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I0OJJ > AMSAT 13.07.25 23:08z 677 Lines 20830 Bytes #48 (0) @ WW
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From: I0OJJ @ I0OJJ.ITA.EU (Gustavo)
To: AMSAT @ WW
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From: "Frank Karnauskas (N1UW) via ANS" <ans@amsat.org
Subject: [ANS] ANS-194 AMSAT News Service Weekly Bulletins
Date: Sat, 12 Jul 2025 20:10:38 EDT
Reply-To: "Frank Karnauskas (N1UW)" <f.karnauskas@amsat.org>
To: space@ww
In this edition:
* ARISS SSTV Event Starts July 14
* Registration Opens for 43rd Annual AMSAT Space Symposium & Annual
General Meeting
* ARISS Call for Proposals for School Contacts Began July 9
* 2025 Presidentâs Club Members Hit $65,000 YTD
* SDR Provides New Capabilities For Next AMSAT CubeSats
* Changes to AMSAT-NA TLE Distribution
* 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 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.
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/
ARISS SSTV Event Starts July 14
Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) has announced
Slow Scan Television (SSTV) Series 28 to run from July 14-20, 2025.
The theme will be the Apollo Soyuz mission and STS-51F which pioneered
SSTV on Shuttles.
[cid:image003.jpg@01DBF322.35E884B0]
This series of 12 images will be transmitted from the ISS on 145.800 MHz
using PD120 encoding. Software needed to decode the pictures is free and
is available for PC's, Mac's, Android smartphones, and iPhones. Search
"SSTV software" on Google and your phone's app store for a variety of
options.
Transmissions from the ISS are powerful enough so images can be received
with a handheld radio and its stock rubber duck antenna, albeit quite
noisy. The addition of a simple homemade 3-element beam to the handheld
can produce in pixel perfect images. Persons who are not familiar with
SSTV operations can visit https://amsat-uk.org/beginners/iss-sstv/.
You are invited to upload decoded images in the ARISS gallery, area
âARISS Series 28 Apollo Soyuz and STS-51Fâ at:
https://ariss-usa.org/ARISS_SSTV/. Once youâve submitted your pictures,
just click on the dedicated button to apply for the official ARISS SSTV
award.
Transmissions will begin on Monday, July 14 at 09:15 UTC (05:15 AM
Eastern time). Transmissions will cease on Sunday, July 20 at 18:00 UTC
(2:00 PM Eastern time).
[ANS thanks ARISS and AMSAT-UK for the above information.]
________________________________
Your 2025 AMSAT Presidentâs Club Coin Is Waiting!
Celebrating the 40th Anniversary of Amateur Radio on Human Spaceflight
Help Support GOLF and Fox-Plus.
[2025 PC Coin Set]
Join the AMSAT President's Club today and help
Keep Amateur Radio in Space!
https://www.amsat.org/join-the-amsat-presidents-club/
________________________________
Registration Opens for 43rd Annual AMSAT Space Symposium & Annual General
Meeting
Registration is now open for the 43rd Annual Space Symposium & Annual
General Meeting to be held October 16-19 in Phoenix, Arizona. You can
catch the ground-breaking presentations, enjoy good food and exchange
ideas with your friends, old and new, in the world of amateur satellites.
The overall schedule is:
[cid:image009.jpg@01DBF322.35E884B0]
Thursday, October 16th
* 0900 â 1700 Board of Directors Meeting
Friday, October 17th
* 0900 â 1200 Board of Directors Meeting
* 1300 â 1700 Symposium Presentations
* 1800 â 2100 Reception & Auction
Saturday, October 18th
* 0900 â 1200 Symposium Presentations
* 1300 â 1500 Symposium Presentations
* 1500 â 1700 Annual General Meeting
* 1800 â 1900 Reception
* 1900 â 2100 Banquet
Sunday, October 19th
* 0800 â 1000 Members Breakfast
Register Now and Save!
Good News! No price increase over previous years' Symposiums if you
register now. Register for the Symposium before September 15 and save
$20.
Early Bird Registration
* Symposium Registration is $75
* Banquet registration is $55
Regular Registration
* Symposium Registration is $85
* Banquet registration is $65
Save $20 and Register Today at:
https://launch.amsat.org/events.
Reserve Your Hotel Room Now!
* The Holiday Inn & Suites Phoenix Airport North is located minutes
away from Phoenix Sky Harbor airport and features:
* Free airport shuttle and free parking
* Resort-style facility with beautiful courtyard
* Outdoor pool
* Brew pub
* Fitness center
* Free breakfast
* Fully updated rooms
* All rooms are two-room suites with choice of 2 Queen beds or 1 King Bed
* Affordable rates of only $129 plus tax.
Rooms at these Discounted Rates are Limited.
You must make your reservation directly with the hotel to enjoy this
special rate.
Call Reservations at 877-424-2449.
Use Group Code: P7C and Group Name: AMSAT.
[ANS thanks AMSAT for the above information.]
_______________________________
ARISS Call for Proposals for School Contacts Began July 9
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.
[cid:image011.png@01DBF322.35E884B0]
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.
The deadline to submit a proposal is August 29th, 2025. Proposal
information and more details such as expectations, proposal guidelines
and the proposal form can be found at
www.ariss.org<http://www.ariss.org>.
An ARISS Introductory Webinar session will be held on July 30th at 7 PM
ET. The Zoom link to sign up is:
https://us06web.zoom.us/meeting/register/E0qy2calSqudqufl09PL8A
Questions should be directed to
education@ariss-usa.org<mailto:education@ariss-usa.org>.
[ANS thanks Dave Jordan, AA4KN, ARISS PR for the above information]
________________________________
Need new satellite antennas?
Purchase M2 LEO-Packs from the AMSAT Store.
[cid:image014.jpg@01DBF322.35E884B0]
When you purchase through AMSAT, a portion of the proceeds goes towards
Keeping Amateur Radio in Space.
https://amsat.org/product-category/hardware/
________________________________
2025 Presidentâs Club Members Hit $65,000 YTD
AMSAT President, Robert Bankston, KE4AL thanks 2025 Presidentâs Club
members who have so far this year donated an amazing $65,544. It is
because of these especially generous donors that AMSAT has the resources
to Help Keep Amateur Radio in Space. With the Fox-Plus and GOLF-TEE
satellites nearing flight readiness, AMSAT especially appreciates these
contributions to help purchase flight-proven parts, specialized software
licenses, test fees, shipping and travel costs. It just couldnât be
done without your support.
[cid:image015.jpg@01DBF322.35E884B0]
Contributors to date include:
Titanium ($4,800+)
Barry Baines, WD4ASW
Alan Biddle, WA4SCA
William Brown, K9LF
Bruce Paige, KK5DO
Walter Wittenberg, K0CEH
Platinum ($2,400+)
Ray Crafton, KN2K
Douglas Tabor, N6UA
Gold ($1,200+)
Mark Hammond, N8MH
Frank Karnauskas, N1UW
John Kludt, K7SYS
Glenn Miller, AA5PK
Mary Lou Monteiro
Silver ($600+)
Joseph, Lynch,N6CL
Jason Schwarz, N4JJS
Scott Shaheen, WB8OOJ
Bronze ($300+)
Keith Baker, KB1SF
Edward Krome, K9EK
Donald Pettigrew, K9ECT
Dave Taylor, W8AAS
Core ($120+)
Mitch Ahrenstorff, AD0HJ
Alan Boggs, K7IIV
Richard Dittmer, KB7SAT
David Hartrum, WA3YDZ
Doug Papay, K8DP
William Pesci, N4WLP
Tim Pierce, N9PN
Martin Shinko, KB3AEV
Paul Stoetzer, N8HM
Wayne Wagner, AG1A
Jim Wilmerding, W2NNU
There are still nearly six months left to become a member of the 2025
Presidentâs Club. Join today at
https://www.amsat.org/product-category/amsat-presidents-club-donations/.
[ANS thanks ANS for the above information.]
________________________________
SDR Provides New Capabilities For Next AMSAT CubeSats
Rich Gopstein, KD2CQ and Bill Schell, W2WZ highlighted new systems aboard
AMSATâs new GOLF CubeSat at Hamvention 2025. Rich detailed the software
defined radio (SDR) module while Bill explained how the SDR communicates
with other systems on the upcoming GOLF satellites.
[cid:image016.png@01DBF322.35E884B0]
Rich explained, âThe diagram above is a block diagram of the GOLF-TEE
3U CubeSat. The purple rectangle located in the middle of the diagram
represents a (SDR). The Fox series of satellites before had transponders.
Some were FM transponders. They acted like a repeater up in the sky. A
single FM channel up with a single FM channel down. Other Fox satellites
had linear transponders with wide bandwidths for several SSB or CW
signals. Whatever you sent up to the satellite, either on 2 meters or
440, would come down on the other band.
You could communicate with people that way, operate either FM or
linear transponder, but that's all you could do with a transponder. On
the other hand, the SDR allows us to do much more interesting things.
Instead of the radio being permanently built into the hardware like it
was in the Fox series, with an SDR itâs all done in software. We don't
have to change the hardware to implement different modes like SSTV or any
of the voice, data or image operations we want to try. With an SDR we can
do it in software. It's much easier much quicker to do.
The SDR communicates with the RF matrix, represented by the light gray
rectangle to the right of the SDR. The SDR communicates and is controlled
by other circuits in the satellite through the Controller Area Network
(CAN) bus shown to the left of the SDR. That control bus is used to
activate and deactivate the radio system as well as command it to perform
a variety of operations.â
Specifically the SDR for the first GOLF satellites is the Ettus
Research⢠E310 Universal Software Radio Peripheral (USRPâ¢). Rich
explained, âThe Ettus 310 SDR has two receive and two transmit antenna
connections, which gives us a lot of flexibility in terms of what we want
to do. For example, we can create cross-band transponders with it. We
will use the radio at 5 GHz and 10 GHz, but it can't do 10 GHz natively.
We need to implement some RF hardware externally to increase the original
frequency range to 10 GHz.
The Ettus runs on a Linux operating system so we will use GNU Radio
software to program radio functions. So, if we want to have the radio
operate as a transponder, for Morse code, telemetry, SSTV, or whatever,
we can do it can through programming.â
It is a free and open-source software development toolkit that provides
signal processing blocks to implement software radios. Gopstein remarked,
âGNU Radio makes programming easier! The talent and skills of AMSAT
engineers are a precious resource. The GNU building block approach saves
time while elevating consistency, quality and production rates for the
benefit of all AMSAT satellite end users.
We âre using GNU Radio to support radio necessities such as the
spacecraft transponder, telemetry and other modes of data transmission
for the GOLF satellites. These are just a portion of the functions we're
capable of using.
Because the Ettus E310 SDR connects to the RF matrix, various antennas
on the satellite can be connected to the SDR. As I said before, the
output from the SDR will have a 10 GHz frequency converter and we will
also have a solid-state power amplifier. That combination will increase
frequency and output power for transmission at 10 GHz then sending the RF
to an X band patch antenna.â
One element of RF operation that we're definitely going to try with
the SDR is a 1 megabits per second (Mbps) data transmission. Another
exciting experiment with the SDR could be âfive-and-dimeâ 5GHz/10GHz
microwave radio transponder. On future missions, we expect to use the SDR
to try all sorts of other functions with the SDR, yet to be
determined,â Rich concluded.
[cid:image017.png@01DBF322.35E884B0]
Next, Bill Schell, W2WZ went on to say, âThis block diagram is a
detailed look at part of the original diagram. It shows the Ettus E310
SDR connected to the main control processor of GOLF-TEE, the RT-IHU
(Radiation Tolerant Internal Housekeeping Unit). The two are connected
over the CAN bus, over which messages flow in each direction.â
The RT-IHU control software communicates with a python application
running on the E310 called âSDR Serverâ. This application receives
request messages from the RT-IHU to execute various SDR related actions.
It also sends E-310 related status and telemetry information back to the
RT-IHU, Bill added.
According to Bill, âOne of the most important actions the RT-IHU
requests through SDR server is to start and stop GNU radio flows on the
E-310. These flows are the software that implement the radio functions of
the SDR. A flow might implement a transponder, the transmission of a
periodic morse code ID, or the transmission of a data file to a ground
station. Flows are created from building blocks in the GNU radio user
interface. Common types of blocks include signal sources, filters,
modulators, demodulators, FFTâs, math operations, etc. Blocks are
combined to implement a flow which accomplishes a particular radio or
signal processing task.
Other actions the SDR server performs are the sending of IMU and
temperature data to the RT-IHU, receiving a file for later transmission
(by a flow), shutdown, and other housekeeping functionsâ, Bill
concluded.
[ANS thanks Rich Gopstein, KD2CQ and Bill Schell, W2WZ 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!
[cid:image018.png@01DBF322.35E884B0]
25% of the purchase price of each product goes towards
Keeping Amateur Radio in Space
https://www.zazzle.com/amsat_gea<https://www.zazzle.com/amsat_gear>
________________________________
Changes to AMSAT-NA TLE Distribution for July 11, 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
distributions.
[ANS thanks Joe Fitzgerald, KM1P, AMSAT Orbital Elements Manager for the
above information]
________________________________
ARISS News
Amateurs and others around the world may listen in on contacts between
amateurs operating in schools and allowing students to interact with
astronauts and cosmonauts aboard the International Space Station. The
downlink frequency on which to listen is 145.800 MHz worldwide.
[ARISS News]
There are no scheduled contacts at this time.
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]
________________________________
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 News Logo]
August 21-24, 2025
Northeast HamXposition (HamX) & New England ARRL Convention
Best Western Royal Plaza & Trade Center
181 Boston Post Road W
Marlborough, MA 01752
http://www.HamX.org
W1EME, WD4ASW, WB1FJ
September 6, 2025
Greater Louisville Hamfest
Paroquet Springs Conference Centre
395 Paroquet Springs Drive
Shepherdsville, KY 40165
W4FCL
October 16, 17, 18, 19, 2025
AMSAT Board of Directors Meeting and 43rd Annual AMSAT Space Symposium &
Annual General Meeting
Holiday Inn & Suites Phoenix Airport North
1515 North 44th Street
Phoenix, Arizona 85008
Details at https://www.amsat.org/2025-symposium/
[ANS thanks Bo Lowrey, W4FCL, Director â AMSAT Ambassador Program, for
the above information]
________________________________
Satellite Shorts From All Over
* AMSAT SA has announced that its 2025 Space Symposium will be held
on August 2, 2025 and has issued the first call for papers. The theme
of the symposium is âEmbracing 68 years of space science innovation
in Amateur Radioâ. Papers are invited covering all aspects of space
science and communication impacting and enhancing the Amateur Radio
experience, from the technical to operational aspects. Presentations
are typically 30 minutes a with a 10-minute Q&A. Send proposals in MS
Word to admin@amsatsa.org.za<mailto:admin@amsatsa.org.za> by July 9,
2025. The symposium will be held online on Webex. Register at
https://forms.gle/vY9oGJekxzcg5j4c9. [ANS thanks AMSAT-SA for the above
information]
* ESA, Telesat and the Science and Technology Facilities Councilâs
(STFC) RAL Space have reported a groundbreaking milestone in
telecommunications technology, successfully establishing a Q-Band
(38-39 GHz) link over LEO, between the RAL Space Chilbolton Observatory
and the Telesat LEO 3 demonstration satellite. A Q-Band receiver was
mounted on Chilbolton Observatoryâs large 25m dish. The team at the
observatory used this radar tracking capability to monitor the state of
the satellite and its orbit during each pass. The team established a
stable link with a collocated Ka-Band uplink antenna to the Telesat LEO
3 satellite. The Telesat LEO 3 satellite also provided frequency
up-conversion to Q-Band, amplification and retransmission to ground.
The Telesat satellite station transmitted a DVBs signal. Full story at
https://tinyurl.com/ANS-194-Q-Band. [ ANS thanks the ESA for the above
information]
________________________________
Join AMSAT today at https://launch.amsat.org/
In addition to regular membership, AMSAT offers membership to:
* Societies (a recognized group, clubs or organization).
* Primary and secondary school students are eligible for membership
at one-half the standard yearly rate.
* Post-secondary school students enrolled in at least half time
status shall be eligible for the student rate for a maximum of 6
post-secondary years in this status.
* Memberships are available for annual and lifetime terms.
Contact info [at] amsat.org for additional membership information.
73 and remember to help Keep Amateur Radio in Space!
This week's ANS Editor, Frank Karnauskas, N1UW
f.karnauskas [at] amsat [dot] 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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