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I0OJJ > AMSAT 21.09.25 12:33l 592 Lines 29845 Bytes #999 (0) @ WW
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From: I0OJJ @ I0OJJ.ITA.EU (Gustavo)
To: AMSAT @ WW
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From: "Mitch Ahrenstorff (AD0HJ) via ANS" <ans@amsat.org
Subject: [ANS] ANS-264 AMSAT News Service Weekly Bulletins
Date: Sun, 21 Sep 2025 00:08:49 EDT
Reply-To: "Mitch Ahrenstorff (AD0HJ)" <mahrenstorff@amsat.org>
To: space@ww
AMSAT News Service
ANS-264
September 21, 2025
In this edition:
* AMSAT 2025 Board of Directors Election Results Announced to Membership
* Special Hotel Rate Deadline is September 24 for AMSAT 43rd Annual
Symposium
* AMSAT July/August 2025 AMSAT Journal Now Available for Member Download
* Open Letter from AMSAT-SM Highlights Need for Full Duplex Handheld Radio
* Wow@Home Project Builds Worldwide SDR Telescope Network to Monitor the Sk
y
* Northrop Grumman's Cygnus XL Debuts with Record Cargo Delivery to ISS
* Changes to AMSAT-NA TLE Distribution for September 19, 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 n
ews related to Amateur Radio in Space including reports on the activities o
f a worldwide group of Amateur Radio operators who share an active interest
in designing, building, launching and communicating through analog and dig
ital Amateur Radio satellites.
The news feed on https://www.amsat.org publishes news of Amateur Radio in S
pace 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>
You can sign up for free e-mail delivery of the AMSAT News Service Bulletin
s via the ANS List; to join this list see: https://mailman.amsat.org/postor
ius/lists/ans.amsat.org/
________________________________
AMSAT 2025 Board of Directors Election Results Announced to Membership
The 2025 AMSAT Board of Directors Election concluded on September 15, 2025,
with a total of 330 votes cast. Four seats were up for election this year,
with the four candidates receiving the highest number of votes elected to
two-year terms on the Board of Directors, and the candidate receiving the n
ext highest number of votes designated as Alternate Director for a one-year
term.
The following have been elected to serve on the AMSAT Board of Directors:
Drew Glasbrenner, KO4MA - 261 votes
Jerry Buxton, NØJY - 254 votes
Barry Baines, WD4ASW - 245 votes
Frank Karnauskas, N1UW - 232 votes
Alternate Director:
Douglas Tabor, N6UA - 213 votes
The AMSAT Board of Directors is responsible for setting the organization's
strategic direction, overseeing satellite projects and operations, supporti
ng educational outreach, and fostering collaboration with partners worldwid
e. The Board ensures that AMSAT continues to fulfill its mission of advanci
ng amateur radio in space for the benefit of members and the broader amateu
r-radio community.
[ANS thanks Doug Tabor, N6UA<https://x.com/dtabor>, AMSAT Secretary,
for the above information]
________________________________
Special Hotel Rate Deadline is September 24 for AMSAT 43rd Annual Symposium
The deadline to reserve a hotel room at the AMSAT special rate for the 43rd
Annual Space Symposium and Annual General Meeting is Tuesday, September 24.
The discounted rate of $129 plus tax is offered at the Holiday Inn & Suit
es Phoenix Airport North, located minutes from Phoenix Sky Harbor Airport.
All rooms are two-room suites with a choice of two Queens or one King, and
include breakfast, free parking, a free airport shuttle, outdoor pool, brew
pub, courtyard, and fully updated rooms. Reservations must be made directly
with the hotel using Group Code: P7C, and discounted rooms are limited.
Reservations can be made by calling 877-424-2449 or online at:
https://www.ihg.com/holidayinn/hotels/us/en/phoenix/phxff/hoteldetail
(Select "Group Rate" under Rate Preference and enter P7C before continuing.
)
[ANS thanks Frank Karnauskas, N1UW, AMSAT VP - Development, for the above
information]
________________________________
AMSAT July/August 2025 AMSAT Journal Now Available for Member Download
The July/August 2025 edition of The AMSAT Journal is now available to membe
rs. The AMSAT Journal is AMSAT's bi-monthly digital magazine dedicated to a
mateur radio in space. Each issue features technical articles, educational
initiatives, operating activities, and community news from around the world.
Members can access both the latest edition and the full archive through the
AMSAT member portal.
Inside the Current Issue: Apogee View - Robert Bankston, KE4AL; Educational
Relations Update - Alan Johnston, KU2Y; AMSAT Field Day 2025 Results - Bruce
Paige, KK5DO; An Amateur Radio Eye on AI - Joe Kornowski, KB6IGK; Experimental
Validation of the Mexican Network of Amateur Satellite Stations (REMEASAT) -
OmarÁ lvarez Cßrdenas, XE1AO, et al.
This issue opens with Robert Bankston, KE4AL, delivering his final Apogee V
iew column as AMSAT President. Bankston reflects on five years of leadershi
p, thanking members and volunteers for their dedication while emphasizing t
he need to continue pushing forward with higher orbits, expanded communicat
ions, and vigilance in protecting amateur frequencies. Educational outreach
is another key theme, with Alan Johnston, KU2Y, providing updates on the
CubeSatSim project, STEM activity guides, and recent demonstrations in the
U.S. and Australia. He also previews educational sessions at both the AMSAT
Space Symposium and AMSAT-UK Colloquium this October.
[cid:image001.png@01DC293D.D122B990]
The AMSAT Journal July/August 2025 edition is now available for member down
load. [Credit: AMSAT<https://x.com/AMSAT>]
Contest enthusiasts will enjoy Bruce Paige's, KK5DO, detailed report on the
2025 AMSAT Field Day. This year saw seventeen participating stations with
highlights including innovative setups, first-time satellite contacts, and
several memorable QSOs with the ISS. Other technical features include Joe K
ornowski's article, An Amateur Radio Eye on AI, exploring practical applica
tions of artificial intelligence for weak-signal decoding, propagation fore
casting, and antenna optimization, as well as a comprehensive study on the
Experimental Validation of the Mexican Network of Amateur Satellite Stations
(REMEASAT), showcasing citizen-science collaboration across Mexico and be
yond.
Beyond the feature articles, the issue also highlights upcoming events such
as the 43rd Annual AMSAT Space Symposium & Annual General Meeting, schedul
ed for October 16-19 in Phoenix, Arizona. Members will also find announceme
nts on opportunities to support AMSAT through the President's Club and eBay
for Charity initiatives, reflecting the many ways volunteers and donors
continue to strengthen AMSAT's mission of keeping amateur radio in space.
AMSAT members can access the July/August 2025 edition and archived issues a
t: https://launch.amsat.org/The_AMSAT_Journal
[ANS thanks Joe Kornowski, KB6IGK, Editor-in-Chief of The AMSAT Journal, fo
r the above information]
________________________________
Open Letter from AMSAT-SM Highlights Need for Full Duplex Handheld Radio
In August, the AMSAT-SM group in Sweden issued an open letter to several ma
jor amateur radio manufacturers calling for the development of a new handhe
ld transceiver with true full duplex capability. The initiative, led by Lar
s Thunberg, SM0TGU, highlights the strong demand within the satellite opera
ting community for modern equipment that supports simultaneous transmit and
receive on different bands without desense.
The letter was sent to a dozen manufacturers, including Icom, Kenwood, Yaes
u, Alinco, Baofeng, TYT, Wouxun, Retevis, AnyTone, QYT, Radtel, and Verotel
ecom. These companies represent both long-established Japanese firms and ne
wer Chinese brands that have introduced a wide variety of handhelds in rece
nt years. While today's radios often feature APRS, GPS, Bluetooth, and USB-
C charging, none currently provide the full duplex FM capability needed for
effective satellite operation.
AMSAT-SM emphasized that full duplex operation is vital for amateur satelli
te use, allowing operators to hear their own downlink while transmitting. T
his feature was present in older, now-discontinued models such as the Kenwo
od TH-D72, but is missing from all currently produced handhelds. The group
argued that satellite operators would be willing to pay a premium for this
capability, and that manufacturers could capture a unique market by steppin
g into this space.
[cid:image002.png@01DC293D.D122B990]
Kenwood's TH-D72, discontinued in 2018, is still valued by many as the best
FM satellite handheld. [Credit: Fred Lesnick VE3FAL<https://x.com/Fred_VE3
FAL>]
Among the minimum technical requirements outlined were extended filtering b
etween the VHF and UHF bands, robust desense protection, support for both m
emory and VFO operation in duplex mode, CTCSS subtone transmission, and a r
ugged external antenna connector for portable Yagi antenna use. Practical c
onsiderations such as USB-C charging, selectable power output up to five wa
tts, and energy-efficient design for longer battery life were also highligh
ted as priorities.
AMSAT-SM further suggested several "nice to have" features that could broad
en the radio's appeal. These included APRS with GPS, Bluetooth support for
wireless headsets, and computer connectivity over Bluetooth for channel pro
gramming and Doppler control. The group specifically recommended implementi
ng the CAT protocol over Bluetooth, which would allow operators to use exis
ting satellite tracking and Doppler correction software without proprietary
apps.
As of August 30, AMSAT-SM reported that three of the twelve manufacturers c
ontacted had responded to their appeal, with one company moving forward in
discussions. While details remain confidential, the group encourages operat
ors to stay tuned for updates. The effort reflects both the continuing inno
vation within the amateur satellite community and the strong desire for mod
ern, purpose-built equipment to support space-based communication.
Read the full letter at: https://www.amsat.se/2025/08/16/open-letter-from-a
msat-sm-regarding-development-of-a-full-duplex-handheld/
[ANS thanks Lars Thunberg, SM0TGU<https://x.com/amsat_sm> and AMSAT-SM<http
s://www.amsat.se/> for the above information]
________________________________
AMSAT Remove Before Flight Key Tags Now Available
Yes, These are the Real Thing!
[cid:image003.png@01DC293D.D122B990]
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-key
chain<https://www.amsat.org/product/amsat-remove-before-flight-keychain/>
________________________________
Wow@Home Project Builds Worldwide SDR Telescope Network to Monitor the Sky
The Wow@Home project, inspired by the famous "Wow!" signal detected in 1977
, is advancing its effort to establish a global network of small, software
defined radio (SDR) telescopes dedicated to searching for transient astroph
ysical events and potential technosignatures. Testing of hardware and softw
are continues, though progress has been slowed by a shortage of low-noise a
mplifiers (LNAs), a key component expected back in stock later this month.
Project organizers note that the original Wow! signal was strong enough to
have been detected by a modest home telescope, underscoring the scientific
value of a distributed approach.
A worldwide network of small radio telescopes offers distinct advantages co
mpared to professional observatories. These low-cost systems can operate au
tonomously around the clock, providing continuous sky monitoring that large
instruments cannot sustain. Distributed across different time zones, the n
etwork allows global coverage, coincidence detection of events, and rapid r
esponse to alerts. The approach is scalable, resilient, and accessible, mak
ing it ideal for education, citizen science, and wider participation in rad
io astronomy.
The prototype Wow@Home telescope is a meridian-style system modeled after t
he Big Ear telescope used in the Ohio State SETI project. With a fixed elev
ation and a wide 25-degree beam, the telescope surveys a full 360-degree st
rip of sky each day as the Earth rotates. Over time, multiple passes yield
full-sky coverage. While sensitivity is lower than professional instruments
, this design provides valuable data on radio frequency interference (RFI)
near the hydrogen line and creates a platform for detecting strong transien
t events.
[cid:image004.png@01DC293D.D122B990]
First Wow@Home Radio Telescope using Nooelec Mesh Antenna and ezRA software
. [Credit: Wow@Home Project<https://phl.upr.edu/wow/outreach>]
Central to the project is the Wow@Home software, now under development. Bui
lt initially in IDL (Interactive Data Language) and later to be translated
to Python for broader access, the software acquires and analyzes data to id
entify transient events and reject RFI. Early test results include signal-t
o-noise plots, hydrogen spectral profiles of the Galactic center, and narro
wband event detections. A unique "retro" display option is also being devel
oped to recreate the printout style of the original Ohio SETI experiments,
connecting modern work to its historic roots.
The Wow@Home network is not an interferometer and does not measure polariza
tion at this stage. Its strength lies in continuous, distributed monitoring
for signals lasting from seconds to days. Coordinated observations across
multiple sites can confirm weak or short-lived events, eliminate local inte
rference, and provide complementary coverage to large observatories. Recent
discoveries of Fast Radio Bursts and long-period transients illustrate the
types of phenomena that modest instruments may detect if deployed widely.
Looking ahead, organizers estimate that at least 114 telescopes are require
d for basic sky coverage, with about 342 needed for effective redundancy an
d RFI rejection. At a cost of roughly $500 per station, the full network co
uld be established for under $200,000-far less than a single professional f
acility. A public version of the Wow@Home software is expected by late 2025
or early 2026. Volunteers with expertise in RFI mitigation, graphical inte
rfaces, or app development are encouraged to contribute. More information i
s available from project lead Abel Méndez at the University of Puerto Ric
o (abel.mendez [at] upr.edu).
Project details and updates are available at: https://phl.upr.edu/wow/outre
ach
[ANS thanks Abel Mendez<https://x.com/ProfAbelMendez/>, University of Puert
o Rico at Arecibo<https://upra.edu/>, and RTL-SDR.com<https://www.rtl-sdr.c
om/> for the above information]
________________________________
Northrop Grumman's Cygnus XL Debuts with Record Cargo Delivery to ISS
Northrop Grumman's newest cargo spacecraft, the Cygnus XL, successfully arr
ived at the International Space Station (ISS) on September 18 following its
debut launch. The capture took place at 7:24 a.m. EDT (1124 UTC) as NASA a
stronaut Jonny Kim operated the station's Canadarm2 robotic arm to grapple
the freighter while the complex orbited about 260 miles (420 kilometers) ab
ove the Democratic Republic of Congo. The arrival came one day later than o
riginally planned after the spacecraft overcame a thruster issue during ren
dezvous preparations.
The mission, designated NG-23, lifted off on September 14 aboard a SpaceX F
alcon 9 rocket from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station. This launch marked
the 23rd Cygnus resupply flight for NASA, continuing Northrop Grumman's rol
e in commercial cargo delivery. The company partnered with SpaceX to provid
e launch services after previously relying on its Antares rocket.
A thruster anomaly initially delayed Cygnus XL's approach, requiring missio
n planners to rework the trajectory for a safe capture. "It's a very intric
ate planning exercise that we have to go through to arrive at Space Station
and rendezvous in a very specific point in space," explained Bill Spetch,
NASA ISS operations integration manager. Engineers resolved the issue, allo
wing the spacecraft to complete its final maneuvers and reach the station s
afely.
[cid:image008.jpg@01DC294A.1C3227C0]
Northrop Grumman's Cygnus XL cargo freighter is captured by the ISS Canadar
m2 on September 18, 2025. [Credit: NASA<https://www.nasa.gov/>]
Cygnus XL represents the largest and most capable version of the cargo vehi
cle to date. The freighter delivered approximately 11,000 pounds (4,990 kil
ograms) of supplies, science experiments, and hardware, compared to about 8
,500 pounds (3,855 kilograms) on earlier flights. The debut also ended a ye
ar-long gap in Cygnus operations, caused by delays to the NG-22 mission, wh
ich was ultimately canceled following transport damage.
The NG-23 vehicle was christened the S.S. William "Willie" McCool, honoring
the NASA astronaut who lost his life in the 2003 space shuttle Columbia tr
agedy. "To see a ship bearing his name safely arrive at the station is a re
minder that his courage and kindness are still circling our beautiful plane
t Earth," said Kim after completing capture operations.
On board are materials to advance research in multiple disciplines, includi
ng semiconductor crystal growth, pharmaceutical manufacturing, cryogenic fu
el tank technology, and microbial control systems. NASA highlighted a speci
alized ultraviolet light unit to improve water system safety and crystal-gr
owth experiments that could lead to new cancer treatments. The S.S. McCool
was berthed to the Unity module's Earth-facing port at 10:10 a.m. EDT (1410
UTC) on September 18 and is scheduled to remain at the ISS until March 202
6 before deorbiting to burn up in Earth's atmosphere.
[ANS thanks Mike Wall<https://x.com/MichaelDWall>, Space.com<https://www.sp
ace.com/> for the above information]
________________________________
The 2025 AMSAT President's Club Coins Have Just Arrived!
Celebrating the 40th Anniversary of Amateur Radio on Human Spaceflight
[cid:image006.png@01DC293D.D122B990]
Help Support GOLF and Fox Plus.
Join<https://www.amsat.org/join-the-amsat-presidents-club/> the AMSAT Presi
dent's Club today!
________________________________
Changes to AMSAT TLE Distribution for September 19, 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 u
pdates are completely adequate for most amateur satellites. TLE bulletin fi
les 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/<https://www.amsat.org/keplerian-elements-res
ources/>.
This week there are no additions or deletions to the AMSAT TLE distribution
.
[ANS thanks Joe Fitzgerald, KM1P, AMSAT Orbital Elements Manager, for the a
bove information]
________________________________
ARISS News
Amateurs and others around the world may listen in on contacts between amat
eurs operating in schools and allowing students to interact with astronauts
and cosmonauts aboard the International Space Station. The downlink freque
ncy on which to listen is 145.800 MHz worldwide.
Scheduled Contacts
+ Recently Completed
Taka Town Board of Education Children's Future Division, Taka Town, Japan,
direct via JA3YRL
The ISS callsign was OR4ISS
The scheduled crewmember was Kimiya Yui KG5BPH
The ARISS mentor was 7M3TJZ
Contact was successful: Thu 2025-09-11 09:22:34 UTC
Congratulations to the Taka Town Board of Education Children's Future Divis
ion students, Kimiya KG5BPH, mentor 7M3TJZ, and ground station JA3YRL!
National Space Research and Development Agency (NASRDA), Abuja, Nigeria, te
lebridge via ZS6JON
The ISS callsign was NA1SS
The scheduled crewmember was Zena Cardman KJ5CMN
The ARISS mentor was IN3GHZ
Contact was successful: Sat 2025-09-20 09:37:23 UTC
Congratulations to the NASRDA students, Zena KJ5CMN, mentor IN3GHZ, and gro
und station ZS6JON!
+ Upcoming Contacts
Amur State University, Blagoveshchensk, Russia, direct via TBD
The ISS callsign is presently scheduled to be RSØISS
The scheduled crewmember is Oleg Platonov
The ARISS mentor is RV3DR
Contact is go for: Wed 2025-09-24 10:00 UTC
Many times a school may make a last-minute decision to do a Livestream or r
un 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 pi
ck up the microphone, raise the volume up, and talk on the crossband repeat
er. So give a listen, you just never know.
Note, all times are approximate. It is recommended that you do your own orb
ital prediction or start listening about 10 minutes before the listed time.
The latest information on the operation mode can be found at https://www.ar
iss.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 f
or 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 Clint Bradford, K6LCS, says,
"Think a 75-minute presentation on "working the easy satellites" would be a
ppropriate 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+ presentat
ions so far has been customized/tailored to their audiences.
Scheduled Events
Radio Society of Tucson Autumn Hamfest - September 27, 2025
Calvary Lutheran Church
8711 East Speedway Boulevard
Tucson, AZ 85710
https://k7rst.club/2025/08/rst-autumn-hamfest-2025/
N1UW
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 thr
u 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 prese
ntations, demonstrate communicating through amateur satellites, and host in
formation 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]
________________________________
[cid:image007.png@01DC293D.D122B990]
________________________________
Satellite Shorts from All Over
+ A recent experiment demonstrated that a Bitcoin Lightning payment invoice
can be relayed through the amateur radio satellite QO-100, showcasing a ne
w use of its wideband digital transponder. The test employed the AMSAT-DL M
ultimedia High-Speed Modem to convert a BOLT11 Lightning invoice into an im
age file, modulate the data, and uplink it to QO-100 at 25.5°E in geostat
ionary orbit. After rebroadcast to Earth, the file was decoded by ground st
ations, the QR code was scanned, and the Lightning Network completed the pa
yment settlement over the internet. For amateur satellite operators, the pr
oject highlights QO-100's ability to serve as a versatile platform for high
-speed digital and multimedia experimentation. By carrying a novel real-wor
ld application such as a cryptocurrency invoice, the satellite demonstrates
how amateur payloads can support resilience testing for communications und
er censorship, outages, or disaster conditions. Though still limited to tec
hnically capable stations within the satellite's footprint, the milestone i
llustrates the expanding scope of amateur radio satellite experimentation.
(ANS thanks The Currency Analytics<https://thecurrencyanalytics.com/> for t
he above information)
+ Astronomers have observed a collision between two black holes, GW250114,
in unprecedented detail, confirming long-standing predictions made by Alber
t Einstein and Stephen Hawking. Detected by the twin LIGO observatories in
Louisiana and Washington, the event produced gravitational waves first theo
rized by Einstein in 1915, generated as the two black holes - each about 30
-35 solar masses - spiraled inward and collided. Their violent merger creat
ed a remnant roughly 63 times the mass of the Sun, spinning at 100 revoluti
ons per second, while sending a powerful burst of gravitational energy acro
ss the universe. For the first time, researchers clearly detected the "ring
ing" tones of the new black hole, validating Roy Kerr's theory that such ob
jects can be fully described by just mass and spin. The observation also co
nfirmed Hawking's 1971 surface area theorem, which states that black hole a
rea can never decrease after a merger, a cornerstone concept in modern phys
ics. Improved LIGO sensitivity, now more than three times greater than a de
cade ago, made this high-clarity detection possible. The findings mark a mi
lestone in gravitational-wave astronomy and offer scientists a sharper tool
for probing the fundamental nature of space and time. (ANS thanks CNN<http
s://www.cnn.com/> for the above information)
+ SpaceX is preparing to begin testing direct-to-device satellite communica
tions late next year, following its $17 billion acquisition of S-band spect
rum from EchoStar. Company president Gwynne Shotwell told attendees at Worl
d Space Business Week in Paris that this spectrum will support an entirely
new generation of Starlink satellites designed for global handheld connecti
vity. SpaceX is already working with chip manufacturers to embed compatibil
ity into consumer smartphones and with mobile network operators to deliver
wholesale satellite capacity to their subscribers. Shotwell emphasized that
owning globally cleared spectrum avoids the "clunky" process of negotiatin
g national rights and provides a more streamlined way to cross internationa
l borders. She called the effort the beginning of a major technical push, r
equiring new payload designs and close partnerships across the telecom sect
or. These larger Starlink satellites are planned for future launches aboard
Starship, which is now progressing toward its next test flights as the pla
tform for next-generation payloads. (ANS thanks SpaceNews<https://spacenews
.com/> for the above information)
+ Federal funding is set to expire September 30 for 19 active NASA science
missions, including New Horizons and Juno, raising fears of shutdowns. The
White House FY2026 budget proposal calls for a 25% cut to NASA overall and
nearly 50% to the Science Mission Directorate, potentially terminating doze
ns of operating spacecraft. Among the missions at risk are the Chandra X-ra
y Observatory, Mars orbiters, and New Horizons, which remains healthy and c
ould operate into the 2040s while continuing to study the Kuiper Belt. Juno
, currently orbiting Jupiter, continues to deliver science despite radiatio
n damage and is pioneering "annealing" techniques that could benefit future
deep-space missions and even Earth satellites. Scientists warn that turnin
g off these spacecraft would permanently end their data return and erase de
cades of investment. Such cuts would not only jeopardize unique scientific
opportunities but also weaken U.S. leadership in planetary exploration at a
time of growing international competition. Congressional action this fall
will determine whether these missions survive or are shut down permanently.
(ANS thanks Ars Technica<https://arstechnica.com/> for the above informati
on)
________________________________
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 ye
ars in this status.
* Memberships are available for annual and lifetime terms.
Contact info [at] amsat.org<http://amsat.org> for additional membership inf
ormation.
73 and remember to help Keep Amateur Radio in Space!
This week's ANS Editor,
Mitch Ahrenstorff, ADØHJ
mahrenstorff [at] amsat.org<http://amsat.org>
ANS is a service of AMSAT, the Radio Amateur Satellite Corporation, 712 H S
treet NE, Suite 1653, Washington, DC 20002
AMSAT is a registered trademark of the Radio Amateur Satellite Corporation.
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