[jamsat-news:3971] [ANS] ANS-348 ​AMSAT News Service Bulletins

[Mark Johns, K0JM via ANS]

*AMSAT *News ServiceANS-348
December 14, 2025

In this edition:

* Soyuz Crew Lands Ending Eight-Month Space Research Journey
* Satellites Experience “Orbital Summer” And “Orbital Winter”
* CCSDS Development Competition Open to European Hams
* VUCC Satellite Standing December 2025
* DXCC Satellite Standing for December 2025
* A Dying Satellite May Photograph Asteroid Apophis in 2029
* Changes to AMSAT-NA TLE Distribution
* Boeing’s Next Starliner Flight Will Carry Cargo Only
* 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]
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------------------------------
Soyuz Crew Lands Ending Eight-Month Space Research Journey

The crew of Soyuz MS-27, including NASA astronaut Jonny Kim, KJ5HKP, along
with Russian Cosmonauts Sergey Ryzhikov and Alexey Zubritsky, returned
safely to Earth after living aboard the International Space Station (ISS)
in weightlessness for 245 days. The return marked the end of ISS Expedition
73.

Lieutenant Commander (LCDR, U.S. Navy) Jonny Kim was born and raised in Los
Angeles, California to Korean-American immigrants. He enlisted in the Navy
as a Seaman recruit after graduating high school in 2002. After completion
of Hospital Corpsman “A” school training, he reported to Basic Underwater
Demolition/SEAL (BUD/S) training in Coronado, CA. After completing his
training at Naval Special Warfare, Kim reported to the John F. Kennedy
Special Warfare Center and School in Fort Liberty, NC for the Special
Operations Combat Medic Course. He was assigned as a Special Warfare
Operator to SEAL Team THREE in San Diego, CA and obtained various
qualifications including Military Freefall Parachutist, Advanced SCUBA,
Combatant Diver (closed circuit rebreather), Naval Special Warfare Special
Reconnaissance Scout and Sniper, and Advanced Special Operations
Techniques. As a Navy SEAL he completed more than 100 combat operations.

In 2012, Petty Officer First Class Kim was commissioned as a naval officer
through the Navy’s enlisted-to-officer commissioning program, Seaman to
Admiral-21, following graduation from the University of San Diego. Kim
obtained his medical degree from Harvard Medical School and completed his
internship with the Harvard Affiliated Emergency Medicine Residency at
Massachusetts General Hospital and Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston,
MA.

Kim is an Aeromedical Dual Designated (AMDD) Naval Aviator and Flight
Surgeon, he completed his primary flight training at Naval Air Station
(NAS) Corpus Christi, TX, helicopter advanced flight training at NAS
Whiting Field in Milton, FL, and the Naval Flight Surgeon course at the
Naval Aerospace Medical Institute at NAS Pensacola, FL.

Selected by NASA in 2017, Kim completed two years of training as an
Astronaut Candidate. Training included technical and operational
instruction in International Space Station systems, Extravehicular
Activities (EVA) Operations, T-38 flight training, robotics, physiological
training, expeditionary training, field geology, water and wilderness
survival training, and Russian language proficiency training. In 2020, Kim
began his support of International Space Station operations as a Capsule
Communicator (CapCom) in Mission Control Center Houston and the Artemis
program under the astronaut Exploration branch. He served as the
International Space Station’s Increment Lead for Expedition 65 in 2021.

As part of his astronaut training, Kim earned his Technician Class amateur
radio license in July of 2024.



*Soyuz MS-27 crew members (from left) NASA astronaut Jonny Kim and
Roscosmos cosmonauts Sergey Ryzhikov and Alexey Zubritsky pose for a
pre-flight portrait at the Gagarin Cosmonaut Training Center in Russia.
(Credit: GCTC)*

Kim launched to the International Space Station on April 8, 2025, as a
flight engineer on the Soyuz MS-27 spacecraft. He spent eight months aboard
the station as an Expedition 72/73 flight engineer, conducting science
experiments and maintaining the space station. During the science
expedition, Kim orbited the Earth 3,920 times and traveling nearly 104
million miles. He saw the arrival of nine visiting spacecraft and the
departure of six during his time in orbit.

This was Kim’s first spaceflight, where he served as flight engineer for
Expedition 72 and 73. This also was Zubritsky’s first trip to the space
station. Ryzhikov now has logged a total of 603 days in space during three
trips to the orbital complex, ranking him 13th all time.

The three crew members were flown by helicopter to Karaganda, Kazakhstan,
where recovery teams are based. After medical exams, Kim boarded a NASA
aircraft and returned to Houston to spend Christmas with his wife and their
three children.

Expedition 74 is now underway with veteran NASA astronaut Mike Fincke,
KE5AIT, as commander leading six flight engineers including NASA astronauts
Zena Cardman, KJ5CMN, and Chris Williams, KJ5GEW, JAXA (Japan Aerospace
Exploration Agency) astronaut Kimiya Yui, KG5BPH, and Roscosmos cosmonauts
Oleg Platonov, Sergey Kud-Sverchkov and Sergei Mikaev.

*[ANS thanks NASA for the above information.]*
------------------------------

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------------------------------
Satellites Experience “Orbital Summer” And “Orbital Winter”

Think satellites are immune to seasons? Think again!

They experience “Orbital Summer” and “Orbital Winter” with extreme effects.
Because of the position of the Earth, as well as the orbital path,
satellites experience periods when they are entirely out of Earth’s shadow
(“orbital summer”) and periods when they are in “eclipse” for most or all
of their orbits (“orbital winter”).

What does this mean for their batteries and temperature?


*(Credit: TinyGS)*

When fully illuminated, solar panels are generating non-stop power and
batteries are fully charged. But “Orbital Summer” isn’t just about light;
it’s about heat. Without the shadow of an eclipse to cool down, the
satellite heats up, putting stress on batteries and other components.

Conversely, when “Orbital Winter” happens, a satellite will experience
maximum eclipse time. When in eclipse, batteries may not charge
sufficiently. Satellites must survive long periods in the dark, relying
heavily on batteries and internal heaters to keep from freezing.

“Orbital Summer” And “Orbital Winter” are primary contributors to satellite
failure, and a major challenge to those who build and operate satellites of
all types.

*[ANS thanks TinyGS for the above information.]*
------------------------------

*Only 2 Weeks Left to Get Your 2025 Coin!*
*Celebrate the 40th Anniversary of Amateur Radio on Human Spaceflight*
*Help Support GOLF and FoxPlus.*

[image: 2025 PC Coin Set]

*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/>
------------------------------
CCSDS Development Competition Open to European Hams

The European Space Agency (ESA) is presenting a pilot programme on behalf
of The Consultative Committee for Space Data Systems (CCSDS) and is pleased
to announce a new outreach initiative aimed at strengthening engagement
with the European amateur satellite and academic communities. This
initiative supports the wider objective of promoting the adoption and
practical application of CCSDS space communication standards.

CCSDS invites European amateur satellite operators, students, educators,
and academic researchers to participate and to help advance open,
interoperable space communication technologies.

ESA, in partnership with Goonhilly Earth Station, CCSDS, AMSAT-UK, and
AMSAT-DL, are launching a competition to develop high-quality reference
implementations of selected CCSDS protocols.

This competition is sponsored by the European Space Agency (ESA).

*About the Competition*

This programme invites participants to:

Develop open, standards-compliant reference implementations of CCSDS
protocols
Contribute to a shared technical resource for amateur satellite operators,
universities, and research groups
Gain recognition within both the CCSDS community and the broader space
communications field

An in-person hackathon at Goonhilly Earth Station will be available to
interested participants, providing a unique environment for collaboration,
expert guidance, and accelerated development.

Goonhilly Earth Station is coordinating the competition and will not assert
any ownership over Hackathon/Competition outputs.

*Prize*

Winners of the competition will receive an invitation to attend a CCSDS
conference in the United States, where they will present their results to
the international CCSDS community.

*Protocols Featured in the Competition*

These are the outlines of the two CCSDS protocols selected for this
competition:

LunaNet Signal-In-Space Recommended Standard – Augmented Forward Signal
(LSIS – AFS)
The LSIS–AFS standard defines how lunar orbiters or surface systems
broadcast a unified navigation and timing signal to support future missions
on and around the Moon. It provides a framework for creating an enhanced,
interoperable “forward signal” that spacecraft, rovers, and astronauts can
use for more accurate positioning, timing, and situational awareness.

*Space Communications Session Control (CCSDS 235.1)*

The CCSDS 235.1 standard defines how space missions establish, manage, and
conclude communication sessions between spacecraft and ground systems. It
provides a common framework that ensures reliable coordination when
exchanging data, sending commands, and transitioning between communication
states.

Participants may choose either to develop a functional concept or prototype
that demonstrates how the LSIS–AFS signal could be designed, transmitted,
interpreted, or applied to support future lunar missions, or to create a
practical, interoperable reference implementation of Space Communications
Session Control aligned with the CCSDS 235.1 standard.

*A Long-Term Vision: Toward a Cislunar Amateur Radio Payload*

CCSDS is pleased to highlight a longer-term aspiration linked to this
initiative. In close cooperation with its partners—particularly ESA, which
is proposing a future cislunar amateur radio payload—CCSDS intends to
support the preparation of the most successful protocol implementations for
potential consideration for flight.

This offers an exceptional opportunity for community-developed
CCSDS-compliant software to be demonstrated in a deep-space operational
environment.

This prospective mission is subject to funding and programme approval.

*Contact and Expressions of Interest*

For enquiries or to express interest in participating, please contact:
esa-competition ＠ amsat-uk.org

Additional details—including eligibility criteria, protocol specifications,
submission requirements, evaluation processes, and timelines—will be
released soon.

*[ANS thanks the AMSAT-UK for the above information.]*
------------------------------
VUCC Satellite Standing December 2025

————————————————————
VUCC Satellite Award/Endorsement Change Summary for
November 01, 2025 to November 30, 2025.
————————————————————
Call Nov Dec
E70A 840 901
A65BR 676 701
F6GLJ 609 701
EA3TA 607 681
AD2DD 604 650
HP2VX 527 543
N6PAZ 495 500
PY2HZ New 427
OH3DP 300 352
BI1QGX 102 350
W6IA 278 302
PY2YJ 210 266
DH0GSU 170 204
N9HF New 185
KT8O 153 175
WB5TX 151 156
BI1NWO New 126
DF3VG New 123

Congratulations to the new VUCC Satellite holders.

PY2HZ
N9HF
BI1NWO
DF3VG

N0HF is first VUCC Satellite holder from EL99
PY2HZ is first VUCC Satellite holder from GG48

*[ANS thanks Jon Goering, N7AZ for the above information.]*
------------------------------
------------------------------
DXCC Satellite Standings for December, 2025

————————————————————
DXCC Satellite Award/Endorsement Change Summary for
November 01, 2025 to December 01, 2025.
————————————————————
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.
JK2XXK
I1YDT
YB5QZ

YB5QZ is first DXCC Satellite holder from Indonesia and OJ00

*[ANS thanks Jon Goering, N7AZ, for the above information.]*
------------------------------
A Dying Satellite May Photograph Asteroid Apophis in 2029

An Australian company wants to join efforts to study a rare space event,
conducting its own flyby of the asteroid Apophis when it makes its close
approach to Earth in 2029.

Sydney-based HEO Robotics, a provider of commercial satellite-to-satellite
imagery, wants to add to the international missions already planning to get
up close to the 1,115-foot-wide (340 meters) asteroid Apophis as it zooms
by Earth in April 2029 by buying a satellite near the end of its life up in
geostationary orbit and use its remaining fuel.


* An illustration of the “God of Destruction” asteroid Apophis as it makes
a close approach to Earth in April 2029 (Image credit: Jonathan Männel /
with Eyes on the Solar System, NASA/JPL)*

Satellites in the geostationary belt (GEO) orbit 22,236 miles (35,786
kilometers) above the equator. Spacecraft nearing the end of their lives
use their remaining fuel to head into a so-called graveyard orbit above GEO
to take themselves out of the way of the operational satellites. HEO aims
to buy a satellite near the end of its mission lifetime and, using a little
more fuel than needed for the graveyard trip, make a close approach to
Apophis, which will pass within the GEO belt when it makes its close
approach to Earth on Friday, April 13, 2029.

*[ANS thanks Space.com for the above information. Read the full article at
https://www.space.com/astronomy/asteroids/a-dying-satellite-could-use-its-final-moments-to-photograph-the-infamous-asteroid-apophis-in-2029
<https://www.space.com/astronomy/asteroids/a-dying-satellite-could-use-its-final-moments-to-photograph-the-infamous-asteroid-apophis-in-2029>]*
------------------------------
Changes to AMSAT TLE Distribution for December 12, 2025

Two Line Elements or TLEs, often referred to as Keplerian elements or keps
in the amateur community, are the inputs to the SGP4 standard mathematical
model of spacecraft orbits used by most amateur tracking programs. Weekly
updates are completely adequate for most amateur satellites. TLE bulletin
files are updated daily in the first hour of the UTC day. New bulletin
files will be posted immediately after reliable elements become available
for new amateur satellites. More information may be found at
 https://www.amsat.org/keplerian-elements-resources/
<https://www.amsat.org/keplerian-elements-resources/>.

The following satellite has been *removed* from this week’s AMSAT TLE
Distribution:

Duchifat 3 NORAD Cat ID 44854 Decayed from orbit on or about 08 Dec 2025

The following satellites have been *added* to this week’s AMSAT TLE
Distribution:

SilverSat NORAD Cat ID 66909 Downlink frequency: 437.175 MHz
BEE-1000 NORAD Cat ID 66650 Downlink frequency: 436.5 MHz
SNUGLITE_III DURI NORAD Cat ID 66661 Downlink frequency 436.789 MHz

*[ANS thanks Joe Fitzgerald, KM1P, AMSAT Orbital Elements Manager, for the
above information.]*
------------------------------
Boeing’s Next Starliner Flight Will Carry Cargo Only

NASA ended months of speculation about the next flight of Boeing’s
Starliner spacecraft, confirming that the vehicle will carry only cargo to
the International Space Station.

NASA and Boeing are now targeting no earlier than April 2026 to fly the
uncrewed Starliner-1 mission, the space agency said. Launching by next
April will require completion of rigorous test, certification, and mission
readiness activities, NASA added in a statement.

Starliner’s first flight in December 2019, without crew, had to be
truncated after software problems plagued the vehicle. It was nearly lost
shortly after launch as well as before atmospheric reentry. It did not make
a planned rendezvous with the space station.

*Boeing’s Starliner spacecraft is pictured docked to the Harmony module’s
forward port at the International Space Station. Photo credit: NASA*

The second mission, Orbital Flight Test 2, took place in May 2022. Because
of problems on the previous mission, this spacecraft also flew uncrewed.
This flight was more successful, reaching the space station despite some
thruster issues.

NASA then spent more than two years testing Starliner on the ground before
its first crewed flight in 2024, carrying NASA astronauts Butch Wilmore and
Suni Williams, KD5PLB. During its approach to the space station, the
Starliner spacecraft once again experienced serious thruster issues.
(However, the life-and-death nature of this flight was not revealed until
nearly a year later.) Starliner ultimately docked with the station, but
after heated deliberations, NASA informed Boeing that the vehicle would
return to Earth uncrewed.

As a result, a Dragon mission was launched later in 2024 carrying just two
astronauts instead of a full complement of four. This allowed for the safe
return of Wilmore and Williams in March 2025.

*[ANS thanks Wired for the above information. Read the full article at
https://www.wired.com/story/boeings-next-starliner-flight-will-only-be-allowed-to-carry-cargo/
<https://www.wired.com/story/boeings-next-starliner-flight-will-only-be-allowed-to-carry-cargo/>.]*
------------------------------
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*

*Due to the holidays, no contacts are scheduled until after the first of
the year.*

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.]*
------------------------------
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Get an AMSAT car flag and other neat stuff from our Zazzle store
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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.

*None currently scheduled.*

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

+ Earth observation satellite TUBIN of Technical University Berlin, Germany
is about to re-enter Earth’s atmosphere in the upcoming days; 16th December
+/-1 day. During the orbit decay it is transmitting a telemetry beacon
every 10 seconds, including position, attitude, temperatures, etc. via
amateur radio UHF band at 435.950 MHz. Researchers would appreciate support
of additional radio amateurs listening in and forward the received
telemetry data. Further information can be found at
https://community.libre.space/t/tubin-tubsat-27-re-entry/13998. As the
orbit is decaying quite fast, most recent TLE’s shall be used, which are
frequently updated at
https://db.satnogs.org/api/tle/?format=3le&norad_cat_id=48900. Any decoded
frames, audio recordings or reception reports are very welcome and can be
submitted following the instructions in
https://community.libre.space/t/tubin-tubsat-27-re-entry/13998. The team at
TU Berlin will collect all contributions and can provide specialized TUBIN
re-entry QSL cards. Full project overview at
https://www.tu.berlin/en/raumfahrttechnik/research/current-projects/tubin.
(ANS thanks Steffen Reinert of Technische Universität Berlin for the above
information.)

+ SkyRoof, a Windows application for Hams and satellite enthusiasts by Alex
Shovkoplyas, VE3NEA, was recently featured on the website of AMSAT-SM, the
Swedish amateur radio satellite organization. The article by Lars Thunberg,
SMØTGU, may be found at
https://www.amsat.se/2025/11/22/skyroof-sdr-satellite-software/. Lars also
has an interesting article on setting up a LORA telemetry groundstation at
https://www.amsat.se/category/operations/. (ANS thanks AMSAT-SM for the
above information.)

+ Similarly, Peter Goodhall, MM9SQL, has developed Zenith, a web-based
tracking application. Information at https://zenithtracker.org/. (ANS
thanks Peter Goodhall, MM9SQL, for the above information.)

+ AMSAT’s CubeSat Simulator gets excellent reviews, but a budget version is
available from the Ukraine for those with access to 3-D printing and a
willingness to overcome some bugs and limitations. A YouTube video reviews
the project at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pvtHcwemfco (ANS thanks
@saveitforparts for the above information.)

+ At next year’s World Radiocommunications Conference (WRC-25), governments
will face a choice that goes to the heart of how we monitor our warming
planet. Some regulators are wondering whether to open part of the X-band —
the 8.025–8.4 GHz range used by Earth observation satellites — to 5G and 6G
mobile networks. Several major telecom operators have been pushing for this
move, arguing that they could use this spectrum more efficiently and pay
countries handsomely for the right to do so. Eleven satellite-focused
companies have formed the Remote Sensing Collective to resist the change.
They’ve done this because the satellites we depend on to understand the
environment depend in turn on the X-band. (ANS thanks SpaceNews for the
above information. Read the full article at http://bit.ly/44pC8wX.)

+ Last month, Chinese astronauts on board the country’s Tiangong space
station discovered cracks in the window of their return vehicle, the
Shenzhou-20, which officials suspected were the result of a space debris
strike. The spacecraft was deemed not safe enough to return its crew,
prompting an orbital game of musical chairs as the China Manned Space
Agency (CMSA) launched an emergency uncrewed replacement spacecraft,
Shenzhou-22, to the station. Two Shenzhou-21 astronauts embarked on the
mission’s first spacewalk on December 9, inspecting and photographing a
damaged spacecraft window which triggered an earlier emergency launch. CMSA
did not publicize results. (ANS thanks Futurism.com for the above
information. Read the full article at
https://futurism.com/space/chinese-astronauts-spacewalk-station-damaged-spacecraft
.)

+ NASA has lost contact with the Mars Atmosphere and Volatile Evolution, or
MAVEN, a spacecraft that has circled the planet for more than a decade,
collecting science data and serving as a key communications relay. (ANS
thanks SpaceNews 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 <http://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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