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FULL AMSAT OFFICIAL BULLETIN - ENGLISH
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Title : ANS-284 AMSAT News Service Weekly Bulletins
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AMSAT News Service
ANS-284
October 11, 2026
In this edition:
* AMSAT Board of Directors Re-Elects Senior Officers for 2027
* AMSAT Organizations Launch Six Satellites on Transporter-18
* KENSAT Showcases Individual-Built Amateur Radio CubeSat
* Googleâ€Ös Project Suncatcher Begins Testing AI Computing in
Orbit
* Blue Origin Unveils 65-Foot Solar Power Tower for Lunar
Operations
* Augusta University Amateur Radio Club, WA4AUG, Earns AMSAT
Rover Award
* Changes to AMSAT TLE Distribution for October 9, 2026
* 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 Board of Directors Re-Elects Senior Officers for 2027
Meeting in Jacksonville, Florida, on Thursday, October 8, ahead
of the 44th AMSAT Space Symposium and Annual General Meeting, the
AMSAT Board of Directors re-elected the organization's senior
officers for the coming year.
Drew Glasbrenner, KO4MA, was re-elected President. Also returning
are Paul Stoetzer, N8HM, as Executive Vice President; Mark
Hammond, N8MH, as Vice President – Operations; Jerry
Buxton, N0JY, as Vice President – Engineering; Alan
Johnston, KU2Y, as Vice President – Educational Relations;
Frank Karnauskas, N1UW, as Vice President – Development;
Steve Belter, N9IP, as Treasurer; and Douglas Tabor, N6UA, as
Secretary.
The vote came at the first meeting of the Board following the
2026 Board of Directors election, in which members elected three
Directors to seats expiring this year (see ANS-263). The Board
now consists of Jerry Buxton, N0JY; Drew Glasbrenner, KO4MA; Rich
Gopstein, KD2CQ; Mark Hammond, N8MH; Frank Karnauskas, N1UW; Paul
Stoetzer, N8HM; and Douglas Tabor, N6UA, with Bruce Paige, KK5DO,
serving as First Alternate.
The re-elected team will lead AMSAT through a busy year,
including continued development of the GOLF and Fox-Plus
satellite programs, the CubeSatSim educational program, and the
organization's partnership with ARISS. The Board continued its
meeting Friday morning before the Symposium's technical sessions
began on Friday afternoon.
A complete list of AMSAT's officers, Directors, and senior
volunteer leaders is available at https://www.amsat.org/amsat-
officers-and-board-members/.
[ANS thanks Douglas Tabor, N6UA, AMSAT Secretary, for the above
information]
AMSAT Organizations Launch Six Satellites on Transporter-18
Six satellites from three AMSAT organizations reached orbit
following the launch of SpaceXâ€Ös Transporter-18 rideshare mission
from Vandenberg Space Force Base in California on October 1. The
international group included three ERMINAZ-2 PocketQubes from
AMSAT-DL in Germany, HADES-L and UNNE-1B from AMSAT-EA in Spain,
and SanoSat-2 from AMSAT Nepal. The spacecraft traveled aboard
OSSIE-D, the first orbital transfer vehicle developed by Spanish
space transportation company UARX Space. Following separation
from the Falcon 9 upper stage, OSSIE-D began deploying its
collection of small satellites, giving the worldwide AMSAT
community a particularly strong presence on the mission.
AMSAT-DLâ€Ös ERMINAZ-2U, ERMINAZ-2V, and ERMINAZ-2X are 1P
PocketQubes measuring just 5 cm on each side and were developed
and prepared for flight at AMSAT-DLâ€Ös satellite laboratory at the
Bochum Observatory. The three educational spacecraft are intended
to promote amateur radio and space technology through open-source
communications, telemetry, and other experiments. ERMINAZ-2U
transmits on 435.900 MHz, while ERMINAZ-2V and ERMINAZ-2X
transmit on 145.920 MHz and 145.960 MHz, respectively. The trio
traveled inside Libre Space Foundationâ€Ös open-source PICOBUS v2
PocketQube deployer aboard OSSIE-D. AMSAT-DL reported on October
5 that the ERMINAZ-2 satellites were transmitting their first
signals, with receptions also recorded through the worldwide
SatNOGS ground station network.
AMSAT-EA contributed two satellites offering voice communication
capabilities. UNNE-1B, also known as HADES-E2, carries a VHF-to-
UHF FM/FSK repeater with a 145.925 MHz uplink and 436.888 MHz
downlink. The spacecraft also carries an Arduino-based
educational experiment developed by Universidad Nebrija. HADES-L
takes a more unusual approach, providing a 29.472 MHz USB uplink
to a 436.665 MHz FM downlink, giving amateur operators an
opportunity to experiment with a 10-meter uplink. Because HADES-L
carries only three solar panels, available power is limited and
its repeater is designed to operate intermittently rather than
continuously. The OSSIE-D payload deployment sequence began on
October 2 at 11:48 UTC, earlier than originally planned.
AMSAT Nepalâ€Ös five-centimeter SanoSat-2 PocketQube undergoes pre-
launch testing ahead of its Transporter-18 mission. [Credit:
ORION Space Pvt. Ltd.]AMSAT Nepalâ€Ös SanoSat-2, also known as
UTNH-SAJILO-SAT, continues the work begun with SanoSat-1 and adds
several capabilities intended specifically for participation by
amateur radio operators. The 5 cm PocketQube carries a camera
capable of transmitting images as SSDV packets using GFSK
modulation, allowing amateurs to receive and reconstruct imagery
from orbit. SanoSat-2 can also operate as a digital store-and-
forward repeater through which amateur operators can upload
messages for later transmission. A six-axis inertial measurement
unit and sun sensors will collect attitude data to support
development of an active attitude determination and control
system for a future mission. The spacecraft also transmits Morse
code identification, and its coordinated amateur downlink is on
436.650 MHz.
Libre Space Foundation also had a significant presence aboard
OSSIE-D through its open-source PICOBUS v2 deployer. In addition
to the three ERMINAZ-2 spacecraft and Kazakhstanâ€Ös NIS-PQ
educational satellite, PICOBUS carried four Libre Space SIDLOC
PocketQubes designated SIDLOC-PQ-03 through SIDLOC-PQ-06. SIDLOC,
short for Spacecraft Identification and Localization, is being
developed by Libre Space Foundation and the Foundation for
Research and Technology–Hellas as an ESA-funded ARTES activity.
The project is exploring an open standard for identifying and
locating spacecraft, while PICOBUS itself demonstrates an open-
source approach to deploying very small satellites. Together, the
eight PocketQubes aboard PICOBUS represented another
demonstration of the open hardware and software ecosystem Libre
Space has developed around small-satellite missions and its
SatNOGS network.
Transporter-18 carried an unusually broad collection of
spacecraft of interest to the amateur satellite community. In
addition to the six satellites from AMSAT-DL, AMSAT-EA, and AMSAT
Nepal, IARU-coordinated amateur spacecraft aboard the mission
included GUARANISAT-2 from the Paraguayan Space Agency, KENSAT
from Swordholder Technologies, and SPRITE from the University of
Colorado Boulder. The launch therefore placed at least nine IARU-
coordinated amateur satellites into orbit while also carrying
Libre Spaceâ€Ös four SIDLOC technology demonstrators. With
spacecraft representing AMSAT organizations in Europe and Asia,
university and educational projects, independent amateur
development, and open-source space technology, Transporter-18
provided a particularly diverse addition to the growing amateur
satellite fleet.
[ANS thanks AMSAT-DL, AMSAT-EA, AMSAT-NP, and Libre Space
Foundation for the above information]
KENSAT Showcases Individual-Built Amateur Radio CubeSat
KENSAT, a 2U CubeSat developed by Malaysian radio amateur Guan
Hao Chan, KO6IKZ, was launched aboard SpaceXâ€Ös Transporter-18
rideshare mission on October 1. The spacecraft represents an
unusual achievement in the CubeSat community, with Chan
describing KENSAT as an end-to-end project developed largely by a
single individual. “Everything from the satellite hardware,
firmware, and ground software is the product of an individual,â€
Chan wrote following the launch. While he credited several
organizations and individuals with helping bring the project to
space, Chan designed and developed the spacecraft and its
supporting systems himself.
The project began as an effort to demonstrate how increasingly
accessible satellite technology and launch opportunities can
allow individuals to undertake projects once limited primarily to
governments, universities, and large organizations. Chan has
described KENSAT as the first Malaysian satellite built and
launched by a private individual and, to his knowledge, the first
CubeSat developed end-to-end by an individual. The completed
spacecraft was integrated into an Exolaunch deployer ahead of
Transporter-18, and Chan subsequently reported successful
separation of KENSAT following the October 1 launch.
KENSAT also carries an unusual artificial-intelligence
experiment. An NVIDIA Jetson Orin Nano computer aboard the
spacecraft is intended to run a large language model and perform
AI inference in space. The satellite's primary PIC24 flight
computer remains powered continuously while the considerably more
power-hungry Jetson is normally switched off. When an AI
inference is requested, the flight computer powers the Jetson,
waits for it to boot, sends a prompt to it over a serial
connection, receives the generated response, and then powers the
Jetson down again. Results can subsequently be transmitted to
stations on the ground.
Ken, KO6IKZ, stands with the Exolaunch deployer carrying his
KENSAT 2U CubeSat ahead of launch. (Awesome job, Ken!) [Credit:
Guan Hao Chan]Amateur radio is an integral part of the KENSAT
mission. The International Amateur Radio Union (IARU) coordinated
a 437.080 MHz UHF downlink for the spacecraft on October 7, 2025.
KENSAT uses the amateur radio call sign KO6IKZ and is intended to
transmit spacecraft telemetry and experimental data, including
results from its onboard AI system, for reception by radio
amateurs. Mission documentation describes the downlink as using
GFSK modulation with AX.25/G3RUH framing. Telemetry formats and
decoding information are being made publicly available so amateur
operators can receive, decode, analyze, and share KENSAT data.
In keeping with that open approach, Chan released the KENSAT
project publicly on GitHub in June 2026. The repository includes
spacecraft firmware, electrical schematics, printed circuit board
designs, ground-station software, and documentation covering many
of the satellite's subsystems. The material provides an unusually
detailed look inside a privately developed CubeSat and gives
other experimenters an opportunity to study both the spacecraft
and its ground infrastructure. Chan said his goal in releasing
the project was to make the technology accessible to anyone
interested in learning how a satellite can be designed, built,
and operated.
Following KENSAT's deployment, Chan reflected on how rapidly
access to space has changed. He noted that an individually
developed satellite would have been extraordinarily difficult
only a few years ago and said he hopes projects such as KENSAT
eventually make building and launching a satellite achievable
even for young experimenters. For the amateur radio community,
KENSAT offers both an opportunity to follow an unusual
independently developed spacecraft and, as commissioning
progresses, to listen for its IARU-coordinated UHF transmissions.
### For More Information
KENSAT project website:
https://www.kensat.com/
KENSAT open-source GitHub repository:
https://github.com/kenchangh/kensat
KENSAT entry in the SatNOGS Database:
https://db.satnogs.org/satellite/VIOO-5580-9038-4016-1832/
[ANS thanks Guan Hao Chan, KO6IKZ, for the above information]
The 2026 Coins Are Here! Help Support GOLF-TEE and Fox-Plus.
Annual memberships start at only $120.
Join the AMSAT President's Club today and help Keep Amateur Radio
in Space!
https://www.amsat.org/join-the-amsat-presidents-club/
Googleâ€Ös Project Suncatcher Begins Testing AI Computing in Orbit
Google has taken its first step toward testing whether artificial
intelligence computing could someday move beyond terrestrial data
centers and into space. A refrigerator-sized satellite called MVP
reached low-Earth orbit on October 1 aboard SpaceXâ€Ös
Transporter-18 rideshare mission from Vandenberg Space Force Base
in California. The spacecraft is the first real-world test of
Project Suncatcher, Googleâ€Ös research effort exploring whether
solar-powered satellites carrying artificial intelligence
hardware could eventually support large-scale computing in orbit.
Rather than demonstrating a functioning orbital data center, MVP
is deliberately modest, with Google describing the spacecraft as
a minimal test intended to answer some of the basic engineering
questions behind the concept.
MVP carries four of Googleâ€Ös Tensor Processing Units, or TPUs,
specialized processors developed to accelerate artificial
intelligence and machine-learning workloads. Together, the four
processors provide computing capability roughly comparable to a
single data-center server, making the spacecraft far smaller than
the thousands of interconnected processors used in terrestrial AI
facilities. The primary objective is to determine whether the
processors can survive launch vibration and continue operating
reliably amid the radiation and other environmental challenges
encountered in low-Earth orbit. The experiment will provide
Google with real-world data before the company attempts more
ambitious demonstrations.
The motivation behind Project Suncatcher is the enormous amount
of electrical power required by increasingly large AI computing
systems. Googleâ€Ös long-term concept would place computing
hardware where abundant solar energy is directly available,
potentially reducing dependence on terrestrial electrical grids
and the infrastructure required to supply large data centers. The
idea differs from traditional space-based solar power proposals,
which envisioned collecting energy in orbit and transmitting it
to Earth. Instead, Suncatcher would perform the computing in
space and transmit the resulting data back to users on the
ground.
Google and Planet are developing two Project Suncatcher
demonstration satellites based on Planetâ€Ös Owl satellite
platform. [Credit: Planet]One of the largest technical challenges
will be connecting processors distributed among multiple
spacecraft. Google envisions using free-space optical
communications, employing laser links between satellites rather
than conventional radio links. Large AI systems require enormous
amounts of data to move rapidly between processors, something
accomplished in terrestrial data centers through short fiber and
copper connections. SpaceX has already demonstrated that inter-
satellite laser communications can operate across large
constellations with Starlink, but Project Suncatcher would need
optical links capable of supporting the particularly demanding
communication requirements of tightly interconnected AI
processors.
The space environment presents other significant challenges.
Commercial AI processors were not originally designed for long-
term exposure to space radiation, where energetic particles can
corrupt data or eventually damage electronic components. Thermal
management is another concern because spacecraft cannot use
conventional air cooling and must ultimately radiate excess heat
into space. Any future orbital computing constellation would also
need to operate reliably for long periods without the routine
repairs and hardware replacements possible inside terrestrial
data centers. MVP is intended to begin determining whether these
obstacles can be overcome before Google commits to substantially
larger systems.
Google has already identified a more ambitious follow-on
experiment. The next Project Suncatcher milestone is expected to
involve two prototype satellites developed in cooperation with
Planet, allowing researchers to explore technologies needed for
multiple computing spacecraft to operate together. Ultimately,
Googleâ€Ös concept could involve clusters of solar-powered
satellites linked optically to create distributed computing
systems in orbit, although the company has not announced plans
for an operational constellation. For now, MVP represents a much
smaller first step: placing four AI processors in space and
determining whether the fundamental hardware can survive and
operate there.
Read the full article at: https://shattered.io/google-suncatcher-
planet-2-satellites-2027-2026/
[ANS thanks Marcus Bell, Shattered.io, for the above information]
Blue Origin Unveils 65-Foot Solar Power Tower for Lunar
Operations
Blue Origin has unveiled a towering solar power system designed
to help provide electricity for future operations near the Moon's
south pole. Called the Power Tower, the vertically deployed solar
array stands approximately 20 meters (65 feet) tall and is
designed to generate more than 10 kilowatts of electrical power.
The company envisions the system supporting future lunar surface
infrastructure, where reliable electrical power will be needed
for scientific instruments, communications equipment, rovers,
thermal control systems and eventually crewed facilities.
Generating solar power near the lunar south pole presents
challenges unlike those encountered by conventional solar
installations on Earth. The Sun remains low on the horizon in the
polar regions, while crater rims, ridges and other terrain can
cast long shadows across nearby areas. By raising its solar
arrays high above the lunar surface, the Power Tower is designed
to reach sunlight that could otherwise be blocked by surrounding
terrain. The vertical arrangement also reduces the amount of
valuable surface area occupied by the power system.
Blue Origin released an animation showing how the system could
deploy after reaching the lunar surface. A central mast extends
vertically from its base before supporting structures unfold to
deploy the solar arrays. The company has also demonstrated
deployment hardware on Earth, including a successful test
conducted earlier this year. Blue Origin says the system's
modular architecture could eventually distribute electricity
beyond the lander itself, allowing multiple surface assets to
draw power as part of a larger lunar power network.
Blue Originâ€Ös 20-meter-tall Power Tower could provide more than
10 kilowatts of power for future lunar surface operations.
[Credit: Blue Origin]Technology behind the Power Tower builds on
work performed by Honeybee Robotics, a Blue Origin company, on
the Lunar Array Mast and Power System, or LAMPS. Developed
through NASA's Vertical Solar Array Technology program, LAMPS
uses a deployable mast and flexible solar arrays that can rotate
to track the Sun. In 2024, Honeybee successfully completed
thermal-vacuum testing of the 20-meter system at NASA's Johnson
Space Center in Houston. The prototype was designed to produce up
to 10 kilowatts of continuous power and collapse into a package
roughly the size of a refrigerator for transportation.
Vertical solar arrays could become particularly valuable as NASA
and its commercial partners develop infrastructure near the lunar
south pole. NASA is working with companies including Blue Origin,
Firefly Aerospace, Intuitive Machines and Voyager Lunar Systems
on cargo landers and other systems intended to establish the
foundation for sustained lunar operations. Blue Origin's Blue
Moon Mark 1 cargo lander is among the vehicles being developed to
deliver science, technology and infrastructure to the region.
For now, the Power Tower remains a developing technology rather
than an operational lunar power system, and Blue Origin has not
announced when the system will first be deployed on the Moon.
Nevertheless, the project illustrates how lunar exploration is
beginning to move beyond the challenge of simply reaching the
Moon toward the infrastructure needed to remain there. Reliable
power generation and distribution will be essential to that
transition, and towering solar arrays may eventually become part
of the landscape of sustained operations near the lunar south
pole.
Read the full article at:
https://www.techspot.com/news/114093-blue-origin-reveals-65-foot-
solar-tower-designed.html
[ANS thanks Skye Jacobs, TechSpot, for the above information]
Augusta University Amateur Radio Club, WA4AUG, Earns AMSAT Rover
Award
The AMSAT Rover Award has gone to the head of the class. Bruce
Paige, KK5DO, AMSAT Director of Contests and Awards, has
announced that AMSAT Rover Award #97 has been earned by the
Augusta University Amateur Radio Club, WA4AUG, of Augusta,
Georgia – with the points racked up by the club's
professor, Anthony, NR1Z, who took the club callsign on the road
to activate grid squares for satellite operators.
It is a welcome twist on the usual rover story. The Rover Award
is issued to the station that makes the contacts, so a club
callsign operating from a sought-after grid earns credit just as
an individual's does – and in this case, a faculty member
chose to spend his roving miles building up the club's award
rather than his own. Founded by students in 2019, the Augusta
University club has spent the years since introducing a campus to
amateur radio; now its callsign is in the logs of grid chasers
across the eastern United States, and a university station has a
satellite award on the wall to show new members what the hobby
can do.
The Rover Award recognizes operators who take their satellite
stations on the road, and is granted upon accumulating 25 points
from grid squares activated outside the rover's home grid: one
point per grid via a single-channel FM transponder, two points
via a linear SSB/CW transponder, and three points via a digital
transponder, with a bonus point for each grid activated in a
state, province, or DX entity other than the rover's own. Five-
point bonuses reward publicizing an activation at least 24 hours
in advance – by tagging @amsat or #amsat on social media,
or via the AMSAT-BB or this bulletin – and posting photos
of the operation afterward, while activating a grid maritime
mobile is worth ten points and a /MM endorsement on the
certificate.
Award #97 continues a remarkable run at the AMSAT awards desk: it
is the fifth Rover Award issued since August, following
recipients in Brazil, the United Kingdom, Colombia, and Wisconsin
by way of Hawaii. In announcing the award, Paige offered his
congratulations along with his customary encouragement to rovers
everywhere to keep on rovin'.
College and university clubs looking to follow Augusta's lead
will find complete rules and application details for the AMSAT
Rover Award at https://www.amsat.org/amsat-rover-award/, and
upcoming rover operations may be found – and publicized
– at https://hams.at.
Congratulations to Anthony and the Augusta University Amateur
Radio Club!
[ANS thanks Bruce Paige, KK5DO, AMSAT Director of Contests and
Awards, for the above information]
Give Your Next Rove a Payload â€ö 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 â€ö and your lunch in the box!
https://www.zazzle.com/amsat_round_logo_metal_lunchbox-256761530568368967
Changes to AMSAT TLE Distribution for October 9, 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/.
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 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
+ Recently Completed
University Heights School of Medical Arts, Jonesboro, AR,
telebridge via IK1SLD
The ISS callsign was OR4ISS
The crewmember was Joshua Kutryk KJ5BFU
The ARISS mentor was AJ9N
Contact was successful: Mon 2026-10-05 15:30:13 UTC
Congratulations to the University Heights School of Medical Arts,
Joshua, mentor AJ9N, and telebridge station IK1SLD!
This was Joshuaâ€Ös first ever ARISS contact.
Watch the livestream at https://live.ariss.org/
Wick High School, Wick, United Kingdom, direct via GB4WHS
The ISS callsign was NA1SS
The crewmember was Joshua Kutryk KJ5BFU
The ARISS mentor was MØXTD
Contact was successful: Thu 2026-10-08 11:30 UTC
Congratulations to Wick High School, Joshua, mentor MØXTD, and
direct station GB4WHS!
+Â Upcoming Contacts
EcoTarium, Worcester, MA telebridge via AB1OC
The ISS callsign is presently scheduled to be TBD
The scheduled crewmember is Luke Delaney KJ5PPF
The ARISS mentor is AB1OC
Contact is go for: Thu 2026-10-15 15:25:33 UTC
Watch for Livestream at https://youtube.com/live/F04UKyV1LIA
Ecole Internationale PACA de Manosque, Manosque, France, direct
via F4KKM
The ISS callsign is presently scheduled to be OR4ISS
The scheduled crewmember is Joshua Kutryk KJ5BFU
The ARISS mentor is F6ICS
Contact is go for: Fri 2026-10-16 11:37:19 UTC
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.
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 airâ€öso keep listening, as you never know when
activity might occur.
Kenwood D710GA in the Zvezda Service Module – Call sign
RS0ISS. Please note we're 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/.
​HamTV in the Columbus Module (2395.00 MHz) is currently
transmitting a test signal. For more information, visit the ARISS
Ham TV Live site at 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]
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,
“I have three satellite presentations lined up for this month …
#196 Oregon
#197 Central California
#198 Boston
Didnâ€Öt think I was going to hit TWO HUNDRED before the holidays,
but …
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)!â€
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
Southern Arizona Fall Hamfest – November 14, 2026
Oro Valley Amateur Radio Club
Marana Middle School
11285 W. Grier Rd.
Marana AZ
www.tucsonhamradio.org/hamfest
N1UW
For more information go to: https://www.amsat.org/ambassador/
[ANS thanks Bo Lowrey, W4FCL, Director – AMSAT Ambassador
Program, for the above information]
Buying from DX Engineering?
Add AMSATâ€Ös 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
Satellite Shorts from All Over
+ Orbital Space is conducting a special activation of the QMR-
KWT-2 (RS95S) amateur radio FM voice repeater on October 10–11,
2026, in celebration of World Space Week. The satellite, a 1U
CubeSat launched aboard a Russian Soyuz-2.1b rocket on December
28, 2025, carries an Earth-imaging camera and an amateur radio FM
repeater. QMR-KWT-2 follows Kuwait's first satellite, QMR-KWT,
which launched in 2021, and continues the project's emphasis on
amateur radio communications and educational outreach. During the
special activation, amateur radio operators can access the
satellite's FM repeater using an uplink frequency of 145.920 MHz
with a 67.0 Hz CTCSS tone and a downlink frequency of 436.950
MHz. The satellite also supports telemetry reception and slow-
scan television (SSTV) image transmissions, providing additional
opportunities for amateur radio operators and students to
participate in satellite communications. The two-day event offers
satellite enthusiasts an opportunity to make contacts through the
spacecraft while celebrating the role of space technology in
connecting people around the world. (ANS thanks Orbital Space for
the above information)
+ NASAâ€Ös SpaceX Crew-13 mission arrived at the International
Space Station on October 1, completing the fastest launch-to-
docking flight by a U.S. spacecraft in the stationâ€Ös history. The
Dragon spacecraft docked with the orbiting laboratory just 7
hours and 55 minutes after launching from Cape Canaveral Space
Force Station in Florida. NASA astronauts Jessica Watkins and
Luke Delaney, Canadian Space Agency astronaut Joshua Kutryk, and
Roscosmos cosmonaut Sergey Teteryatnikov joined Expedition 75 for
a six-month mission aboard the station. Their arrival allowed the
outgoing Crew-12 astronauts to complete their mission handover
and prepare for their return to Earth. NASA astronauts Jessica
Meir and Jack Hathaway, ESA astronaut Sophie Adenot, and
Roscosmos cosmonaut Andrey Fedyaev undocked aboard their Dragon
spacecraft on October 7. Crew-12 successfully splashed down in
the Pacific Ocean off the California coast on October 8,
completing a 237-day mission in space. (ANS thanks NASA for the
above information)
+ ESAâ€Ös Jupiter Icy Moons Explorer (Juice) completed a close
Earth flyby on September 28, using the planetâ€Ös gravity to refine
its trajectory toward Jupiter while conserving spacecraft
propellant. Juice passed just 8,640 km (5,369 miles) above the
Indian Ocean at 11:45 UTC, with the gravity assist deflecting its
trajectory by 20 degrees and increasing its velocity by 3.5 km/s
(7,830 mph). Precise navigation allowed controllers to use only
one small trajectory correction during the four weeks leading up
to the encounter, despite six correction opportunities having
been reserved. The flyby also provided an opportunity to
calibrate several of Juiceâ€Ös ten science instruments, while the
spacecraft spent several days traversing Earthâ€Ös magnetotail and
measuring magnetic fields and charged particles. Juice will
return to Earth for one final gravity assist in January 2029,
placing the spacecraft on its final trajectory for arrival at
Jupiter in 2031. Once there, the spacecraft will conduct 35
flybys of the ocean-bearing moons Ganymede, Callisto, and Europa
before ultimately entering orbit around Ganymede. (ANS thanks ESA
for the above information)
+ Margaret Hamilton, the pioneering computer scientist who led
development of NASA's Apollo flight software at the Massachusetts
Institute of Technology (MIT), died September 30 at age 90.
Joining MIT's Instrumentation Laboratory in 1965, Hamilton
eventually led teams responsible for developing the onboard
guidance software used by the Apollo Command and Service Module
and Lunar Module spacecraft. Her most famous contribution came
during the Apollo 11 lunar landing in July 1969, when the Lunar
Module's guidance computer triggered several program alarms as
astronauts Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin approached the Moon's
surface. The priority-driven software developed by Hamilton's
team allowed the computer to shed less important tasks while
continuing the critical calculations needed for a safe landing.
Hamilton helped establish software engineering as a recognized
discipline, emphasizing error prevention, fault tolerance, and
reliable operation in mission-critical systems. Her contributions
earned numerous honors, including NASA's Exceptional Space Act
Award in 2003 and the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2016. (ANS
thanks MIT News for the above information)
+ The U.S. Department of Warâ€Ös Defense Innovation Unit (DIU) and
Honeywell Aerospace have successfully demonstrated a quantum
magnetic navigation system that allowed an aircraft to navigate
for more than four hours without relying on GPS. The MagNav
system uses quantum sensors to measure subtle variations in
Earthâ€Ös natural magnetic field, comparing those signatures with
magnetic maps to determine the aircraftâ€Ös position without
signals from navigation satellites. Installed aboard an Embraer
170, the system was tested on a flight over the Pacific Ocean
from the Seattle area to southern Alaska and back, operating
without GPS for four hours and 23 minutes. DIU reported that
MagNav improved position accuracy by 89% compared with
traditional backup navigation methods, with navigation
information streamed directly to the pilots in real time using
standard tablets. Because Earthâ€Ös magnetic signatures cannot be
jammed or spoofed like satellite signals, the technology could
provide an important navigation backup for military and civilian
aircraft operating where GPS is unavailable or deliberately
disrupted. Honeywell and DIU plan to demonstrate the technology
aboard a U.S. military C-17 Globemaster III cargo aircraft later
this year. (ANS thanks the Defense Innovation Unit for the above
information)
Join AMSAT today at https://launch.amsat.org/
In addition to regular membership, AMSAT offers membership to:
Societies (recognized groups, clubs or organization).
Students enrolled in at least half-time status are eligible for
free membership 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,
Mitch Ahrenstorff, ADØHJ
mahrenstorff [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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