*AMSAT *News Service *ANS-298*
*October 25, 2026*

In this edition:

* AMSAT Youth Initiative Featured in Florida News
* ERMINAZ-2 Satellites Receive OSCAR Numbers
* Where Does Space Begin?
* Falcon 9 Launches Bandwagon-5 Rideshare Mission
* Greek-Built Satellite Launched for Kazakh School
* San Diego Balloon Launch Draws in High School Students
* OsTrax Now Available for Windows, macOS, and Ubuntu
* Changes to AMSAT TLE Distribution for Oct. 23, 2026
* ARISS SSTV Event in Progress
* ARISS News
* AMSAT Ambassador Activities
* Satellite Shorts from All Over

The AMSAT? News Service bulletins are a free, weekly news and informat
ion
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: https://mailman.amsat.org/postorius/lists/ans.amsat.org/ ------------------------------
AMSAT Youth Initiative Featured in Florida News

*The following article was published in the **Main Street Daily News** of Gainesville, Florida on October 12, 2026 under the headline, ?2 Ala
chua
County schools develop student-built technology to communicate with satellites?:*

Two Alachua County schools are developing hands-on science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) programs that could give students the opportunity to communicate with satellites orbiting Earth and, potentially, astronauts aboard the International Space Station (ISS).

At the 44th annual conference of the Radio Amateur Satellite Corporation (AMSAT), held in Jacksonville, local educator Gordon Gibby presented the schools? efforts on Oct. 9, according to a North Florida Amateur Ra
dio Club
(NFARC) press release. Students at Gainesville Christian Community School (GCCS) and The Rock School are learning the technical skills needed to
build satellite-tracking systems and establish radio communications with spacecraft.


*Frank Karnauskas, N1UW, AMSAT Vice President ? Development, who he
ads up
the youth educational initiatives, giving a talk about their free available materials for youth. (Photo courtesy of the North Florida Amateur Radio
Club.)*

AMSAT is a nonprofit, volunteer organization dedicated to advancing amateur radio satellite technology and education. Its resources and activities help make satellite communications a practical learning opportunity for students
.

*Gainesville Christian Community School Expands Technology Curriculum*

At GCCS, mathematics teacher John Seppala is teaching a class of 16
students, primarily at the middle-school level, using a textbook developed
by the school that covers a broad range of practical technologies.

The curriculum explores systems and skills used to maintain a home and
vehicle, including electricity, electronics, 3D printing, small engines, plumbing, amateur radio and computers.

Seppala is preparing to take the multiple-choice examination required to
obtain his Federal Communications Commission (FCC) amateur radio license.
Many of his students are expected to pursue licenses as well, potentially allowing them to participate in radio communications experiments and
satellite operations.

*The Rock School Students Build Satellite-Tracking Station*

At The Rock School, 10 high school students have formed an Amateur Radio Satellite Club. Organized into six overlapping teams, the students are developing a robotic antenna-control system and radio station designed to
track and communicate with low-Earth-orbit satellites and the ISS.

The project combines electronics, mechanical engineering, computer
programming and fabrication. Students are assembling a robotic control
board, learning to solder electronic components and preparing to use a 3D printer to manufacture gears for the antenna?s elevation and rotati
on
mechanism.

Future steps include building the antenna support system with aluminum
masts, U-bolts and high-gain antennas. Students are also studying
independently for the FCC examinations required to obtain amateur radio licenses.

?This is exciting!? said Lacy Basford, the school?s
academic adviser, in
the release.

Rather than purchasing a commercial antenna-rotator controller, students
plan to build their own system using an Arduino Nano microcomputer and a custom-designed printed circuit board. They will adapt open-source software written by a U.S. amateur radio operator, manufacture mechanical components
and assemble the system themselves.

The project will bring together mathematics, electronics, software and mechanical design, allowing students to see how those disciplines work
together in a functioning system.

*Potential Opportunity to Communicate With Astronauts*

Gibby hopes both schools will eventually be ready to apply to host a
scheduled radio contact through Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS), an international educational initiative that connects
students with astronauts through amateur radio.

If selected, students could have the opportunity to ask questions of crew members aboard the ISS through a radio link. The process requires an educational proposal, technical preparation and formal selection, and both schools are in the early stages of developing their programs.

Preparing for a potential contact involves more than learning to operate a radio. Students must understand orbital motion, radio-wave propagation,
antenna direction, electronics and the challenges of maintaining a reliable communications link with a fast-moving spacecraft.

*Students Learn to Track Satellites and Account for Doppler Shift*

At the Jacksonville conference, participants demonstrated a life-sized, operational simulator of small amateur radio satellites. The simulator replicates aspects of a satellite radio system, including the Doppler shift that changes a signal?s apparent frequency as a satellite approache
s and
moves away from a ground station.

The equipment can simulate several types of amateur radio satellites,
including those that handle digital data, repeat voice transmissions and
relay Morse code.

The simulator could help students learn to recognize and compensate for
Doppler shifts while tracking satellites overhead, maintaining
communications as their apparent signal frequencies change. The experience connects classroom physics to a practical engineering challenge in
satellite communications.

*Looking Beyond the International Space Station*

The conference also featured a presentation by Frank Bauer, an engineer and geologist who serves as ARISS executive director. Bauer discussed the organization?s work supporting educational radio contacts with the
ISS and
its engagement with the future of human spaceflight.

Communications with future space stations and, eventually, lunar facilities offer a longer-term source of inspiration for students learning radio technology. AMSAT Vice President Frank Karnauskas also discussed
educational materials developed by AMSAT for young people.

For students in Alachua County, the immediate goals are to build a
functioning satellite-tracking station, earn amateur radio licenses and
develop the technical and educational foundation needed to pursue an ARISS contact.

*Resources Available for Other Schools*

According to the release, Gibby said the projects could serve as models for other schools interested in incorporating practical engineering and space communications into their STEM programs.

With volunteer support, open-source software, affordable microcomputers and student-built components, schools can offer meaningful technical
experiences without relying entirely on expensive commercial systems.

Resources for schools interested in amateur radio satellite communications
and ARISS educational opportunities are available through the local Amateur Radio Emergency Service website at https://www.nf4rc.club/ariss-satellite-resources/.

*[ANS thanks the *Main Street Daily News* of Gainsville, Florida for their
kind permission to re-publish this article. See the original at https://www.mainstreetdailynews.com/education/alachua-county-schools-develo p-student-built-technology <https://www.mainstreetdailynews.com/education/alachua-county-schools-devel op-student-built-technology>.]*
------------------------------
ERMINAZ-2 Satellites Receive OSCAR Numbers

Three Pocket Qubes built by teams from AMSAT-DL in Germany were
successfully launched on October 1 on a SpaceX Falcon 9 rideshare from Vandenberg Space Force Base in California. Developed by AMSAT-DL, the satellites, ERMINAZ-2V, -2U and -2X, carry pre-stored SSTV images and digipeater payloads. Two of the three satellites have now been officially designated as OSCARs ? Orbiting Satellites Carrying Amateur Radio!

Unexpectedly, the deployment sequence from UARX OSSIE-D Space Tug began on October 2, 2026, at 11:48 UTC. This was a big surprise, as UARX had stated
that this was to be expected somewhere between 7 or 31 days after launch
and not earlier. Worse, the AMSAT-DL team was only informed on the evening
of October 3 and thus lost two days of tracking and telemetry because
nobody was listening. UARX later explained the early deployment as due to a technical problem.


*The PocketQubes ERMINAZ-2V, ERMINAZ-2X, and ERMINAZ-2U from
AMSAT-Deutschland (AMSAT-DL for short) prior to their October 1 launch.
(Photo credit: AMSAT-DL)*

Nevertheless, ERMINAZ-2U and ERMINAZ-2V are now active and under control.
On October 23, Drew Glasbrenner, KO4MA, AMSAT President and OSCAR Number Administrator, issued the following statement: ?At the request of A
MSAT-DL,
AMSAT hereby designates ERMINAZ-2U and ERMINAZ-2V as AMSAT-OSCAR 129
(AO-129) and as AMSAT-OSCAR 130 (AO-130). We congratulate AMSAT-DL, thank
them for their contribution to the amateur satellite community, and wish
them continued success on this and future projects.?

Unfortunately, ERMINAZ-2X remains silent. It might be stuck in the deployer
or failed after deployment. Because of the important time missed after deployment, the cause of the failure is unknown.

The team has been able to perform several tests on ERMINAZ-2U (AO-129) including activating the digipeater. See https://amsat-dl.org/en/erminaz-2-satellites-are-transmitting-their-first-s ignals
for details.

*[ANS thanks* *Peter G�lzow, DB2OS, President of AMSAT-Deutschland e.V
. and
Drew Glasbrenner, KO4MA, AMSAT President and OSCAR Number Administrator for
the above information.]*
------------------------------
Where Does Space Begin?

There is no line where the atmosphere stops. It thins the way a beach gets wetter towards the sea, until at some point you are in the water and nobody
can say exactly when that happened. So the edge of space is not something anyone discovered. It is something people chose, and they chose differently
.

For decades that disagreement cost almost nobody anything. It is starting
to. Tourist rockets fly into the disputed band with paying passengers and
come back down. Hypersonic military vehicles pass through it. The question
of which number is right has turned into a question about astronaut wings, ticket sales and, eventually, sovereign airspace.

*Three numbers*

The familiar figure is 100 kilometres, the K�rm�n line. The FAI,
the world
air sports records body, uses it to separate aviation records from
astronautics records. A 2023 FAI presentation by Nicolas B�rend says t
he
federation set it in 1960, with a group of scientists that included
Theodore von K�rm�n, ?for separating aeronautics and astr
onautics records?.
The name came slightly earlier: Andrew G. Haley coined ?K�rm
�n line? in a
1957 paper after discussions with K�rm�n. That is what the 100 ki
lometre
figure is, a records-keeping convention with a date on it.

The American figure is 50 miles, about 80 kilometres. The US Air Force used
it for its astronaut wings, and the Federal Aviation Administration used
the same threshold for the commercial astronaut wings it handed out until
it ended that programme after 2021. In 2005 NASA gave civilian astronaut
wings to three X-15 pilots, retired NASA pilot Bill Dana and the families
of the late John B. McKay and Joseph A. Walker, acknowledging ?thei
r
flights above 264,000 feet altitude?. That is 50 miles. When those
flights
happened only the military had wings to hand out, so civilian pilots flew
just as high and got no badge. Dana?s first flight into space took
him
58.13 miles above the Mojave Desert on 1 November 1966.

The legal figure does not exist. The 1944 Chicago Convention gives every
state complete and exclusive sovereignty over the airspace above its
territory. The 1967 Outer Space Treaty says outer space is not subject to national appropriation. Neither treaty says where one ends and the other begins, a gap a 2017 briefing to the UN space committee?s legal
subcommittee lays out plainly. The committee has had the item on its agenda since 1966. Inside it the USSR repeatedly proposed 100 or 110 kilometres
and the United States rejected any definition at all. The subcommittee?
??s
2026 draft report still carries ?Matters relating to the definition
and
delimitation of outer space?, sixty years on.

*What the physics says*

The scientific answer depends on what question is actually being asked.
K�rm�n himself was blunt about this. In 1961 lectures quoted in t
he FAI
presentation he said that where atmosphere ends and space begins ?i
s a
judiciary rather than a scientific problem,? and he proposed a rang
e,
300,000 to 400,000 feet, roughly 91 to 122 kilometres, rather than a line.
The 100 kilometre figure was a round number inside that range.

Jonathan McDowell, an astronomer who has worked at the Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics, made the satellite case in a 2018 paper in Acta Astronautica, ?The edge of space: Revisiting the Karman Line?
?, free to read
on arXiv. He looked at the orbits of real satellites. An elliptical orbit
whose lowest point sits at 100 kilometres can survive for long periods. A satellite whose lowest point drops below 80 kilometres is ?highly u
nlikely
to complete its next orbit?. That lowest point is the perigee. McDo
well
argues that this makes roughly 80 kilometres a useful boundary.

Two other things happen to land in the same place. Meteors, moving much
faster than satellites, usually break apart somewhere in the 70 to 100 kilometre range, a sign that the atmosphere starts to bite there. The mesopause, a boundary layer in the upper atmosphere, lies in the same broad region, though its height varies with latitude and season and is not fixed
at 80 kilometres. McDowell also notes that 80 kilometres falls within 500 metres of the old 50-mile astronaut wings line. Those are separate ideas
that land in roughly the same place. He suggests adopting exactly 80
kilometres as a better convention, one that fits what satellites actually
do.

*Why the 20 kilometres now matter*

On 11 July 2021 Richard Branson flew on Virgin Galactic?s Unity 22
to an
apogee of about 86 kilometres. Nine days later Jeff Bezos flew on Blue
Origin?s New Shepard past 100. Two days before Branson?s fl
ight, Blue
Origin posted that New Shepard was designed to fly above the K�rm?
?n line
?so none of our astronauts have an asterisk next to their name?
??. By
McDowell?s number, and by the US number, Branson?s passenge
rs went to
space. By the FAI?s, they did not. Virgin Galactic has kept selling
tickets
in that gap ever since, even through its current pause in flights while it builds its next ships. The dispute is no longer about an X-15 pilot?
?s
badge. It is about what a company can truthfully print on a brochure.

The military version is less visible and more serious. For a vehicle
passing over another country at 90 kilometres, an agreed boundary could
help determine whether it had entered sovereign airspace. Neither an astronaut-wings rule nor an air sports convention settles that question.
Nor would being in space put a weapon beyond the law: the Outer Space
Treaty says activities there are carried out in accordance with
international law, including the UN Charter. An agreed boundary could
clarify the sovereignty question, although it would not by itself settle
the legality of a weapon?s passage or use. It is the piece that is
missing.

*[ANS thanks *Space Daily* and author Lachlan Brown for the above
information. Read the full article at https://spacedaily.com/karman-line-100km-vs-50-miles/ <https://spacedaily.com/karman-line-100km-vs-50-miles/>.]* ------------------------------

*It?s October! Time is running out for the 2026 President?s
Club Coin!**Help
Support GOLF and FoxPlus.*

*Annual memberships start at only $120*

*Join the AMSAT President?s Club today and help*
*Keep Amateur Radio in Space!* *https://www.amsat.org/join-the-amsat-presidents-club/* <https://www.amsat.org/join-the-amsat-presidents-club/> ------------------------------
Falcon 9 Launches Bandwagon-5 Rideshare Mission

Following on from the successful Transporter 18 mission at the beginning of
the month, SpaceX?s Falcon 9 vehicle launched an additional 32 ride
share
payloads for the Bandwagon-5 mission on Tuesday, Oct. 20, delayed by a day
due to unfavorable recovery weather. Falcon 9 lifted off from Space Launch Complex 40 (SLC-40) at the Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida. A one-hour launch window opens at 10:30 UTC, with the vehicle following a southeasterly trajectory to low-Earth orbit.

SpaceX?s Transporter and Bandwagon rideshare missions allow small s
atellite
companies and government and educational institutions to launch payloads of
up to 50 kg for $350,000, significantly cheaper than a full Falcon 9
launch. This offers a more affordable and straightforward route to space
for many companies. Alongside the rideshare payloads, SpaceX is launching
the second of its Starfall capsules, which is mounted atop the satellite
stack.

SpaceX included its second Starfall capsule on the Bandwagon 5 mission. The disk-shaped reentry vehicle can remain in space indefinitely and can
reenter and be recovered by SpaceX at any time. The capsule measures 3.1 m
in diameter and 0.75 m in height, has a mass of 2,100 kg, and can carry up
to 1,000 kg of payload. SpaceX will use the vehicle for point-to-point
cargo delivery and for transporting goods manufactured in microgravity.
SpaceX will ultimately launch the capsules aboard its super-heavy-lift Starship, with multiple capsules likely to launch aboard the vehicle at one time.

Exolaunch, a launch services and mission management provider, is
manifesting 22 customer satellites on Bandwagon-5. Other payloads include multiple synthetic aperture radar (SAR) Earth observation satellites from ICEYE, two high-resolution SAR satellites from Capella Space, and two commercial SAR payloads from Umbra Space. SAR satellites use remote sensing
to produce high-resolution imagery in any weather conditions, at any time
of day. In addition to supporting military applications, SAR can also
measure and observe Earth?s surface features in extreme detail.

*[ANS thanks the NASASpaceflight for the above information. Read the full article at https://www.nasaspaceflight.com/2026/10/bandwagon-5/ <https://www.nasaspaceflight.com/2026/10/bandwagon-5/>.]* ------------------------------
*LIMITED TIME OFFER!!!*



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

[image: Getting Started]

*Anyone who joins or renews their AMSAT membership during the promotional period will receive a download link for the latest edition of Getting
Started with Amateur Satellites in their membership confirmation email.
JOIN TODAY at https://launch.amsat.org/ <https://launch.amsat.org/>
(Remember! Students join for FREE!)*
------------------------------
Greek-Built Satellite Launched for Kazakh School

It is past midnight in Kazakhstan when, 10,392 kilometres away, a SpaceX
rocket lifts off through dense morning fog from Vandenberg Space Force Base
in California carrying a satellite payload.

Despite the late hour, some children in Kazakhstan?s capital Astana
remain
wide awake with excitement. The following day, the rocket will deploy an orbital system carrying a tiny Greek-built satellite on their behalf.

Measuring just 5 x 5 x 5 centimetres ? roughly the size of a Rubik
?s Cube ?
the satellite was developed in Athens by programmers and engineers at the non-profit Libre Space Foundation (LSF).

Founded by nine people in 2015, LSF develops open-source space technology
and designs. It now employs around 25 people, about one-quarter of them
women, as well as young people undertaking internships. The organisation
has so far sent more than 10 microsatellites, nanosatellites and
picosatellites into space.

One of its picosatellites launched on October 1 for a school in Astana, the capital and second-largest city of Kazakhstan.

LSF was surprised when Kazakhstan?s Space Agency approached it dire
ctly
after learning about its work at international conferences.

?They wanted an estimate of how much a ?pocket-class?
? satellite would cost
for use in a school in Kazakhstan,? LSF vice president Eleftherios
Kosmas
told the Athens-Macedonian News Agency (AMNA).

He said Kazakhstan appeared keen to gradually develop an independent space programme but had a limited budget, so officials decided to start with a school.

LSF initially provided an engineering model designed only for laboratory testing and used it to train the students. It then built the satellite that eventually launched into orbit.

?As the father of a young girl, I understand how these children fee
l now
that something of their own is travelling through space,? Kosmas sa
id. The
students will also be able to communicate with the satellite and observe
how a ground station receives its signal under different signal
configurations.

The SpaceX rocket that launched during the early hours of October 1-2
carried more than the tiny school satellite. It transported eight
satellites in total, all of which carried the LSF?s signature in on
e way or
another.

Four additional SIDLOC picosatellites ? part of a system for identi
fying
and locating satellites and other space objects ? were registered a
s Greek
satellites.

Three others belonged to AMSAT Deutschland, the German Amateur Radio
Satellite Association. They used LSF?s open-source software and des
igns to
build their own pocket satellites.

*LSF staff work in the clean room in Athens, Greece. (Photo credit: *Greek
City Times.*)*

Until a few years ago, LSF operated from Abatiellou Street in Athens, in a former printing house that once produced maps.

The organisation has since moved to Lenorman Street, near the Plato
Academy, where it has again taken over a former printing facility.

The new premises house the organisation?s offices as well as a clea
n room,
where temperature, pressure, humidity and cleanliness remain under
controlled conditions.

The facility allows LSF to assemble circuit boards destined for space while protecting them from microscopic particles of dust that could compromise
their operation.

*[ANS thanks the *Greek City Times* and author Kosta Papadopoulos for the
above information. Read the full article at https://greekcitytimes.com/2026/10/08/greek-space-technology-sends-kazakh-s chool-into-space/ <https://greekcitytimes.com/2026/10/08/greek-space-technology-sends-kazakh- school-into-space/>.]*
------------------------------
*AMSAT Remove Before Flight Key Tags Now Available*
*Yes, These are the Real Thing!*
* <https://www.zazzle.com/amsat_car_flag-256716714380264543>*

*Your $20 Donation Goes to Help Fly a FoxPlus Satellite Includes First
Class Postage (Sorry ? U.S. Addresses Only) Order Today
at https://www.amsat.org/product/amsat-remove-before-flight-keychain <https://www.amsat.org/product/amsat-remove-before-flight-keychain/>* ------------------------------
San Diego Balloon Launch Draws in High School Students

Members of the Mt. Carmel High School Amateur Radio Club in San Diego, California, used a high-altitude balloon launch October 17 to generate
interest among their fellow students and the community in amateur radio, science, technology, engineering and math. Members of the public were encouraged to track the balloon flight in real time using an app called Sondehub-Amateur <https://amateur.sondehub.org>, which displays telemetry
from amateur radio high altitude balloon launches.



*Gayle Olson, K6GO, holding the weather balloon that would carry her call
sign to an altitude of more than 17 miles from its launch at the San Diego Repeater Association?s Hamtastic event on October 17. [Photo courte
sy of
Gayle Olson, K6GO]*

This flight, which carried the call sign K6GO, belonging to Gayle Olson, a volunteer for the ARRL Foundation Scholarship Committee and Maxim Society member, flew to an altitude of 17-1/2 miles before the balloon burst and
the payload parachuted back to the ground in Julian, California, some 60
miles inland from its launch point on Fiesta Island.

The launch was part of the San Diego Repeater Association?s annual
?Hamtastic? event, which brings together hams and clubs fro
m throughout the
region to get on the air, socialize, and demonstrate amateur radio to the public. The San Diego Repeater Association is an ARRL Affiliated Club.

*[ANS thanks *The ARRL Letter* for the above information.]* ------------------------------

[image: SDR Gen 2 Ad - 2026]
------------------------------
OsTrax Now Available for Windows, macOS, and Ubuntu

Avinstar, LLC has announced the general availability of OsTrax, an orbiting satellite tracking and operating platform for Windows, macOS and Ubuntu.

Satellite communication presents one of the more interesting and involved opportunities using radio. The need to know when and where a satellite is
at a given time, while carefully coordinating radios and antennas to communicate using the satellite presents many challenges.

OsTrax addresses these challenges by incorporating a fresh, modern approach combined with a central satellite information repository to eliminate
problems associated with obtaining accurate and timely satellite
information. The result is more operating time with less effort.

OsTrax is user customizable to create a personalized operating experience
with full control of satellite selection and satellite pass control.

OsTrax controls radios and antenna rotors based on the requirements of a satellite pass and communication type. Radios and rotor selections extend
from legacy to current.

Automatic updating of orbital elements and satellite profile information
ensure the latest operating information is always available.

User defined orbital elements and satellite profiles provide access opportunities for new or exploratory satellites and features.

OsTrax enhances operating with simplified contact logging and advanced
tools to determine future satellite pass predictions and perform satellite
pass modeling.

In addition to satellite tracking, OsTrax tracks the Sun and Moon with
antenna rotor control.

*(Image credit: Jim McCullers, WA4CWI)*

Publication images are available at https://www.avinstar.com/ostrax/media/images

The User Guide can be viewed at https://www.avinstar.com/ostrax/docs

A fully functional trial license is available for 15 days for each
operating system version.

For more information, please view the OsTrax web site at
https://www.ostrax.com or contact Jim McCullers at jmccullers@avinstar.com.

OsTrax was created by Jim McCullers, WA4CWI, an Extra Class amateur radio operator licensed since 1961. OsTrax combines his interest and experience
in satellite operation with his professional programming experience. He is
the developer of SigTrax, the signal tracking toolkit available on the
Apple App Store for iOS devices and the Google Play Store for Android
devices.

*[ANS thanks Jim McCullers, WA4CWI, for the above information.]* ------------------------------
Changes to AMSAT TLE Distribution for Oct. 23, 2026

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

Bulletin format elements <https://www.amsat.org/tle/daily-bulletin.txt> for
all satellites of interest to radio amateurs. This file is updated at
least every 24 hours.
Bare elements <https://www.amsat.org/tle/dailytle.txt> are derived from the bulletin, but contain no header or footer. These data are used as input to
the AMSAT Pass Predictions <http://www.amsat.org/track/index.php> page.

*This week there are no additions or deletions to the AMSAT TLE
distribution.*
General Perturbations Data Support

AMSAT is pleased to announce that modern forms of what are called General Perturbations data are being disseminated via modern formats including
JSON, XML and KVN at https://newark192.amsat.org/gpdata/current/. The
reason this change is being made is that we are running out of 5-digit
catalog numbers and the TLE format is not viable for satellites launched
after July of this year. See https://celestrak.org/NORAD/documentation/gp-data-formats.php for details.

These data are presently considered in beta test for the next two months
while hosted on the test server newark192.amsat.org, and we are very open
to community feedback at webmaster at amsat.org. Testers may experience
outages and errors while we make improvements. We intend to put this into production on our main web server in July as we expect that satellites
launched after this summer will require one of the new formats to
accommodate longer object numbers. AMSAT will continue to publish TLE
bulletins for satellites launched before July 2026 indefinitely.

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

A series Slow-Scan Television (SSTV) transmissions from the International
Space Station (ISS) is currently taking place, and will continue until
Monday. Persons who upload images they have received to the SSTV gallery
at https://ariss-usa.org/ARISS_SSTV/ will receive an event certificate.
Because this activity does not involve transmitting to the ISS, but only receiving, no amateur radio license is required to participate. More information is available at https://ariss-usa.org/ARISS_SSTV/.

*[ANS thanks the ARISS for the above information.]* ------------------------------
Buying from DX Engineering?
Add AMSAT?s *Getting Started With Amateur Satellites* to your order
.
<https://www.dxengineering.com/parts/amt-satellites>Available for $30 from
DX Engineering (free shipping on most orders over $99) https://www.dxengineering.com/parts/amt-satellites ------------------------------
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 Contacts*

Sarasota Military Academy, Sarasota, FL, direct via W4SMA
The ISS callsign was scheduled to be NA1SS
The scheduled crewmember was Luke Delaney, KJ5PPF
The ARISS mentors are KM4YHZ are W4NTR
Contact was successful: Thu 2026-10-22 16:25:17 UTC 23 degrees maximum elevation
Watch for Livestream at https://www.facebook.com/SarasotaMilitaryAcademy/ <https://www.facebook.com/SarasotaMilitaryAcademy/>
Congratulations to the Sarasota Military Academy, Luke, mentors KM4YHZ and W4NTR, and ground station W4SMA!

*Upcoming Contacts*

Paul Duke STEM High School, Norcross, GA, direct via KN4SIE
The ISS callsign is presently scheduled to be NA1SS
The scheduled crewmember is Joshua Kutryk, KJ5BFU
The ARISS mentor is K4RGK
Contact is go for Option #4: Mon 2026-10-26 13:11:42 UTC 39 degrees maximum elevation

Smile Of The Child ? Smile Academy, Attica, Greece, telebridge via
AB1OC
The ISS callsign is presently scheduled to be OR4ISS
The scheduled crewmember is Luke Delaney, KJ5PPF
The ARISS mentor is IK?WGF
Contact is go for: Fri 2026-10-30 10:01:41 UTC 61 degrees maximum elevation Watch for possible Livestream at:



Greek https://www.hamogelo.gr/gr/el/ta-nea-mas/to-chamogelo-tou-paidiou-sindeei-m athites-me-ton-diethni-diastimiko-stathmo-iss/
English https://www.hamogelo.gr/gr/en/ta-nea-mas/to-chamogelo-tou-paidiou-sindeei-m athites-me-ton-diethni-diastimiko-stathmo-iss/

**********************************

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

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

Also, *some of the activities listed below are suspended until the
completion of the SSTV event currently underway (see article above).*

The crossband repeater remains configured in the Columbus Module (145.990
MHz up {PL 67} & 437.800 MHz down). If a crewmember decides to pick up the microphone and turn up the volume, you may hear them on the air?so
keep
listening, as you never know when activity might occur.

Kenwood D710GA in the Zvezda Service Module ? Call sign RS?ISS
. Please note
we?re still in the process of troubleshooting and testing this radi
o. APRS
is currently active on 437.825 MHz. Feel free to check out status reports
at https://ariss-usa.org/ARISS_APRS/.

Ham TV is currently transmitting a test signal at 2395.00 MHz. For more information, see https://live.ariss.org/hamtv/

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

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

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

*[ANS thanks Charlie Sufana, AJ9N, one of the ARISS operation team mentors
for the above information]*
------------------------------
*Give Your Next Rove a Payload ? Put Your Lunch into Orbit!*
*Pack the rover dogs and hit the grid line with an all-newAMSAT Round Logo Metal Lunchbox.* *Keep Amateur Radio in Space ? and your lunch in t
he box!* https://www.zazzle.com/amsat_round_logo_metal_lunchbox-256761530568368967


------------------------------
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.

November 7, 2026
*JARSfest (Johnston Amateur Radio Society Hamfest)*
The Farm at 95
215 Batten Rd.
Selma, NC 27576
https://jars.net/jarsfest-2026
KF4EAG

November 14, 2026
*Southern Arizona Fall Hamfest*
Oro Valley Amateur Radio Club
Marana Middle School
11285 W. Grier Rd.
Marana AZ
https://www.tucsonhamradio.org/hamfest
N1UW

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

+ A Russian satellite just took a very close look at an American spacecraft
in low Earth orbit. The snooping satellite, Kosmos 2612, rendezvoused with ICEYE-X36, a commercial craft that observes our planet using synthetic
aperture radar (SAR). The close encounter, which occurred between Oct. 15
and Oct. 19, was reported by Marco Langbroek and other satellite trackers,
with Langbroek calling it ?a worrisome cat-and-mouse game?
in orbit. The
rendezvous has garnered a lot of attention in space circles, because it was non-consensual and startlingly close; at one point, the two spacecraft may
have been separated by just a few meters. There are about 80 ICEYE
spacecraft in LEO at the moment. At least some ICEYE satellites provide
imagery to Ukraine, which Russia invaded in February 2022 and continues to assault with ground troops and missile and drone attacks. (ANS thanks
Space.com for the above information. See the full story at https://www.space.com/space-exploration/satellites/russian-satellite-plays- cat-and-mouse-with-a-commercial-us-satellite-likely-used-by-ukraine-but-why -the-risky-close-encounter
.)

+ NASA finally released its Request for Proposals (RFP) for the next phase
of its Commercial LEO Destinations (CLD) program on October 9, about ten
days later than promised. The CLD is the program to replace the
International Space Station (ISS) with a privately developed orbiting
platform. Seeking proposals from industry by December 8, the agency said it would select at least two companies by next April for initial awards to continue work on their stations, with at least one later selected for full development. Companies developing commercial space stations have an array
of challenges to overcome, from the ongoing NASA competition to securing outside investment and non-NASA customers to the technical issues of
building a commercial space station. (ANS thanks *The Space Review* for the above information. Read the full story at https://www.thespacereview.com/article/5340/1.)

+ The space around Earth is turning into a junkyard. Researchers think a refundable deposit scheme could force satellite operators to clean up their
act before a tipping point is reached. In a paper published last month in
the journal *Nature Communications*, a group of scientists propose a scheme that would require satellite operators to post a bond of $200,000 before launch, refundable with interest upon the completion of a successful
deorbit. Companies that fail to remove their junk would lose the money,
which could go toward a shared pool funding active debris-removal missions. (ANS thanks Space.com for the above information. Read the full story at https://www.space.com/space-exploration/satellites/could-satellite-deorbit- deposits-prevent-a-space-debris-disaster
.)

+ Online marketplace eBay has imposed new restrictions on listings of radio transmitting equipment in response to new FCC rules that took effect last
week, but responded to ARRL, The National Association for Amateur Radio?
?,
that its new policy will not apply to gear that operates exclusively on
amateur radio frequencies. The FCC?s rules are intended to use its
equipment authorization program to protect against ?national securi
ty
threats to the communications supply chain? and cover a wide variet
y of
products. However, in response to a request from ARRL for a clarification relating to amateur radio equipment that does not require FCC
authorization, an eBay spokesperson indicated that the marketplace will not restrict sales of equipment that does not require an FCC ID. Amateur radio equipment, except for commercial HF amplifiers, continues to not require
FCC authorization. (ANS thanks ARRL for the above information. Read the
full story at https://www.arrl.org/news/ebay-restricts-listings-of-radio-equipment-but-ex empts-ham-band-only-gear
.)
------------------------------
Join AMSAT today at https://launch.amsat.org/

In addition to regular membership, AMSAT offers membership to:

- Societies (recognized groups, 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, K?JM*
*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. *


-----------------------------------------------------------

ANS mailing list -- ans@amsat.org
View archives of this mailing list at https://mailman.amsat.org/hyperkitty/list/ans@amsat.org

To unsubscribe send an email to ans-leave@amsat.org
Manage all of your AMSAT-NA mailing list preferences at https://mailman.amsat.org



--- PyGate Linux v1.5.19
* Origin: Dragon's Lair, PyGate NNTP<>Fido Gate (3:633/10)