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<p><font size="4"><span style="font-family:georgia,serif"><span class="gmail_default" style="font-family:verdana,sans-serif;font-size:small"></span><span class="gmail_default" style="font-family:verdana,sans-serif;font-size:small"></span>AMSAT News Service<br></span></font>
<font size="4"><span style="font-family:georgia,serif">ANS-173<br>
June 22, 2025</span></font></p>
<p><font size="4"><span style="font-family:georgia,serif">In this edition:</span></font></p>
<p><font size="4"><span style="font-family:georgia,serif">* Hamsat to Test New Super-Black Paint That Could Fix Satellite Light Pollution<br>
* AMSAT Field Day on the Satellites<br>
* The Legacy of AMSAT Flight Software – Part 2<br>
* NASA Science Missions Could Be Cut In 2026 Budget<br>
* Changes to AMSAT-NA TLE Distribution<br>
* SpaceX to Launch Fourth Commercial Axiom Mission to the Space Station<br>
* ARISS News<br>
* AMSAT Ambassador Activities<br>
* Satellite Shorts From All Over</span></font></p>
<p><font size="4"><span style="font-family:georgia,serif">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.</span></font></p>
<p><font size="4"><span style="font-family:georgia,serif">The news feed on <a href="http://www.amsat.org" target="_blank">http://www.amsat.org</a> publishes news of Amateur Radio in Space as soon as our volunteers can post it.</span></font></p>
<p><font size="4"><b style="font-family:georgia,serif">Please send any amateur satellite news or reports to: ans-editor [at] <a href="http://amsat.org" target="_blank">amsat.org</a></b></font></p>
<p><font size="4"><span style="font-family:georgia,serif">Sign up for free e-mail delivery of the AMSAT News Service Bulletins via the ANS List; to join this list see: <a href="https://mailman.amsat.org/postorius/lists/ans.amsat.org/" target="_blank">https://mailman.amsat.org/postorius/lists/ans.amsat.org/</a></span></font></p>
<h2><font size="6"><span style="font-family:georgia,serif">Hamsat to Test New Super-Black Paint That Could Fix Satellite Light Pollution</span></font></h2>
<p><font size="4"><span style="font-family:georgia,serif">AMSAT-UK is delighted to have been able to accept an opportunity to
provide a FUNcube Lite payload, with a mode U/V FM transponder, for the
exciting Jovian-1 satellite. This 6U CubeSat is being designed and built
by Space South Central which is the largest regional space cluster in
the UK.</span></font></p>
<p><font size="4"><span style="font-family:georgia,serif">This is a partnership between industry and academia, designed to
accelerate space business growth, grow the reputation of the south
central region of the UK and foster an environment of innovation.</span></font></p>
<p><font size="4"><span style="font-family:georgia,serif">A collaboration between the universities of Surrey, Portsmouth and
Southampton, JUPITER – the Joint Universities Programme for In-Orbit
Training, Education and Research – will equip participants with
invaluable hands-on space industry experience and training for their
future careers.</span></font></p>
<p><font size="4"><span style="font-family:georgia,serif">The FUNcube Lite payload from AMSAT-UK will collect and send
telemetry from Jovian-1 sub-systems for educational outreach to schools
and colleges, using the tried and tested FUNcube data format. Telemetry
will include data from the payload’s own radiation sensor, along with
GPS information gathered from the satellite’s CAN bus.</span></font></p>
<p><font size="4"><span style="font-family:georgia,serif">These data can be used to map radiation throughout the orbit,
identifying planetary radiation ‘hotspots’ such as the polar regions and
the South Atlantic Anomaly. It will also give an accurate measure of
how much radiation reaches the sensitive electronics within the
satellite.</span></font></p>
<p><font size="4"><span style="font-family:georgia,serif">While Jovian-1 and its ground station at Surrey University will use
commercial S and X band for primary communication, FUNcube Lite will use
frequencies in the amateur UHF and VHF spectrum. When not sending
telemetry, the payload can be configured as a mode U/V FM voice
transponder for amateurs to use for international communications.</span></font></p>
<p style="text-align:center"><font size="4"><span style="font-family:georgia,serif"><img src="https://www.amsat.org/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/jovian-1-intro-slide-1024x576.jpg" alt="" width="1024" height="576"> </span></font></p><p style="text-align:center"><font size="4"><span style="font-family:georgia,serif"><i>(Photo Credit: JUPITER)</i></span></font></p>
<p><font size="4"><span style="font-family:georgia,serif">In addition, Jovian-1 will be a testbed for a new technology to
reduce the impact of low Earth orbit (LEO) satellites on astronomy.</span></font></p>
<p><font size="4"><span style="font-family:georgia,serif">A new partnership between Surrey NanoSystems and the University of
Surrey is aiming to tackle what has become a major concern for
astronomers worldwide.</span></font></p>
<p><font size="4"><span style="font-family:georgia,serif">They are working on using Surrey NanoSystems’s newest product,
Vantablack 310, which is a super-black coating. When Vantablack 310 is
applied to a surface, it reflects only 2% of incoming light, meaning it
absorbs the remaining 98%.</span></font></p>
<p><font size="4"><span style="font-family:georgia,serif">This high level of light absorption makes the coated surfaces appear
extremely dark, helping to minimise the unwanted brightness from
satellites that can disrupt the work of stargazers.</span></font></p>
<p><font size="4"><span style="font-family:georgia,serif">More than 8,000 LEO satellites already orbit Earth, and projections
estimate a rise to 60,000 by 2030, partly driven by the development of
mega-constellations.</span></font></p>
<p style="text-align:center"><font size="4"><span style="font-family:georgia,serif"><img src="https://www.amsat.org/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/NASAconstellations.jpg" alt="" width="750" height="500"><i><br></i></span></font></p><p style="text-align:center"><font size="4"><span style="font-family:georgia,serif"><i>Starlink
satellites are featured in this file photo (Dec. 2024) taken by NASA
astronaut Don Pettit from the International Space Station (ISS). (Photo
credit: Don Pettit/NASA via SWNS and Talker.com)</i></span></font></p>
<p><font size="4"><span style="font-family:georgia,serif">To combat this problem, satellite operators have begun experimenting
with mitigation strategies, including dark coatings and changes to
satellite position, though the negative impact on ground-based
measurement persists.</span></font></p>
<p><font size="4"><span style="font-family:georgia,serif">Surrey NanoSystems, with a heritage in ultra-black technologies, says
their new solution, Vantablack 310, is a handleable, customer-applied
coating, resistant to the challenging LEO environment.</span></font></p>
<p><font size="4"><span style="font-family:georgia,serif">The technology will have its first on-orbit trial on the Jovian-1
mission, scheduled to launch in 2026. One side of the cubesat will be
coated with the material so that reflection and temperature measurements
can be compared.</span></font></p>
<p><font size="4"><span style="font-family:georgia,serif">More information will be provided at the AMSAT-UK Colloquium taking
place during the weekend of October 11-12, 2025 in Milton Keynes, UK. <a href="https://amsat-uk.org/colloquium/" target="_blank">https://amsat-uk.org/colloquium/</a></span></font></p>
<p><font size="4"><span style="font-family:georgia,serif">[ANS thanks AMSAT-UK, Space South Central, and Talker.com for the above information]</span></font></p>
<hr>
<p style="text-align:center"><font size="4"><span style="font-family:georgia,serif"><b>Your 2025 AMSAT President’s Club Coin Is Waiting!</b><br></span></font>
<font size="4"><span style="font-family:georgia,serif"><b>Celebrating the 40th Anniversary of Amateur Radio on Human Spaceflight</b><br></span></font>
<font size="4"><span style="font-family:georgia,serif"><b>Help Support GOLF and Fox Plus.</b></span></font></p>
<p style="text-align:center"><font size="4"><span style="font-family:georgia,serif"><img src="https://www.amsat.org/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/2025-PC-Coin-2-Sided-Color-Web-300x148.jpg" alt="2025 PC Coin Set" width="300" height="148"></span></font></p>
<p style="text-align:center"><font size="4"><span style="font-family:georgia,serif"><b>Join the AMSAT President’s Club today and help</b><br></span></font>
<font size="4"><span style="font-family:georgia,serif"><b>Keep Amateur Radio in Space!</b><br></span></font>
<font size="4"><span style="font-family:georgia,serif"><b><a href="https://www.amsat.org/join-the-amsat-presidents-club/" target="_blank">https://www.amsat.org/join-the-amsat-presidents-club/</a></b></span></font></p>
<hr>
<h2><font size="6"><span style="font-family:georgia,serif">AMSAT Field Day on the Satellites</span></font></h2>
<p><font size="4"><span style="font-family:georgia,serif">It’s that time of year again; summer and Field Day! Each year the
American Radio Relay League (ARRL) sponsors Field Day as a “picnic, a
campout, practice for emergencies, an informal contest and, most of all,
FUN!” The event takes place during a 27-hour period on the fourth
weekend of June. For 2025 the event takes place from 1800 UTC on
Saturday June 28, 2025 through 2100 UTC on Sunday June 29, 2025. Those
who set up prior to 1800 UTC on June 28 can operate only 24 hours. The
Radio Amateur Satellite Corporation (AMSAT) promotes its own version of
Field Day for operation via the amateur satellites, held concurrently
with the ARRL event.</span></font></p>
<p style="text-align:center"><font size="4"><span style="font-family:georgia,serif"><img src="https://www.amsat.org/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/ARRL_Field_Day_Web_Logo_Dates.png" alt="" width="333" height="220"><i><br></i></span></font></p><p style="text-align:center"><font size="4"><span style="font-family:georgia,serif"><i>2025 ARRL Field Day logo (Credit: ARRL)</i></span></font></p>
<p><font size="4"><span style="font-family:georgia,serif">This year should be as much fun as last year since we have more than
10 transponders and repeaters available. Users should check the AMSAT
status page at <a href="http://www.amsat.org/status/" target="_blank">http://www.amsat.org/status/</a> and the pages at <a href="https://www.amsat.org/amateur-satellite-index" target="_blank">https://www.amsat.org/amateur-satellite-index</a> for
what is available in the weeks leading up to field day. To reduce the
amount of time to research each satellite, see the current FM satellite
table at <a href="https://www.amsat.org/live-fm-satellites/" target="_blank">https://www.amsat.org/live-fm-satellites/</a> and the current linear satellite table at <a href="https://www.amsat.org/linear-satellite-frequency-summary/" target="_blank">https://www.amsat.org/linear-satellite-frequency-summary/</a></span></font></p>
<p><font size="4"><span style="font-family:georgia,serif">If you are considering ONLY the FM voice satellites, there are ISS,
SO-50, PO-101, SO-124, SONATE-2 and possibly LilacSat. It might be
easier this year to make that one FM contact for the ARRL bonus points
with so many FM birds. The congestion on FM LEO satellites is always so
intense that we must continue to limit their use to
one-QSO-per-FM-satellite. This includes the International Space Station.
You will be allowed one QSO if the ISS is operating Voice.</span></font></p>
<p><font size="4"><span style="font-family:georgia,serif">It was suggested during past field days that a control station be
allowed to coordinate contacts on the FM satellites. There is nothing in
the rules that would prohibit this. This is nothing more than a single
station working multiple QSO’s. If a station were to act as a control
station and give QSO’s to every other field day station, the control
station would still only be allowed to turn in one QSO per FM satellite
while the other station would be able to submit one QSO.</span></font></p>
<p><font size="4"><span style="font-family:georgia,serif">The format for the message exchange on the ISS or other digital
packet satellite is an unproto packet to the other station (3-way
exchange required) with all the same information as normally exchanged
for ARRL Field Day, e.g.:</span></font></p>
<p><font size="4"><span style="font-family:georgia,serif">W6NWG de KK5DO 2A STX<br>
KK5DO de W6NWG QSL 5A SDG<br>
W6NWG de KK5DO QSL</span></font></p>
<p><font size="4"><span style="font-family:georgia,serif">If you have worked the satellites on Field Day in recent years, you
may have noticed a lot of good contacts can be made on some of the
less-populated, low-earth-orbit satellites like AO-7, RS-44, AO-73,
JO-97 and MO-122. During Field Day the transponders come alive like 20
meters on a weekend. The good news is that the transponders on these
satellites will support multiple simultaneous contacts. The bad news is
that you can’t use FM, just low duty-cycle modes like SSB and CW.</span></font></p>
<p><font size="4"><b style="font-family:georgia,serif">THE 2025 AMSAT FIELD DAY RULES:</b></font></p>
<p><font size="4"><span style="font-family:georgia,serif">The AMSAT Field Day 2025 event is open to all Amateur Radio
operators. Amateurs are to use the exchange as specified in ARRL rules
for Field Day. The AMSAT competition is to encourage the use of all
amateur satellites, both analog and digital. Note that no points will be
credited for any contacts beyond the ONE allowed via each
single-channel FM satellite. Operators are encouraged not to make any
extra contacts via theses satellites (Ex: SO-50). CW contacts and
digital contacts are worth three points as outlined below.</span></font></p>
<p><font size="4"><b style="font-family:georgia,serif">Analog Transponders:</b></font></p>
<p><font size="4"><span style="font-family:georgia,serif">ARRL rules apply, except:</span></font></p>
<ul><li><font size="4"><span style="font-family:georgia,serif">Each phone, CW, and digital segment ON EACH SATELLITE TRANSPONDER is considered to be a separate band.</span></font></li><li><font size="4"><span style="font-family:georgia,serif">CW and digital (RTTY, PSK-31, etc.) contacts count THREE points each.</span></font></li><li><font size="4"><span style="font-family:georgia,serif">Stations may only count one (1) completed QSO on any single channel
FM satellite. If a satellite has multiple modes such as V/u and L/s
modes both turned on, one contact each is allowed. If the PBBS is on –
see Pacsats below, ISS (1 phone and 1 digital), Contacts with the ISS
crew will count for one contact if they are active. PCSat (I, II, etc.)
(1 digital).</span></font></li><li><font size="4"><span style="font-family:georgia,serif">The use of more than one transmitter at the same time on a single satellite transponder is prohibited.</span></font></li></ul>
<p><font size="4"><b style="font-family:georgia,serif">Digital Transponders:</b></font></p>
<p><font size="4"><span style="font-family:georgia,serif">We have only APRS digipeaters and 10m to 70cm PSK transponders (see Bob Bruninga’s article in the March/April, 2016 issue of <i>The AMSAT Journal</i>).</span></font></p>
<p><font size="4"><span style="font-family:georgia,serif">Satellite digipeat QSO’s and APRS short-message contacts are worth
three points each, but must be complete verified two-way exchanges. The
one contact per FM satellite rule is not applied to digital
transponders.</span></font></p>
<p><font size="4"><span style="font-family:georgia,serif">The use of terrestrial gateway stations or internet gateways (i.e. EchoLink, IRLP, etc.) to uplink/downlink is not allowed.</span></font></p>
<p><font size="4"><span style="font-family:georgia,serif">For the Pacsats (FalconSat-3) or ‘Store and Forward’ hamsats, each
satellite is considered a separate band. Do not post “CQ” messages.
Simply upload ONE greeting message to each satellite and download as
many greeting messages as possible from each satellite. The subject of
the uploaded file should be posted as Field Day Greetings, addressed to
ALL. The purpose of this portion of the competition is to demonstrate
digital satellite communications to other Field Day participants and
observers. Do not reply to the Field Day Greetings addressed to ALL.</span></font></p>
<p><font size="4"><span style="font-family:georgia,serif">The following uploads and downloads count as three-point digital contacts.</span></font></p>
<p><font size="4"><span style="font-family:georgia,serif">Upload of a satellite Field Day Greetings file (one per satellite).<br>
Download of Satellite Field Day Greetings files posted by other
stations. Downloads of non-Field Day files or messages not addressed to
ALL are not to be counted for the event. Save DIR listings and message
files for later “proof of contact.”</span></font></p>
<p><font size="4"><span style="font-family:georgia,serif">Please note AMSAT uploaded messages do not count for QSO points under the ARRL rules.</span></font></p>
<p><font size="4"><b style="font-family:georgia,serif">Sample Satellite Field Day Greetings File:</b></font></p>
<p><font size="4"><span style="font-family:georgia,serif">Greetings from W5MSQ Field Day Satellite station near Katy, Texas,
EL-29, with 20 participants, operating class 2A, in the AMSAT-Houston
group with the Houston Amateur Television Society and the Houston QRP
club. All the best and 73!</span></font></p>
<p><font size="4"><span style="font-family:georgia,serif">Note that the message stated the call, name of the group, operating
class, where they were located (the grid square would be helpful) and
how many operators were in attendance.</span></font></p>
<p><font size="4"><b style="font-family:georgia,serif">Operating Class:</b></font></p>
<p><font size="4"><span style="font-family:georgia,serif">Stations operating portable and using emergency power (as per ARRL
Field Day rules) are in a separate operating class from those at home
connected to commercial power. On the report form simply list Emergency
or Commercial for the Power Source and be sure to specify your ARRL
operating class (2A, 1C, etc.) and ARRL section.</span></font></p>
<p><font size="4"><b style="font-family:georgia,serif">AND FINALLY…</b></font></p>
<p><font size="4"><span style="font-family:georgia,serif">The Satellite Summary Sheet should be used for submission of the
AMSAT Field Day competition and be received by KK5DO (e-mail) by 11:59
P.M. CDT, Tuesday, July 29, 2025. This year, we are using the same due
date as the ARRL. The only method for submitting your log is via e-mail
to kk5do at amsatnet dot com or kk5do at arrl dot net. No mail-in
entries.</span></font></p>
<p><font size="4"><span style="font-family:georgia,serif">Add photographs or other interesting information that can be used in an article for the Journal.</span></font></p>
<p><font size="4"><span style="font-family:georgia,serif">You will receive an e-mail back (within one or two days) from me when
I receive your e-mail submission. If you do not receive a confirmation
message, then I have not received your submission. Try sending it again
or send it to my other e-mail address.</span></font></p>
<p><font size="4"><span style="font-family:georgia,serif">Certificates will be awarded for the first-place emergency
power/portable station at the AMSAT General Meeting and Space Symposium
in the fall of 2025. Certificates will also be awarded to the second and
third place portable/emergency operation in addition to the first-place
home station running on emergency power. A station submitting high,
award-winning scores will be requested to send in dupe sheets for analog
contacts and message listings for digital downloads.</span></font></p>
<p><font size="4"><span style="font-family:georgia,serif">You may have multiple rig difficulties, antenna failures, computer
glitches, generator disasters, tropical storms, and there may even be
satellite problems, but the goal is to test your ability to operate in
an emergency situation. Try different gear. Demonstrate satellite
operations to hams that don’t even know the HAMSATS exist. Test your
equipment. Avoid making more than ONE contact via the FM-only voice
HAMSATS or the ISS, and enjoy the event!</span></font></p>
<p><font size="4"><span style="font-family:georgia,serif">Full article and downloadables available at <a href="https://www.amsat.org/field-day/" target="_blank">https://www.amsat.org/field-day/</a></span></font></p>
<p><font size="4"><span style="font-family:georgia,serif">[ANS thanks Bruce Paige, KK5DO, AMSAT Contest and Awards Manager, for the above information]</span></font></p>
<hr>
<h2><font size="6"><span style="font-family:georgia,serif">The Legacy of AMSAT Flight Software – Part 2</span></font></h2>
<p><font size="4"><span style="font-family:georgia,serif">Burns Fisher, WB1FJ, AMSAT Senior Software Engineer spoke at the 2025
Hamvention AMSAT Forum about his involvement in the development of
flight software for AMSAT satellites. In Part 2, Fisher explains that
while Fox satellites are in Low Earth Orbits between approximately 500
km and 800 km altitudes, he needs to test newly added functions required
for navigation and propulsion, part of AMSAT’s strategic goals
involving highly elliptical orbits for wide access satellite missions.</span></font></p>
<p><font size="4"><span style="font-family:georgia,serif">Burns explained, “Adding to complexity is the need for fail over
capability. Fail over is a backup operational mode that automatically
switches to a standby system if the primary system fails. We wanted to
have multiple processors that could fail over in a higher altitude
radiation exposure event using processor coordination. One of the newer
circuit boards we are using is the Radiation Tolerant Internal
Housekeeping Unit (RT-IHU). It includes Error Detection And Correction
(EDAC) memory that performs self-tests while in use. We are using
higher-quality Automotive grade components for that purpose.”</span></font></p>
<p style="text-align:center"><font size="4"><span style="font-family:georgia,serif"><img src="https://www.amsat.org/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/RT-IHU.png" alt="" width="386" height="384"></span></font></p>
<p style="text-align:center"><font size="4"><i style="font-family:georgia,serif">IHU Board – [Credit: AMSAT]</i></font></p>
<p><font size="4"><span style="font-family:georgia,serif">Burns explained “Each processor has two redundant cores that cross
check functionality. Each redundant board has these processor chips,
non-volatile memory as well as separate receiver and transmitter. There
are bus switches that disconnect one processor from the main satellite
bus if there’s a failure.”</span></font></p>
<p><font size="4"><span style="font-family:georgia,serif">He said, “The RT-IHU hasn’t flown on an AMSAT satellite. So we wanted
to have something that had flight heritage for more assurance of
successful operation. In addition to the RT-IHU then, we are flying the
latest revision of the legacy IHU – it’s essentially the same board that
flew successfully seven times. The dual IHUs are connected together on
the GOLF bus. Controlling the multiple IHUs is the job of the
coordination software task mentioned above.</span></font></p>
<p><font size="4"><span style="font-family:georgia,serif">“The RT-IHU also has a telemetry transmitter and a command receiver.
Whichever processor is ‘in control’ at a particular time is responsible
for collecting and transmitting telemetry as well as control satellite
subsystems. All the command receivers are active at all times.”</span></font></p>
<p style="text-align:center"><font size="4"><span style="font-family:georgia,serif"><img src="https://www.amsat.org/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/Fisher-Flat-Sat.jpg" alt="" width="1129" height="527"></span></font></p>
<p style="text-align:center"><font size="4"><i style="font-family:georgia,serif">FlatSat Desktop – [Credit: Burns Fisher]</i></font></p>
<p><font size="4"><span style="font-family:georgia,serif">“In the photo above, you see my software development bench covered
with a “flat sat”—the satellite boards all spread out for easy access.
You can see a purple Breakout Board (BoB) that Leandra Mac Lennan, AF1R
built, tested and documented. It has the IHUs, transmitter and receiver
boards mounted on it. The gray ribbon cable connects the BoB to a
prototype Central Interface Unit (CIU). The big green board in front is
the GPS evaluation board system. The GPS system is used to find out
where the satellite is and get our orbital elements out of it as well as
getting the exact UTC time. Toward the back is the ADAC (Attitude
Determination and Control System). In this flat-sat configuration,
everything is connected by jumper wires,” Burns explained.</span></font></p>
<p><font size="4"><span style="font-family:georgia,serif">“The BoB is a vital element of the board-level testing of satellite
components. A Hamvention 2025 AMSAT forum presentation by Leandra
covered the BoB in detail and will be available shortly.”</span></font></p>
<p><font size="4"><span style="font-family:georgia,serif">Burns continued, “The photo also shows the test equipment I use.
There are two different power supplies because the actual satellite
power supply will provide multiple voltages. In addition, I use an
oscilloscope to help me understand the electrical signals when a data
bus does not operate the way I expect. Flat-sats like this show how we
develop the flight software. Not in in the photo but to the right of
what you see is my Linux computer where the software is edited and
compiled. The software is loaded into the flat-sat IHUs and tested,
often using the console task I mentioned above.”</span></font></p>
<p><font size="4"><span style="font-family:georgia,serif">Burns concluded, “AMSAT software development is a continuous and
increasingly complex process We want to get started writing software
even before we have all the correct boards. It requires additional hours
of work and as well as following the development of all of the
satellite’s subsystems in order to get an idea of the software that will
be required.”</span></font></p>
<p><font size="4"><span style="font-family:georgia,serif">[ANS thanks Burns Fisher, WB1FJ, AMSAT Senior Software Engineer for the above information.]</span></font></p>
<hr>
<p style="text-align:center"><font size="4"><b style="font-family:georgia,serif">Need new satellite antennas?</b></font></p>
<p style="text-align:center"><font size="4"><span style="font-family:georgia,serif"><img src="https://www.amsat.org/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/cm/LEO-Pack-300x298.png" alt="" width="300" height="298"><b><br></b></span></font></p><p style="text-align:center"><font size="4"><span style="font-family:georgia,serif"><b>Purchase M2 LEO-Packs from the AMSAT Store.</b><br></span></font>
<font size="4"><span style="font-family:georgia,serif"><b>When you purchase through AMSAT, a portion of the proceeds goes towards</b><br></span></font>
<font size="4"><span style="font-family:georgia,serif"><b>Keeping Amateur Radio in Space.</b><br></span></font>
<font size="4"><span style="font-family:georgia,serif"><b><a href="https://amsat.org/product-category/hardware/" target="_blank">https://amsat.org/product-category/hardware/</a></b></span></font></p>
<hr>
<h2><font size="6"><span style="font-family:georgia,serif">NASA Science Missions Could Be Cut In 2026 Budget</span></font></h2>
<p><font size="4"><span style="font-family:georgia,serif">President Donald Trump’s fiscal 2026 budget request, if approved by
Congress, would kill many of NASA’s plans for robotic exploration of the
solar system. Gone, too, would be multiple space-based missions to
study Earth, the sun and the rest of the universe.</span></font></p>
<p><font size="4"><span style="font-family:georgia,serif">Among the planets that would get less attention are Venus, Mars and
Jupiter. But the planet facing the biggest drop in scrutiny from space
is our own. The Trump budget proposal calls for reducing Earth science
funding by 53 percent.</span></font></p>
<p><font size="4"><span style="font-family:georgia,serif">Also spiked: a mission that would take a close look at Apophis, a
jumbo asteroid that will pass just 20,000 miles from Earth — closer than
geosynchronous satellites — on April 13, 2029.</span></font></p>
<p><font size="4"><span style="font-family:georgia,serif">The White House Office of Management and Budget said in its request
that NASA’s current spending of more than $7 billion a year on nearly
100 science missions is “unsustainable.”</span></font></p>
<p><font size="4"><span style="font-family:georgia,serif">The Planetary Society, a nonprofit advocacy group for space science,
estimates that 41 current or planned missions, roughly a third of NASA’s
portfolio, would be terminated if the Trump budget is approved as
written. Trump’s proposals would hammer the NASA workforce, triggering
the loss of thousands of civil service and contractor positions.</span></font></p>
<p><font size="4"><span style="font-family:georgia,serif">Congress has the power of the purse, however, and could save missions
targeted for termination. The Senate Commerce, Space and Transportation
Committee, chaired by Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas), is pushing to protect
much of NASA’s funding but is primarily concerned with saving existing
elements of the agency’s Artemis moon program. On Thursday, the
committee proposed restoring billions of dollars to a variety of NASA
projects.</span></font></p>
<p><font size="4"><span style="font-family:georgia,serif">The full article, with a descriptive list of projects that might be cut, may be found at <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/science/2025/06/08/nasa-budget-voyager-space/" target="_blank">https://www.washingtonpost.com/science/2025/06/08/nasa-budget-voyager-space/</a> (possible pay wall).</span></font></p>
<p><font size="4"><span style="font-family:georgia,serif">[ANS thanks <i>The Washington Post</i> for the above information]</span></font></p>
<hr>
<p style="text-align:center"><font size="4"><span style="font-family:georgia,serif"><b>Want to fly the colors on your own grid expedition?</b><br></span></font>
<font size="4"><span style="font-family:georgia,serif"><b>Get your AMSAT car flag and other neat stuff from our Zazzle store!</b></span></font></p>
<p style="text-align:center"><font size="4"><span style="font-family:georgia,serif"><img src="https://www.amsat.org/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/AMSAT-Car-Flag-e1705691761784-300x235.png" alt="" width="300" height="235"><b><br></b></span></font></p><p style="text-align:center"><font size="4"><span style="font-family:georgia,serif"><b>25% of the purchase price of each product goes towards</b><br></span></font>
<font size="4"><span style="font-family:georgia,serif"><b>Keeping Amateur Radio in Space</b><br></span></font>
<font size="4"><span style="font-family:georgia,serif"><a href="https://www.zazzle.com/amsat_gear" target="_blank"><b>https://www.zazzle.com/amsat_gear</b></a></span></font></p>
<hr>
<h2><font size="6"><span style="font-family:georgia,serif">Changes to AMSAT-NA TLE Distribution for June 20</span></font></h2>
<p><font size="4"><span style="font-family:georgia,serif">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 <a href="https://www.amsat.org/keplerian-elements-resources/" target="_blank">https://www.amsat.org/keplerian-elements-resources/</a>.</span></font></p>
<p><font size="4"><span style="font-family:georgia,serif">This week there are no additions or deletions to the AMSAT TLE distribution.</span></font></p>
<p><font size="4"><span style="font-family:georgia,serif">[ANS thanks Joe Fitzgerald, KM1P, AMSAT Orbital Elements Manager for the above information]</span></font></p>
<hr>
<p style="text-align:center"><font size="4"><span style="font-family:georgia,serif"><img src="https://www.amsat.org/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/AMSAT-SDR-Gen2-GNU-Radio-Based-Transverter.jpg" alt="" width="849" height="521"></span></font></p>
<hr>
<h2><font size="6"><span style="font-family:georgia,serif">SpaceX to Launch Fourth Commercial Axiom Mission to the Space Station</span></font></h2>
<p><font size="4"><span style="font-family:georgia,serif">Axiom Space is on verge of its fourth private astronaut mission to
space in as many years. The flight, dubbed Axiom Mission 4 (Ax-4), will
see the astronauts from India, Poland and Hungary reach the
International Space Station (ISS) for the first time.</span></font></p>
<p><font size="4"><span style="font-family:georgia,serif">The four crew members, led by Axiom Space’s Director of Human
Spaceflight, Peggy Whitson, will embark on a roughly two-week mission to
the orbiting outpost. The quartet will launch onboard a SpaceX Falcon 9
rocket from NASA’s Kennedy Space Center, but the launch was delayed due
to a variety of issues, including an air leak on the ISS, weather, and a
possible issue with the Falcon 9 booster rocket.</span></font></p>
<p><font size="4"><span style="font-family:georgia,serif">SpaceX had also said on Sunday, June 15, it was reviewing data from a
static test firing that took place that day, suggesting there was
perhaps an undisclosed technical problem. The mission was previously
delayed from late May because the mission’s brand new Crew Dragon
spacecraft was not ready.</span></font></p>
<p><font size="4"><span style="font-family:georgia,serif">The mission, dubbed Axiom Mission 4 or Ax-4, features the debut of
the Crew Dragon spacecraft, tail number C213. This has been billed by
SpaceX as its fifth and final Dragon capsule. SpaceX’s long-term goals
are to shift its human spaceflight missions from Dragon to its Starship
rocket, which it said will be capable of ferrying dozens of people into
space.</span></font></p>
<p><font size="4"><span style="font-family:georgia,serif">A number of amateur radio contacts are among the tasks that are to be
performed by the Axiom crew during their time aboard the ISS.</span></font></p>
<p><font size="4"><span style="font-family:georgia,serif">[ANS thanks Spaceflight Now for the above information]</span></font></p>
<hr>
<h2><font size="6"><span style="font-family:georgia,serif">ARISS NEWS</span></font></h2>
<p style="text-align:center"><font size="4"><span style="font-family:georgia,serif"><img src="https://www.amsat.org/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/ariss-logo.png" alt="ARISS News" width="535" height="144"><br></span></font></p><p><font size="4"><span style="font-family:georgia,serif">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.</span></font></p>
<p><font size="4"><span style="font-family:georgia,serif"><b>RECENTLY COMPLETED:</b><br>
Youth On The Air 2025, Denver, Colorado, direct via WØY<br>
The ISS callsign is presently scheduled to be NA1SS<br>
The scheduled crewmember is Nichole Ayers, KJ5GWI<br>
The ARISS mentor is N7GZT<br>
Contact was successful: Thu 2025-06-19 17:32:31 UTC 48 degrees maximum elevation<br>
Congratulations to the YOTA 2025 students, Nichole, mentor N7GZT, and ground station WØY<br>
Watch for Livestream at <a href="https://youtube.com/live/I7JFXlzjrKc?feature=share" target="_blank">https://youtube.com/live/I7JFXlzjrKc?feature=share</a> and <a href="https://www.youtube.com/@yotaregion2/streams" target="_blank">https://www.youtube.com/@yotaregion2/streams</a></span></font></p>
<p><font size="4"><span style="font-family:georgia,serif"><b>UPCOMING:</b><br>
A number of previously announced contacts associated with the Axiom mission are being reschedule due to the launch delay.</span></font></p>
<p><font size="4"><span style="font-family:georgia,serif">The crossband repeater continues to be <b>ACTIVE</b>
(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.</span></font></p>
<p><font size="4"><span style="font-family:georgia,serif">The packet system is currently <b>OFF</b> (145.825 MHz up & down).</span></font></p>
<p><font size="4"><span style="font-family:georgia,serif">As always, if there is an EVA, a docking, or an undocking; the ARISS radios are turned off as part of the safety protocol.</span></font></p>
<p><font size="4"><span style="font-family:georgia,serif">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.</span></font></p>
<p><font size="4"><span style="font-family:georgia,serif">The latest information on the operation mode can be found at <a href="https://www.ariss.org/current-status-of-iss-stations.html" target="_blank">https://www.ariss.org/current-status-of-iss-stations.html</a></span></font></p>
<p><font size="4"><span style="font-family:georgia,serif">The latest list of frequencies in use can be found at <a href="https://www.ariss.org/contact-the-iss.html" target="_blank">https://www.ariss.org/contact-the-iss.html</a></span></font></p>
<p><font size="4"><span style="font-family:georgia,serif">[ANS thanks Charlie Sufana, AJ9N, one of the ARISS operation team mentors for the above information]</span></font></p>
<hr>
<h2><font size="6"><span style="font-family:georgia,serif">AMSAT Ambassador Activities</span></font></h2>
<p><font size="4"><span style="font-family:georgia,serif">AMSAT Ambassadors provide presentations, demonstrate communicating
through amateur satellites, and host information tables at club
meetings, hamfests, conventions, maker faires, and other events.</span></font></p>
<p><font size="4"><span style="font-family:georgia,serif">June 21, 2025<br></span></font>
<font size="4"><span style="font-family:georgia,serif"><b>Rochester Amateur Radio Association Hamfest 2025</b><br>
Barnard Fire Field<br>
410 Maiden Lane Rochester, NY 14616<br>
KB2YSI</span></font></p>
<p><font size="4"><span style="font-family:georgia,serif">August 21-24, 2025<br></span></font>
<font size="4"><span style="font-family:georgia,serif"><b>Northeast HamXposition (HamX) & New England ARRL Convention</b><br>
Best Western Royal Plaza & Trade Center<br>
181 Boston Post Road W<br>
Marlborough, MA 01752<br></span></font>
<font size="4"><span style="font-family:georgia,serif"><a href="http://www.HamX.org" target="_blank">http://www.HamX.org</a><br>
W1EME, WD4ASW, WB1FJ</span></font></p>
<p><font size="4"><span style="font-family:georgia,serif">September 6, 2025<br></span></font>
<font size="4"><span style="font-family:georgia,serif"><b>Greater Louisville Hamfest</b><br>
Paroquet Springs Conference Centre<br>
395 Paroquet Springs Drive<br>
Shepherdsville, KY 40165<br>
W4FCL</span></font></p>
<p><font size="4"><span style="font-family:georgia,serif">October 16, 17, 18, 19, 2025<br></span></font>
<font size="4"><span style="font-family:georgia,serif"><b>AMSAT Board of Directors Meeting and 43rd Annual AMSAT Space Symposium & Annual General Meeting</b><br>
Holiday Inn & Suites Phoenix Airport North<br>
1515 North 44th Street<br>
Phoenix, Arizona 85008<br>
Details at <a href="https://www.amsat.org/2025-symposium/" target="_blank">https://www.amsat.org/2025-symposium/</a></span></font></p>
<p><font size="4"><span style="font-family:georgia,serif">[ANS thanks Bo Lowrey, W4FCL, Director – AMSAT Ambassador Program, for the above information]</span></font></p>
<hr>
<h2><font size="6"><span style="font-family:georgia,serif">Satellite Shorts From All Over</span></font></h2>
<p><font size="4"><span style="font-family:georgia,serif">+ ARRL’s Logbook of the World (LoTW) is the primary means for
providing confirmations for AMSAT awards such as GridMaster, Rover, and
Reverse VUCC, as well as ARRL Awards, such as VUCC, DXCC, and Worked All
States. Almost all satellite operators use it. As a part of the ongoing
modernization of the ARRL systems infrastructure, LoTW will be
receiving major upgrades to the operating system it is running on, the
relational database system it uses to store and access logbook and
awards data, and server hosting, where it will be fully migrated to the
cloud. These changes will, among other improvements, ensure LoTW
performance needs can be better met based on user demand. <b>LoTW will be unavailable from June 27 to July 2, 2025, to complete these upgrades. </b>(ANS thanks ARRL for the above information.)</span></font></p>
<p style="text-align:center"><font size="4"><span style="font-family:georgia,serif"><img src="https://www.amsat.org/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/LoTW-The-ARRL-R_1-300x198.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="198"></span></font></p>
<p><font size="4"><span style="font-family:georgia,serif">+ A SpaceX Starship rocket exploded in a huge fireball on a test
stand late Wednesday, June 18 during preparations for its next launch.
The upper stage Starship vehicle experienced a “major anomaly” before
starting a test fire at around 11 p.m. local time, SpaceX said on social
media. All personnel were safe and there were no hazards to the
residents of nearby communities, SpaceX, a commercial space launch
company, said. (ANS thanks <i>The New York Times</i> for the above information.)</span></font></p>
<p><font size="4"><span style="font-family:georgia,serif">+ Astronomers have discovered that the largest comet from the Oort
Cloud, a shell of icy bodies at the very edge of the solar system, is
bursting with chemical activity. Using the Atacama Large
Millimeter/submillimeter Array (ALMA) in Chile, the team discovered that
C/2014 UN271, an 85-mile-wide (137 km) body around 10 times the size of
the average comet and also known as Bernardinelli-Bernstein, is
erupting with complex and evolving jets of carbon monoxide gas. Now
located halfway between the sun and the solar system’s furthest planet,
Neptune (or 16.6 times the distance between the Earth and our star),
C/2014 UN271 becomes the second-most distant comet originating from the
Oort Cloud that has been seen to be chemically active. Full article at <a href="http://bit.ly/4nb7W0c" target="_blank">http://bit.ly/4nb7W0c</a> (ANS thanks Space.com for the above information.)</span></font></p>
<p><font size="4"><span style="font-family:georgia,serif">+ China’s Shijian-21 and Shijian-25 satellites had been moving toward
each other in geosynchronous orbit, around 22,236 miles (35,786
kilometers) above the equator, Spacenews reported on June 6. And now the
pair appear to have had a brief first encounter, according to
observations from the ground. Optical tracking by the space situational
awareness firm s2a systems shows a close approach between the two on
June 14, with the pair, at times, virtually unresolvable from the other.
This suggests that Shijian-21 and Shijian-25 made at least a test-run
close approach and may have even performed a docking and undocking test.
Full article at <a href="http://bit.ly/407WHLV" target="_blank">http://bit.ly/407WHLV</a> (ANS thanks Space.com for the above information.)</span></font></p>
<p><font size="4"><span style="font-family:georgia,serif">+ Honda has successfully tested an experimental reusable rocket, the
company said, as it seeks to expand into the space sector. The
automaker, which hopes to develop the tech prowess for a suborbital
launch by 2029, conducted a test flight of its rocket on the northern
Japanese island of Hokkaido. The prototype device, around six metres (20
feet) tall, landed only 37 centimetres from its designated landing spot
after the one-minute flight. (ANS thanks AFP and <a href="http://spacedaily.com" target="_blank">spacedaily.com</a> for the
above information.)</span></font></p>
<p><font size="4"><span style="font-family:georgia,serif">+ Astronomers have discovered a huge filament of hot gas bridging
four galaxy clusters. At 10 times as massive as our galaxy, the thread
could contain some of the Universe’s ‘missing’ matter, addressing a
decades-long mystery. The astronomers used the European Space Agency’s
XMM-Newton and JAXA’s Suzaku X-ray space telescopes to make the
discovery. Over one-third of the ‘normal’ matter in the local Universe –
the visible stuff making up stars, planets, galaxies, life – is
“missing.” It hasn’t yet been seen, but it’s needed to make our models
of the cosmos work properly. While we’ve spotted filaments before,
they’re typically faint, making it difficult to isolate their light from
that of any galaxies, black holes, and other objects lying nearby. (ANS
thanks the European Space Agency for the above information.)</span></font></p>
<hr>
<p><font size="4"><span style="font-family:georgia,serif">Join AMSAT today at <a href="https://launch.amsat.org/" target="_blank">https://launch.amsat.org/</a></span></font></p>
<p><font size="4"><span style="font-family:georgia,serif">In addition to regular membership, AMSAT offers membership to:</span></font></p>
<p><font size="4"><span style="font-family:georgia,serif">* Societies (a recognized group, clubs or organization).<br>
* Primary and secondary school students are eligible for membership at one-half the standard yearly rate.<br>
* 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.<br>
* Memberships are available for annual and lifetime terms.</span></font></p>
<p><font size="4"><span style="font-family:georgia,serif">Contact info [at] <a href="http://amsat.org" target="_blank">amsat.org</a> for additional membership information.</span></font></p>
<p><font size="4"><span style="font-family:georgia,serif">73 and remember to help Keep Amateur Radio in Space!</span></font></p>
<p><font size="4"><span style="font-family:georgia,serif">This week’s ANS Editor, Mark Johns, KØJM<br>
mjohns [at] <a href="http://amsat.org" target="_blank">amsat.org</a></span></font></p>
<p><font size="4"><span style="font-family:georgia,serif">ANS is a service of AMSAT, the Radio Amateur Satellite Corporation, 712 H Street NE, Suite 1653, Washington, DC 20002</span></font></p>
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