[jamsat-news:3968] [ANS] ANS-320 AMSAT News Service bulletins

[Mark Johns, K0JM via ANS]

 *AMSAT *News Service *ANS-320*
*November 16, 2025*

In this edition:

* BOTAN Digipeater Schedule a Challenge for U.S. Hams
* Launch Scrubbed Due to ‘Highly Elevated Solar Activity’
* Alarm Over Reductions at Goddard Space Flight Center
* Comet Photos Plagued by Satellite Streaks
* Changes to AMSAT-NA TLE Distribution
* ARISS SSTV Event Continues
* 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 <http://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:
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------------------------------
BOTAN Digipeater Schedule a Challenge for U.S. Hams

BOTAN, a 1U cubesat built by students of the Chiba Institute of Technology
in Japan, was deployed from the International Space Station (ISS) on
October 10 via the Japanese Space Agency (JAXA) “Kibo” module. The
satellite carries an earth-observation camera downloading images upon
ground station command at 437.375 MHz. These downloads occur primarily when
the satellite is over Japan.

Information on the satellite may be found at
https://sites.google.com/p.chibakoudai.jp/gardens-04/home-english?authuser=0

BOTAN also carries an APRS digipeater operating on 146.825 MHz. The
digipeater is also activated by ground station command. Although the
original design specifications called for the digipeater to remain active
for 720 minutes (12 hours) after activation, observations have shown that
it currently times out after 480 minutes (8 hours).

As a result, when the digipeater is activated by the command station in
Japan, it has timed out before passing over portions of North America.
Although the Chiba Institute has asked amateurs around the world for
telemetry downloads, the attempts to make use of the satellite’s services
have been frustrating for North American amateurs.

BOTAN is next scheduled for digipeater activation on 2025-11-16 at 08:53
UTC (although current Keplerian data does not show the bird over Japan
until approximately half an hour after that time). Far west coast U.S. and
Mexican stations would be in the footprint briefly in the first hour
thereafter. The eight hour activation would end at 16:53 UTC. During that
period the satellite will pass over Asia, Australia, Africa, Europe, and
South America — but not over Central or North America. Interested operators
are encouraged to watch for schedule changes.

Masahiro Sanada, JI1IZR, has posted a nice blog about the station setup he
is using for BOTAN operation. The post may be found at
https://ji1izr.cocolog-nifty.com/

*[ANS thanks Chiba Institute of Technology and Masahiro Sanada, JI1IZR,
 for the above information.]*
------------------------------
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------------------------------
Launch Scrubbed Due to ‘Highly Elevated Solar Activity’

After terrestrial weather forced Blue Origin to scrub its Sunday attempt to
launch its 98-meter-tall (321 ft) New Glenn rocket, unacceptable space
weather prevented a launch attempt on Wednesday from Cape Canaveral Space
Force Station.

In a post on social media, the company said NASA made the call to stand
down “due to highly elevated solar activity and its potential effects on
the ESCAPADE spacecraft.”

On Tuesday afternoon, NOAA’s Space Weather Prediction Center forecast a G4
Severe Watch connected to a coronal mass ejection first detected on Sunday,
Nov. 9. It noted that this is just the fourth G4 Watch issued this solar
cycle, making it “very rare,” and added that impacts are expected “about
midday on Nov. 12.”

*Aurora were visible across North America on the evening of November 11.
Photo credit: Doug Arntson, KØPX*

A severe (G4) geomagnetic storm lit up skies across the Northern Hemisphere
overnight (Nov. 11-12), with vivid northern lights visible across Canada,
the U.S, and as far south as Mexico.

The incredible display followed the arrival of multiple coronal mass
ejections (CMEs) — eruptions of magnetic field and plasma from the sun —
launched by sunspot AR4274, one of the most energetic sunspot groups of the
current solar cycle. The ongoing storm ranks among the strongest of Solar
Cycle 25 and last night’s peak at G4 clocked in as the third strongest
geomagnetic storm this solar cycle. The first two CMEs struck in quick
succession last night, compressing Earth’s magnetic field and unleashing
spectacular aurora shows that lasted well into the night.


*New Glenn lifts off from Launch Complex 36 at Cape Canaveral, carrying
twin Mars probes for NASA. Image: Michael Cain/Spaceflight Now.*

Blue Origin finally launched its second heavy-lift New Glenn rocket
Thursday, Nov. 13, putting two small NASA satellites onto a long, looping
course to Mars to learn more about how the sun has slowly blown away the
red planet’s once thick atmosphere.



*[ANS thanks spaceflight now and space.com <http://space.com> for the above
information. Read the full articles at:
https://spaceflightnow.com/2025/11/11/live-coverage-blue-origin-targets-nov-12-new-glenn-launch-following-weekend-weather-scrub/
<https://spaceflightnow.com/2025/11/11/live-coverage-blue-origin-targets-nov-12-new-glenn-launch-following-weekend-weather-scrub/>
https://www.space.com/stargazing/auroras/severe-geomagnetic-storm-sparks-northern-lights-across-north-america-and-as-far-south-as-mexico-photos
<https://www.space.com/stargazing/auroras/severe-geomagnetic-storm-sparks-northern-lights-across-north-america-and-as-far-south-as-mexico-photos>.]*
------------------------------


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------------------------------
Alarm Over Reductions at Goddard Space Flight Center

Alarm is growing among federal workers at NASA’s iconic Goddard Space
Flight Center’s main campus in Greenbelt, Maryland — the nerve center for
groundbreaking missions like the Hubble and James Webb space telescopes —
as more than a dozen buildings on the campus are being emptied and
padlocked during the federal shutdown, with very little notice to
employees, said four sources who spoke to CNN on the condition of anonymity
for fear of retribution. NASA leadership has pushed back against those
concerns.

In one instance, furloughed employees were given just days to temporarily
return to work and help empty entire buildings of highly specialized
equipment, according to sources and internal emails obtained by CNN. In the
communications, NASA managers wrote that equipment not moved in time —
including one-of-a-kind hardware — could be thrown away or donated.

*A Hubble Space Telescope composite image shows a supernova explosion
designated SN 2014J in the galaxy M82.*
*Photo Credit: NASA Goddard*

In a statement, a NASA spokesperson said the building closures are part of
a “strategic consolidation” plan mapped out by Goddard leaders that should
not impact ongoing projects.

One document reviewed by CNN, which was compiled by more than a dozen
Goddard workers concerned about the steps taken at the campus, states that
13 buildings are being shuttered, including about 100 laboratories. The
roughly 1,270-acre campus includes more than 30 large buildings and dozens
of smaller structures.

The changes described by sources have the space agency’s engineers
concerned they could permanently lose access to equipment and facilities
that are crucial to keeping current and future projects on track.

*[ANS thanks the CNN  for the above information. Read the full story at
https://www.cnn.com/2025/11/04/science/nasa-goddard-building-closures-government-shutdown
<https://www.cnn.com/2025/11/04/science/nasa-goddard-building-closures-government-shutdown>]*
------------------------------
------------------------------
Comet Photos Plagued by Satellite Streaks

Recent months have seen space fans revel in a wealth of spectacular
astrophotography depicting the evolution of Comet Lemmon’s glowing coma and
twisting tail as it journeyed through a Northern Hemisphere night sky
swarming with satellites.

While many photographers opted to post sanitized views of Comet Lemmon,
others intentionally compiled their images to reveal the incredible number
of satellites that crossed the night sky over the course of multiple
exposures.


*A composite image of Comet Lemmon revealing where bright pixels were
rejected by an image-stacking algorithm. (Image credit: Dan Bartlett via
Space.com)*

“Photographically, if someone is attempting to take a single image of a
target and needs the image to be ‘clean’ — free of manmade objects — well,
that image is nearly impossible to obtain,” astrophotographer Dan Bartlett
told Space.com in an email. “Every single subframe I take (prior to
stacking) now contains at least one, and usually more than one satellite
streak.”

There are currently about 13,000 operational satellites orbiting Earth, of
which about 8,900 are SpaceX Starlink craft. This number is set to
exponentially increase, with SpaceX alone aiming to orbit up to 42,000 of
its internet-beaming spacecraft, while competing companies aim to add
thousands more satellites to their own “megaconstellations.”

Astrophotographers combat satellite streaks by capturing a multitude of
short exposures over the course of a single session. The images are then
combined and subjected to an algorithm that determines a median value for
each pixel before rejecting outlier pixels with values that exceed set
parameters.

*[ANS thanks Space.com for the above information. Read the full article at
https://www.space.com/stargazing/astrophotography/comet-lemmon-photos-are-plagued-by-satellite-streaks-heres-how-amateur-astronomers-face-the-problem
<https://www.space.com/stargazing/astrophotography/comet-lemmon-photos-are-plagued-by-satellite-streaks-heres-how-amateur-astronomers-face-the-problem>
.]*
------------------------------

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------------------------------
Changes to AMSAT TLE Distribution for November 14, 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
distribution:

*ENSO* — NORAD Cat ID 58470 Decayed from orbit on or about 09 November 2025

The following satellite has been *added* to this week’s AMSAT distribution:

*CEVROSAT1* — Provisional ID 98526 *Note: Resource constraints at USSF
18SDS evidently are preventing generation of TLE for this satellite. The
element set provided is unusally poor, expect the satellite to pass a
minute or more away from predictions.*

*[ANS thanks Joe Fitzgerald, KM1P, AMSAT Orbital Elements Manager, for the
above information.]*
------------------------------
ARISS SSTV Event Continues

The worldwide Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) team
and the global family of ham radio enthusiasts celebrated 25 years of
continuous amateur radio operations on the International Space Station
(ISS) on November 13, 2025.

Only eleven days after the Expedition 1 crew took up residence on ISS the
crew turned on the ham radio system and began speaking with teams in Star
City Russia, the NASA Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland,
and the NASA Johnson Space Center in Houston, Texas.

Throughout it all volunteer ARISS team members have worked side by side
with space agencies and astronauts and cosmonauts around the world to
develop, certify, launch and operate the ham radio systems that enable
creation of an amateur radio bridge between people on earth and spacefarers
in orbit.

During 25 years of continuous operations, ARISS has connected 1 million
kids in classrooms and information educational settings to the ISS through
nearly 1,800 ham radio contacts. It’s all about Science, Technology,
Engineering and Math (STEM) educational opportunities. Maximum value is
added by working with educators to ensure that their students learn about
space science, living and working in space, ISS research and radio
communications. This educational element starts 4-6 months before the ARISS
contact.

When the time comes for their once-in-a-lifetime radio contact with the
ISS, they use an amateur radio ground station at their host organization or
one of our international ground stations to talk directly to the astronauts
and cosmonauts on ISS—LIVE!

There are two amateur radio stations on ISS, one in the Columbus Module and
one in the Service Module, supporting 24/7 communications with hams on the
ground via voice and digital repeaters in space. ARISS also provides
opportunities for youth and radio amateurs to downlink pictures, called
Slow Scan Television (SSTV), from ISS as well as standard Television
downlinks using our HamTV system and our L/S-Band antennas.

It’s important to note that these amateur radio systems are completely
independent from the ISS communications systems. Because of that, they also
serve as a pivotal ISS backup communications capability. If the main ISS
communications systems fail or are rendered unusable, our flight hardware
and ground operations team is ready to spring into action 24/7.

As we cross the threshold of 25 years of continuous operations on ISS and
look forward to many more, ARISS will begin a one-year commemoration of its
achievements. Several interactive initiatives for youth, educators, ham
radio operators and the public are planned. Stay tuned to the ARISS website
and social media channels to find out what what is planned. As
reported in *AMSAT
News Service* bulletins last week, the first commemorative event is already
underway—an SSTV (picture downlink) event that started November 12 and runs
through November 19.

*[ANS thanks Frank Bauer, KA3HDO, ARISS International Chair, ARISS-USA
Executive Director,  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.
Recently Completed

Colegio Del Faro, Benavídez, Tigre, Argentina, direct via LU4BB
The ISS callsign was OR4ISS
The scheduled crewmember was Mike Fincke KE5AIT
The ARISS mentor was VE3TBD
Contact was successful: Tue 2025-11-11 18:18:56 UTC 51 degrees maximum
elevation
Congratulations to the Colegio Del Faro students, Mike, mentor VE3TBD, and
ground station LU4BB!
*Scheduled Contacts*

SPACE Academy of Azercosmos, Baku, Azerbaijan, direct via 4K4AZE
The ISS callsign is presently scheduled to be OR4ISS
The scheduled crewmember is Mike Fincke KE5AIT
The ARISS mentor is SP3QFE
Contact is go for: Sun 2025-11-16 14:53:03 UTC 28 degrees maximum elevation

Russian school TBD, direct via TBD
The ISS callsign is presently scheduled to be RSØISS
The scheduled crewmember is Oleg Platonov
The ARISS mentor is RV3DR
Contact is go for Tue 2025-11-18 10:10 UTC

Escuela Jose Marti, Mexico City, Mexico, telebridge via IK1SLD
The ISS callsign is presently scheduled to be TBD
The scheduled crewmember is Zena Cardman KJ5CMN
The ARISS mentor is VE3TBD
Contact is go for: Wed 2025-11-19 15:34:03 UTC 55 degrees maximum elevation

Russian school TBD, direct via TBD
The ISS callsign is presently scheduled to be RSØISS
The scheduled crewmember is Oleg Platonov
The ARISS mentor is RV3DR
Contact is go for Thu 2025-11-20 14:50 UTC

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 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.

Packet operations (145.825 MHz up & down) *suspended* for SSTV (145.800 MHz
down) until November 20.

Ham TV is *configured* 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.]*
------------------------------
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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

+ Amazon is rebranding its “Project Kuiper” constellation of satellites in
low Earth orbit. The program will now be known as “Amazon Leo.” There are
now 153 Kuiper satellites satellites in orbit, intended to provide
high-speed internet connections worldwide. (ANS thanks Amazon for the above
information.)

+ LambdaVision, a biotech company, has flown nine missions to the ISS,
where it produced a 200-layer protein thin film as a precursor to an
artificial retina implants. Most recently, the company won a NASA Phase 2
In Space Production Applications award in September to continue developing
the company’s in-space manufacturing process — in this case, in partnership
with microgravity research firm Space Tango. (ANS thanks PayloadSpace.com
for the above information. See the full article at
https://payloadspace.com/lambdavision-closes-7m-seed-round-to-make-retinas-in-leo/
.)

+ Three Chinese astronauts returned from their nation’s space station
Friday after more than a week’s delay because the return capsule they had
planned to use was damaged, likely from being hit by space debris. The team
left their Shenzhou-20 spacecraft in orbit and came back using the recently
arrived Shenzhou-21, which had ferried a three-person replacement crew to
the station, China’s Manned Space Agency said. The original return plan was
scrapped because a window in the Shenzhou-20 capsule had tiny cracks, most
likely caused by impact from space debris, the space agency said Friday.
(ANS thanks the Associated Press for the above information. Read the full
story at
https://apnews.com/article/china-space-station-stranded-crew-shenzhou-e266f7106491b587e60d303068973761
)

+ SpaceX launched another batch of Starlink broadband satellites November
10 on a Falcon 9 rocket. It was the 94th orbital mission so far this year
from Cape Kennedy, breaking 2024’s record of 93 launches. A SpaceX
executive said at a conference recently that he expected the company to
finish the year with 165 to 170 Falcon 9 launches, which would also be a
record. The total number of Starlink satellites launched so far in 2025 is
2,600. And the year’s not over yet. (ANS thanks SpaceNews Editor’s Choice
newsletter 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).
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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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