible to back up and restore the original radio firmware.
[ANS thanks *QST* and David Vine, WA1EAW, for the above information]
------------------------------
*Need new satellite antennas? *
*Purchase M2 LEO-Packs from the AMSAT Store. *
*When you purchase through AMSAT, a portion of the proceeds goes towards*
*Keeping Amateur Radio in Space.*
*https://amsat.org/product-category/hardware/*
<https://amsat.org/product-category/hardware/>
------------------------------
Update About HADES-ICM
HADES-ICM was deployed last Monday, March 31, at 7:37 UTC from OTV
ION-SCV-017. Telemetry data shows the satellite is in good condition. The
satellite has already accepted commands and now it is undergoing a testing
phase. The final TLE is not yet available but you can use this one (Source
SatNOGS):
HADES-ICM
1 98637U 25052X 25092.34373891 .00000000 00000-0 42496-2 0 03
2 98637 97.4434 347.3229 0004588 342.2991 86.6061 15.18376415 09
The repeater will not be active until we have its final TLE and the
satellite has been fully checked. This can take several weeks.
The same software as for HADES-R can be used for demodulating and
decoding. (Recommended Andys Soundmodem).
[ANS thanks Félix Paez, EA4GQS, AMSAT-EA Principal Project Manager,
for the above information]
------------------------------
A New Breed of Satellite and Space Focused “Makers” is Emer
ging
Several threads have come together pointing to a new breed of space
oriented individuals who may be attracted to Amateur Radio. Exploding
interest in inexpensive small board computers (SBC), satellite specific
firmware for handhelds, 3-D printed parts for satellite antennas and soda
can size “satellites,” and makers using small board compute
rs.
According to Wikipedia, “maker culture is a contemporary subculture
representing a technology-based extension of DIY culture that intersects
with hardware-oriented parts of hacker culture and revels in the creation
of new devices as well as tinkering with existing ones.”
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maker_culture
Taken as a whole, this points in the direction from which new hams,
especially students and young adults, may arise. This article is the first
of a series about makers as potential recruits for Amateur Radio clubs. To
learn more about makers, simply go to YouTube. YouTube is an abundant
source of maker videos with some produced by satellite oriented Radio
Amateurs and others.
You may recall that the 3-D printed components and Raspberry Pi (RPi) SBCs
have been key components of many recent AMSAT projects. RPi. Is often the
SBC of choice, especially in severely volume-restricted cubesats.
For example, the AMSAT CubeSatSim v1.3 hardware including two RPi SBCs and
four matching cameras. An excellent overview of AMSAT education with the
CubeSat Simulator project sessions were presented by Alan Johnston, KU2Y,
the CubeSatSim creator. Another session, Integration of the AMSAT CubeSat
Simulator for Education and Research, was presented by Rachel Jones, KO4HLC
.
Learn more about the CubeSatSim here: https://cubesatsim.com/. Also,
members may download any of the 1986 to 2024 AMSAT Symposium Proceedings
here: https://launch.amsat.org/Proceedings. Non-members who join AMSAT may
download the 184 page Proceedings and utilize all other AMSAT information
and member services: https://launch.amsat.org/Membership.
To attract young adults Amateur Radio clubs may want to consider acquiring
3-D printers for shared use in member projects. Also, widely publicized
activities using SBCs and open source software can attract fresh
participants to clubs.
Well be covering more topics about makers and means of attracting them to
Amateur Radio clubs in following issues the AMSAT News Weekly Bulletin.
[ANS thanks David Vine, WA1EAW, for the above information]
------------------------------
Your Story Is Needed
The AMSAT News Service weekly Bulletins and the bi-monthly *AMSAT Journal*
editors are always seeking fresh Amateur Satellite news and information. We
need your input including news tips. Send them to: ans-editors@amsat.org.
AMSAT volunteer editors sometimes lack important news about domestic and
international Amateur Satellite events and activities, club presentations,
Amateur Satellite related projects, etc. Send info or an article about it
to the above address.
Have you taken part in or conducted an interesting Amateur Satellite
oriented activity. Do you present talks and presentations about Amateur
Satellites and closely related topics? Do you participate in Amateur
Satellite oriented nets? Would you like others to know about it? If so,
tell us about it via: ans-editors@amsat.org.
Are you experienced as a writer, presenter or have other space or satellite
related skills youd like to share with AMSAT members and others wo
rldwide?
If so, reach out to us via the email address above and let us know what
youd like to write about.
There are no paid staff personnel employed by AMSAT publications. The
organization relies on volunteers and financial donations from people
worldwide who support AMSAT in many different ways. If you are reading this
note you are interested in keeping Amateur Radio in space and
space-oriented education for students, young people as well as adults.
Thank you for reading this note and we hope to hear from you soon.
------------------------------
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* <https://www.zazzle.com/amsat_car_flag-256716714380264543>*
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------------------------------
Changes to AMSAT-NA TLE Distribution
Two Line Elements or TLEs, often referred to as Keplerian elements or keps
in the amateur community, are the inputs to the SGP4 standard mathematical
model of spacecraft orbits used by most amateur tracking programs. Weekly
updates are completely adequate for most amateur satellites. TLE bulletin
files are updated daily in the first hour of the UTC day. New bulletin
files will be posted immediately after reliable elements become available
for new amateur satellites. More information may be found at
https://www.amsat.org/keplerian-elements-resources/.
*The following satellites have been removed from this weeks AMSAT
TLE
distribution:*
DRAGON Fram2 NORAD Cat ID 63427 Splashdown 16:19 04 April 2025
Fram2Ham Provisional Cat ID 90000 Experiment terminated 08:42:50 O4 April
2025
*The following satellites have been added to this weeks AMSAT TLE
distribution:*
TEVEL2-1 NORAD Cat ID 63217
TEVEL2-2 NORAD Cat ID 63218
TEVEL2-3 NORAD Cat ID 63219
TEVEL2-4 NORAD Cat ID 63213
TEVEL2-5 NORAD Cat ID 63214
TEVEL2-6 NORAD Cat ID 63215
TEVEL2-7 NORAD Cat ID 63239
TEVEL2-8 NORAD Cat ID 63237
TEVEL2-9 NORAD Cat ID 63238
*Please note* that Two/Three Line Element (TLE or 3LE) sets for spacecraft
launched in the near future will not be available, and new formats will be
used instead. The essence of the problem is that the US Space Force is
running out of numbers to catalog new satellites, see
https://celestrak.org/NORAD/documentation/gp-data-formats.php for details.
AMSAT will continue to disseminate TLE for satellites currently in orbit
indefinitely as we do now, but we seek comments regarding the best way to
support the amateur satellites of the future. For example, is there any
need to augment the weekly e-mail with a new list in one or more of the new
formats or is on line access via www.celestrak.org or www.amsat.org
sufficient? Please send your comments using the form at
https://www.amsat.org/webmaster-contact/ on the AMSAT web site.
[ANS thanks Joe Fitzgerald, KM1P, AMSAT Orbital Elements Manager for the
above information]
------------------------------
Starliners Wild Ride
For the first time since they returned to Earth on a Crew Dragon vehicle
several weeks ago, NASA astronauts Butch Wilmore and Sunita Williams,
KD5PLB, participated in a news conference on Monday, March 31, at Johnson
Space Center in Houston. Afterward, they spent hours conducting short,
10-minute interviews with reporters from around the world, describing their
mission to test Boeings Starliner spacecraft on the vehicles first
crewed, which launched on June 5, 2024 for a planned 10 days.
After Starliner separated from the Atlas V rocket, Williams and Wilmore
performed several maneuvering tests and put the vehicle through its paces.
Starliner performed exceptionally well during these initial tests on day
one.
More so even than launch or landing, the most challenging part of this
mission, which would stress Starliners handling capabilities as well as
its navigation system, would come as it approached the orbiting laboratory.
Thats when trouble started, as several thrusters began to fail. Wilmore
had to take manual control of the vehicle, but even more thruster failures
ensued.
*Boeings Starliner spacecraft is pictured docked to the International
Space Station. One of the four thruster packs is visible on the service
module. [Credit: NASA] *
Essentially, Wilmore could not fully control Starliner any longer. But
simply abandoning the docking attempt was not a palatable solution. Just
as the thrusters were needed to control the vehicle during the docking
process, they were also necessary to position Starliner for its deorbit
burn and reentry to Earths atmosphere. So Wilmore had to contemplate
whether it was riskier to approach the space station or try to fly back
to Earth. Williams was worrying about the same thing.
Wilmore said, “We knew that they [Mission Control] were working really
hard to be able to keep communication with us, and then be able to send
commands. We were both thinking, what if we lose communication with the
ground?
“Thankfully, these folks are heroes. And please print this. What do
heroes look like? Well, heroes put their tank on and they run into
a fiery building and pull people out of it. Thats a hero. Heroes
also sitin their cubicle for decades studying their systems, and
knowing their systems front and back. And when there is no time to
assess a situation and go and talk to people and ask, ‘What do you
think? they know their system so well they come up with a plan on
the fly.
That is a hero. And there are several of them in Mission Control.”
For the full article, see http://bit.ly/3XX0cnA
[ANS thanks Eric Berger writing for Ars Technica for the above information]
------------------------------
ARISS NEWS
Amateurs and others around the world may listen in on contacts between
amateurs operating in schools and allowing students to interact with
astronauts and cosmonauts aboard the International Space Station. The
downlink frequency on which to listen is 145.800 MHz worldwide.
Magnet Innovation Center, Inlet Beach, Florida, telebridge via AB1OC
The scheduled crewmember is Nichole Ayers, KJ5GWI
The ARISS mentor is AA4KN
Contact is go for: Thu 2025-04-17 15:52:03 UTC 56 deg
Pan-African Citizen Science e-lab, Africa, telebridge via IK1SLD
The scheduled crewmember is Nichole Ayers, KJ5GWI
The ARISS mentor is IN3GHZ
Contact is go for: Fri 2025-04-18 10:26:16 UTC 76 deg
The crossband repeater continues to be *ACTIVE* (145.990 MHz up {PL 67} &
437.800 MHz down). If any crewmember is so inclined, all they have to do is
pick up the microphone, raise the volume up, and talk on the crossband
repeater. So give a listen, you just never know.
The packet system is also *ACTIVE* (145.825 MHz up & down).
As always, if there is an EVA, a docking, or an undocking; the ARISS radios
are turned off as part of the safety protocol. *UPCOMING:* Powering off for
Soyuz undocking on Apr 19 OFF about 12:15 UTC. ON Apr 20 about 14:30 UTC.
Note, all times are approximate. It is recommended that you do your own
orbital prediction or start listening about 10 minutes before the listed
time.
The latest information on the operation mode can be found at
https://www.ariss.org/current-status-of-iss-stations.html
The latest list of frequencies in use can be found at
https://www.ariss.org/contact-the-iss.html
[ANS thanks Charlie Sufana, AJ9N, one of the ARISS operation team mentors
for the above information]
------------------------------
------------------------------
Upcoming Satellite Operations
*April 30:* VYØSAT on SO-50 from EP28. Tentative if flight/wx cooperates.
POTA CA4585.
A growing number of satellite rovers are currently engaged in sharing their
grid square activations on https://hams.at. By visiting the website, you
gain easy access to comprehensive information about the operators
responsible for activating specific grid squares. Additionally, you have
the ability to assess the match score between yourself and a particular
rover for a given pass, while also being able to identify the upcoming
satellite passes that are accessible from your location.
[ANS thanks Ian Parsons, K5ZM, AMSAT rover page manager, for the above
information]
------------------------------
AMSAT Ambassador Activities
AMSAT Ambassadors provide presentations, demonstrate communicating through
amateur satellites, and host information tables at club meetings, hamfests,
conventions, maker faires, and other events.
Denton County Amateur Radio Association (DCARA) – Monday, April 28
at 7 p.m. CDT
Denton Count Administrative Courthouse
1 Courthouse Drive
3rd floor, Room 2020
Denton, TX 76208
Also online. See https://dcara.net/club-calendar/ for link
AMSAT Ambassador Tom Schuessler, N5HYP
Dayton Hamvention – May 16th thru 18th, 2025
Greene County Fair and Expo Center
210 Fairground Road
Xenia, OH 45385
https://hamvention.org/
[ANS thanks Bo Lowrey, W4FCL, Director – AMSAT Ambassador Program,
for the above information]
------------------------------
Satellite Shorts From All Over
+The Cover Story for the May 2025 issue of *QST* magazine is an article
(beginning on page 55) about “NASA on the Air” (NOTA), a collaboration
among 12 amateur radio clubs at NASA facilities across the country, from
California to Florida. Club stations, operated primarily by NASA staff
member who happen to be licensed amateurs, commemorate special events in
space history with special operations on the ham bands. See the *QST*
article or https://nasaontheair.wordpress.com/ for more information. (ANS
thanks *QST* magazine for the above information.)
+ Three new crew members arrived at the International Space Station on
April 8, 2025, beginning an eight-month space research mission. NASA
astronaut Jonny Kim and Roscosmos cosmonauts Sergey Ryzhikov and Alexey
Zubrisky launched earlier the same day aboard the Soyuz MS-25. (ANS thanks
NASA for the above information.)
+ CatSat now ready for microwave testing and QSOs. CatSat successfully
demonstrated the capability to act as a linear transponder satellite for
the first time on the morning of April 11! In this mode of operation, the
satellite receives signals sent from the ground at 5.663 GHz and
re-transmits them back to the ground at 10.47 GHz. During the pass, team
members tracked the satellite and confirmed the presence of the
re-transmitted signal at 10.47 GHz. (ANS thanks Walter Rahmer, KK7IOV,
CatSat Command System Lead, for the above information.)
+ The Indonesian APRS satellite IO-86 has been returned to service after
a hiatus of several days during the Eid al-Fitr holiday. The operating
schedule may be found on X @pr_teksat. (ANS thanks Yono Adisoemarta,
YDØNXX, for the above information.)
+ The Yuri Gagarin Cup International HF and VHF Contest, held in memory of
Konstantin Khachaturov, RT3A (SK), is held April, 12 2025, 12.00 UTC until
April, 13 2025, 11.59 UTC on HF and satellites. Awards are offered in
various categories, including for SWLs. For details, see
https://gccontest.ru/en/rules-gc-2025/ (ANS thanks Ham Radio World for the
above information.)
+ SpaceX static fired Super Heavy Booster 14 (that had previously flown and
returned on Flight 7) ahead of Starship Flight 9 with 29 of its 33 engines
being flight proventhis will be the first reuse for the Starship system.
(ANS thanks The Orbital Index for the above information.)
------------------------------
Join AMSAT today at https://launch.amsat.org/
In addition to regular membership, AMSAT offers membership to:
* Societies (a recognized group, clubs or organization).
* Primary and secondary school students are eligible for membership at
one-half the standard yearly rate.
* Post-secondary school students enrolled in at least half time status
shall be eligible for the student rate for a maximum of 6 post-secondary
years in this status.
* Memberships are available for annual and lifetime terms.
Contact info [at] amsat.org for additional membership information.
73 and remember to help Keep Amateur Radio in Space!
This weeks ANS Editors, Mark Johns, KØJM and David Vine, WA1EAW
mjohns [at] amsat.org
ANS is a service of AMSAT, the Radio Amateur Satellite Corporation,
712 H Street NE, Suite 1653, Washington, DC 20002
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