[jamsat-news:3975] [ANS] ANS-011 AMSAT News Service Bulletins

[Mark Johns, K0JM via ANS]

*AMSAT *News Service *ANS-011*
*January 11, 2026*

In this edition:

* NASA Ends Crew 11 Mission Due To ‘Medical Concern’ With An Astronaut
* REMINDER: AMSAT Membership Now Includes “Getting Started” Guide
* NASA Marks 50 Years Of GOES Satellites
* VUCC Satellite Standings for January, 2026
* DXCC Satellite Standings for January, 2026
* Changes to AMSAT-NA TLE Distribution
* Two U.S. Schools/Organizations Moved Forward in ARISS Selection Process
* 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/
------------------------------
NASA Ends Crew 11 Mission Due To ‘Medical Concern’ With An Astronaut

NASA is bringing some of the crew aboard the International Space Station
(ISS) back to Earth early due to medical concerns with one the astronauts.

NASA officials announced on Wednesday, January 7, that they had decided to
cancel an upcoming spacewalk due to a medical issue with an undisclosed
crew member. Hours later, the agency indicated that it wasn’t ruling out an
early end to Crew-11’s mission, and confirmed that the unnamed crew member
was in a stable, non-emergency condition. NASA officials finalized the
decision to bring the astronauts home in an announcement on Thursday,
January 8.

Mike Fincke, KE5AIT, and Zena Cardman, KJ5CMN, had been scheduled to step
outside the International Space Station (ISS) on Thursday at about 13:00
UTC, kicking off a roughly 6.5-hour extravehicular activity (EVA). But that
spacewalk was postponed.

A follow-up statement from NASA said, “Safely conducting our missions is
our highest priority, and we are actively evaluating all options, including
the possibility of an earlier end to Crew-11’s mission.” That crew includes
both Cardman and Fincke, as well as Japanese astronaut Kimiya Yui, KG5BPH,
and Russian cosmonaut Oleg Platonov. The crew was launched on August 1,
2025 and was not scheduled for return until mid-February, following the
arrival of Crew-12.


*The crew of NASA’s SpaceX Crew-11 mission pose for a photo during a
training session on July 3, 2025 at SpaceX facilities in Florida. From
left: Oleg Platonov, Mike Fincke, KE5AIT, Zena Cardman, KJ5CMN, and Kimiya
Yui, KG5BPH. (Credit: SpaceX)*

The early return of Crew-11 shouldn’t cause any delays in the preparations
to rollout and launch the agency’s Space Launch System (SLS) rocket for
Artemis 2 — the first crewed mission to the moon in over 50 years — NASA
Administrator Jared Isaacman said on Thursday, January 8. Artemis 2 is
slated to roll to the launchpad for a liftoff no earlier than February 5.

*[ANS thanks Space.com for the above information. Read the full story at
https://www.space.com/space-exploration/international-space-station/iss-astronaut-evacuation-shouldnt-interfere-with-upcoming-artemis-2-moon-mission-nasa-chief-says
<https://www.space.com/space-exploration/international-space-station/iss-astronaut-evacuation-shouldnt-interfere-with-upcoming-artemis-2-moon-mission-nasa-chief-says>.]*
------------------------------
*AMSAT Remove Before Flight Key Tags Now Available*
*Yes, These are the Real Thing!*
* <https://www.zazzle.com/amsat_car_flag-256716714380264543>*

*Your $20 Donation Goes to Help Fly a Fox-Plus Satellite Includes First
Class Postage (Sorry – U.S. Addresses Only) Order Today
at https://www.amsat.org/product/amsat-remove-before-flight-keychain
<https://www.amsat.org/product/amsat-remove-before-flight-keychain/>*
------------------------------
REMINDER: AMSAT Membership Now Includes “Getting Started” Guide

AMSAT is offering a limited-time promotion for new and renewing members
that includes a free digital copy of *Getting Started with Amateur
Satellites*. The promotion is being offered as AMSAT begins the 2026
membership year.

Anyone who joins or renews their AMSAT membership during the promotional
period will receive a download link for the latest edition of *Getting
Started with Amateur Satellites* in their membership confirmation email.
The guide is designed to help radio amateurs understand the fundamentals of
satellite operation and serves as a practical reference for both newcomers
and operators returning to the hobby. Additional information about AMSAT
membership is available at https://launch.amsat.org.

<https://www.amsat.org/product/getting-started-with-amateur-satellites-digital-download/>

In addition to this limited-time promotion, AMSAT membership includes a
subscription to *The AMSAT Journal*, access to archived issues, discounts
on selected items in the AMSAT online store, and opportunities to
participate in AMSAT elections, committees, awards programs, and other
AMSAT activities and programs. Members may also access archived proceedings
from past AMSAT Space Symposiums through the AMSAT member portal.

Beyond these tangible benefits, AMSAT membership supports the development,
launch, and operation of amateur radio satellites, along with education and
outreach efforts. Joining AMSAT is not just about individual benefits — it
is about being part of the community that builds and operates amateur
satellites for radio amateurs worldwide. As AMSAT looks ahead to 2026, the
promotion helps launch another year of growth and opportunity for amateur
radio in space.

*[ANS thanks Drew Glasbrenner, KO4MA, AMSAT President for the above
information.]*
------------------------------

*The 2026 President’s Club Coin is Now Here!*
*Help Support GOLF and FoxPlus.*

*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/*
<https://www.amsat.org/join-the-amsat-presidents-club/>
------------------------------
NASA Marks 50 Years Of GOES Satellites

NOAA’s Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellites, or GOES
programme started a revolution in meteorology and weather forecasting. With
GOES-1, satellite-sourced weather data could be sourced without waiting for
the satellite to pass overhead. Previous satellites could only provide data
at the times they were passing overhead.

The first three GOES satellites carried an instrument called Visible and
Infrared Spin-Scan Radiometer (VISSR). This instrument enabled
meteorologists to collect a wider range of data as well as a fuller set of
data than ever before. GOES-1 went up in 1974, with the next two arriving
in the next five years

The second generation of GOES satellites added important weather
observation instruments. With these, our understanding of phenomena such as
El Niño and tropical storms improved greatly. Furthermore, beginning with
GOES-7, an RF receiver was added as part of the Search and Rescue
Satellite-Aided Tracking (SARSAT) system.

*Timeline of GOES launches including key technological developments
associated with each “generation” of satellites. (Figure credit: NOAA/NASA)*

>From 1994-2001, the third generation GOES satellites reached orbit.
Innovations included the ability to narrow the area under observation to
better understand local weather events. GOES-12 also included the Solar
X-ray Imager (SXI) instrument, which added full-disk X-ray observations of
the Sun to the toolkit of space weather watchers.

Gen 4 satellites, called GOES-N, ushered in improvements to positioning
with star-tracker instruments. With these, the location of weather events
could be more precisely determined. The Extreme Ultraviolet Sensor added to
space weather observations. Scan rates were quickened to one-minute scans,
which aided in understanding severe weather outbreaks and issuing warnings.

The current generation of GOES satellites, known as GOES-R, added a variety
of capabilities. These satellites feature the ability to narrow in and zoom
out from local to global views with a choice of scan rates. Fire-detection
instruments were added for the first time ever on a geostationary
satellite. Many hobbyists enjoy receiving direct L-band downlinks from
these satellites.

*[ANS thanks Orbital Today for the above information. See the full article
at
https://orbitaltoday.com/2025/12/26/nasa-marks-50-years-of-goes-satellites/
<https://orbitaltoday.com/2025/12/26/nasa-marks-50-years-of-goes-satellites/>.]*
------------------------------

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<https://www.amsat.org/ans-007-amsat-news-service-weekly-bulletins-for-january-7-2024/leo-pack1-png/#main>

*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/>
------------------------------
VUCC Satellite Standings for January, 2026

VUCC Satellite Award/Endorsement Change Summary for December 01, 2025 to
January 01, 2026.
Callsign Dec Jan
PY2PIM New 1200
RA3DNC 599 824
N8MR 801 809
AC9DX 682 725
HB9GWJ 631 651
VE4MM 561 577
N7UJJ 462 509
K5WO 326 350
N9XG 310 312
SV8CKM 273 285
PU5DDC 241 254
G4BWP 150 200
WD9EWK(DM42) 189 194
E75AA New 191
WB5TX 156 160
IK2XRL New 140
BY1QH New 126
PT2VM 100 126
PU4ELT New 100
PY3YO New 100

Congratulations to the new VUCC Satellite holders.

PY2PIM
E75AA
IK2XRL
BY1QH
PU4ELT
PY3YO

PY3YO is first VUCC Satellite holder from GG32
PY2PIM is first VUCC Satellite holder from GG67
PU4ELT is first VUCC Satellite holder from GH70

*[ANS thanks Jon Goering, N7AZ, for the above information.]*
------------------------------
DXCC Satellite Standings for January, 2026

DXCC Satellite Award/Endorsement Change Summary for December 01, 2025 to
January 01, 2026.
Call Nov Dec
HB9RYZ 166 169
IK4CIE 146 157
G8BCG 135 154
PA7RA 148 154
DL9RAN 125 150
IU0LFQ 121 150
IK1GPG 100 144
DL8GAM 125 136
LA0FA 128 133
ON6AA 114 131
W2GDJ 122 123
LA7XK 110 118
JK2XXK New 106
I1YDT New 100
YB5QZ New 100

Congratulations to the new DXCC Satellite holders.
YV5NEA
EA7Z

YV5NEA is first DXCC Satellite holder from Venezuela and FK60
EA7Z is first DXCC Satellite holder from IM67

*[ANS thanks Jon Goering, N7AZ, for the above information.]*
------------------------------

[image: SDR Gen 2 Ad - 2026]
------------------------------
Changes to AMSAT TLE Distribution for January 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/
<https://www.amsat.org/keplerian-elements-resources/>.

The following satellite has been *removed* from this week’s AMSAT TLE
distribution:
IO-86 NORAD Cat ID 40931. No new elements released for more than 180 days.

*[ANS thanks Joe Fitzgerald, KM1P, AMSAT Orbital Elements Manager, for the
above information.]*
------------------------------
Two U.S. Schools/Organizations Moved Forward in ARISS Selection Process

Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) is pleased to
announce the U.S. schools/host organizations newly selected for 2026 ARISS
contacts. A total of two of the submitted proposals during the recent
proposal window have been accepted to move forward in the processes of
planning to host a scheduled amateur radio contact with crew on the ISS.
The primary goal of the ARISS program is to engage young people in Science,
Technology, Engineering, Arts and Math (STEAM) activities and raise their
awareness of space communications, radio communications, space exploration,
and related areas of study and career possibilities.

The ARISS program anticipates that NASA will be able to provide scheduling
opportunities for the two U.S. host organizations during the July –
December 2026 period. They are now at work starting to implement their
4–6-month education plan which was outlined in their proposal. These STEAM
based educational activities help prepare students for their contact as
well as create an on-going exploration and interest in aerospace and
amateur radio topics. They are also completing an acceptable equipment plan
that demonstrates their ability to execute the ham radio contact. Once
their equipment plan is approved by ARISS, the final selected
schools/organizations will be scheduled as their availability and
flexibility match up with the scheduling opportunities offered by NASA.

The school and host organization are:

   - YOTA Summer Camp in Huntsville, AL seeking a contact date between June
   14 – 19, 2026.
   - University Heights School of Medical Arts in Jonesboro, AR seeking a
   contact date between July and December 2026.

Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) is a cooperative
venture of international amateur radio societies and the space agencies
that support the ISS. In the United States, sponsors are the American Radio
Relay League (ARRL), Amateur Radio Digital Communications (ARDC), Radio
Amateur Satellite Corporation (AMSAT), NASA’s Space Communications and
Navigation program (SCaN) and the ISS National Lab—Space Station Explorers.
The primary goal of ARISS is to promote exploration of science, technology,
engineering, the arts, and mathematics topics. ARISS does this by
organizing scheduled contacts via amateur radio between crew members aboard
the ISS and students. Before and during these radio contacts, students,
educators, parents, and communities take part in hands-on learning
activities tied to space, space technologies, and amateur radio. For more
information, see http://www.ariss.org.

*[ANS thanks Dave Jordan, AA4KN, ARISS PR, 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*

*None scheduled for the coming week.*

Many times a school may make a last minute decision to do a Livestream or
run into a last minute glitch requiring a change of the URL but we at ARISS
may not get the URL in time for publication.  You can always check
https://live.ariss.org/ to see if a school is Livestreaming.

As always, if there is an EVA, a docking, or an undocking; the ARISS radios
are turned off as part of the safety protocol.

The crossband repeater continues to be active (145.990 MHz up {PL 67} &
437.800 MHz down),  If any crew member 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.

Service Module radio: Not in APRS configuration; only being used for voice
contacts at this time. Default mode is for packet operations (145.825 MHz
up & down) but occasionally used for SSTV (145.800 MHz down).

Ham TV – Configured. Default mode is for scheduled digital amateur
television operations (2395.00 MHz).

Note, all times are approximate. It is recommended that you do your own
orbital prediction or start listening about 10 minutes before the listed
time.

The latest information on the operation mode can be found at
https://www.ariss.org/current-status-of-iss-stations.html

The latest list of frequencies in use can be found at
https://www.ariss.org/contact-the-iss.html

*[ANS thanks Charlie Sufana, AJ9N, one of the ARISS operation team mentors
for the above information.]*
------------------------------
*Want to fly the colors on your own grid expedition?*
Get an AMSAT car flag and other neat stuff from our Zazzle store
<https://www.zazzle.com/store/amsat_gear>!

25% of the purchase price of each product goes towards Keeping Amateur
Radio in Space
------------------------------
AMSAT Ambassador Activities

AMSAT Ambassadors provide presentations, demonstrate communicating through
amateur satellites, and host information tables at club meetings, hamfests,
conventions, maker faires, and other events.

February 13-15, 2026
HamCation
Central Florida Fairgrounds and Expo Park
4603 West Colonial Drive
Orlando, Florida 32808
AA4KN

March 21, 2026
Midwinter Madness Hamfest
Buffalo Civic Center
1306 County Rd 134
Buffalo Minnesota 55313
KØJM, ADØHJ

Interested in becoming an AMSAT Ambassador? AMSAT Ambassadors provide
presentations, demonstrate communicating through amateur satellites, and
host information tables at club meetings, hamfests, conventions, maker
faires, and other events.

For more information go to: https://www.amsat.org/ambassador/
<https://www.amsat.org/ambassador/>

*[ANS thanks Bo Lowrey, W4FCL, Director – AMSAT Ambassador Program, for the
above information.]*
------------------------------
Satellite Shorts from All Over

+ LACHIT-1 (Live Amateur Communication Hub for Innovative Technologies –
One), the first satellite developed Assam Don Bosco University (ADBU) in
Northeast India, is scheduled for launch aboard Indian Space Research
Organisation’s (ISRO) PSLV-C62 rocket on January 12. The LACHIT-1 mission
is a student-led initiative involving more than 50 students and faculty
members drawn from across the Northeast, including Assam, Meghalaya,
Nagaland, Arunachal Pradesh and Manipur states. The satellite will carry a
UHF downlink using 2-FSK modulation at up to 9k6 kb with store and forward
capability and a CW beacon. Frequencies for a telemetry and data downlink
on 436.175 MHz and for the beacon on 435.360 MHz have been coordinated by
the International Amateur Radio Union (IARU). (ANS thanks Northeast News
and IARU for the above information.)

+ A live Satellite Communication Demonstration with the International Space
Station (ISS) was successfully conducted in Pransla village, Gujarat
(India) on 29 December 2025 with more than 12,000 students assembled. The
live science and space outreach program was conducted with the active
support of AMSAT-INDIA and Upagraha Amateur Radio Club (UpARC) at Indian
Space Research Organisation’s U R Rao Satellite Centre. Basic concepts like
ham radio, satellite communication, uplink & downlink, azimuth, elevation,
frequencies, etc., and satellite tracking were explained so students could
understand the upcoming live ISS pass. Three confirmed two-way contacts
were made during the single ISS pass before what may be one of the largest
crowds ever assembled for a satellite demonstration. (ANS thanks Rajesh
Vagadia, VU2EXP, Regional Coordinator – AMSAT-INDIA, for the above
information.)

+ 2025 was a banner year for shattering launch records worldwide. The 324
orbital launch attempts in 2025 represented a 25% increase from 2024’s
previous record of 259. Almost 60% of all launch attempts came from the
U.S., with SpaceX conducting 170 of the 193 American launches. China was
second with 92 launches during the year. (ANS thanks SpaceNews for the
above information.)

+ SpaceX is lowering orbits of 4,400 Starlink satellites to 480km
throughout 2026, reducing ballistic decay time by 80% and preventing
orbital debris accumulation risks. Lower altitude decreases collision risk
in increasingly crowded low Earth orbit. Deorbiting faster prevents
long-term orbital contamination. Massive orbital reconfiguration represents
proactive response to congestion challenges. Nearly half of Starlink’s
9,400 operational satellites will require altitude adjustment. The current
550-kilometer orbit sits within crowded debris-prone region. The proposed
480-kilometer altitude places satellites in a less congested orbital band.
(ANS thanks NASA Space News for the above information. Read the full story
at https://nasaspacenews.com/2026/01/spacex-lowering-orbits/.)

+ AMSAT-UK are pleased to announce they will be holding a webinar to advise
European amateurs regarding the ESA / CCSDS sponsored outreach competition
to develop reference protocols at 16:00 UTC on Wednesday 14th January. The
webinar will be via Zoom and the event will be recorded. *NOTE:* this
competition is for European and UK hams only. For information and
registration see
https://amsat-uk.org/2026/01/06/webinar-for-ccsds-competition/. (ANS thanks
AMSAT-UK 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).
   - Students are eligible for *FREE* membership up 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,
Mark Johns, KØJM
mjohns [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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