AMSAT News Service
ANS-144
May 24, 2026

In this edition:

* OrigamiSat-2 Receives Fuji-OSCAR 126 (FO-126) Designation from AMSAT
* AMSAT Opens Candidate Nominations for 2026 Board of Directors Election
* AMSAT Forum Covers Education, Operations, and Future Satellite Projects
* Bird Chaser Bingo Summer 2026 Adds New Twist to Satellite Operating
* Hamvention 2026 Brings Estimated $35 Million Impact to Xenia Region
* Changes to AMSAT TLE Distribution for May 22, 2026
* 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 n
ews related to Amateur Radio in Space including reports on the activities o
f a worldwide group of Amateur Radio operators who share an active interest
in designing, building, launching and communicating through analog and dig ital Amateur Radio satellites.

The news feed on https://www.amsat.org publishes news of Amateur Radio in S pace 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 Bulletin
s via the ANS List; to join this list see: https://mailman.amsat.org/postor ius/lists/ans.amsat.org/

________________________________
OrigamiSat-2 Receives Fuji-OSCAR 126 (FO-126) Designation from AMSAT

OrigamiSat-2, one of eight satellites launched aboard Rocket Lab's Kakushin
Rising mission for JAXA on April 23, 2026, has now received an official OS
CAR designation from AMSAT. Developed by the Institute of Science Tokyo, th
e satellite has been assigned the designation Fuji-OSCAR 126 (FO-126) follo wing a request submitted through the Japan Amateur Satellite Association (J AMSAT). The announcement came after satellite teams confirmed successful de ployment and initial on-orbit operations.

The 3U CubeSat was designed to demonstrate lightweight deployable membrane antenna technology and promote amateur use of the 5.8 GHz band. Mission goa
ls include testing a high-gain deployable reflector array antenna, demonstr ating its performance in orbit, and helping establish methods for future ad vanced satellite systems. OrigamiSat-2 carries both UHF and C-band transmit ters and aims to expand amateur radio experimentation beyond traditional VH
F and UHF operations. [https://www.amsat.org/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/OrigamiSat2_5p8 4GHz_CW_Signal_IC905-1024x576.jpg]<https://www.amsat.org/wordpress/wp-conte nt/uploads/2026/05/OrigamiSat2_5p84GHz_CW_Signal_IC905.jpg>
Reception of a 5.84 GHz CW signal from Fuji-OSCAR 126 (FO-126) displayed on
an Icom IC-905. [Credit: JA1OGZ<https://x.com/ja1ogz>]

IARU coordination lists downlinks on 437.505 MHz and 5840.000 MHz. The sate llite supports CW and digital modes, including higher-speed data experiment
s over its 5.8 GHz link. Project information released by the team indicates
a desire to openly share reception techniques and operational status with amateur operators, encouraging wider participation in receiving and decodin
g signals from the spacecraft.

Reports from the satellite team indicate the 5.8 GHz downlink has already b
een confirmed operational. Amateur satellite observers have expressed inter
est in monitoring activity from outside Japan as additional operational det ails become available. OrigamiSat-2 now joins the long-running OSCAR satell
ite tradition under its new designation, Fuji-OSCAR 126, continuing the int ernational partnership between satellite developers and the amateur radio c ommunity.

[ANS thanks Drew Glasbrenner, KO4MA<https://x.com/glasbrenner>, AMSAT Presi dent / OSCAR Number Administrator, and Shiro Sakai, JH4PHW<https://x.com/JH 4PHW>, JAMSAT President, for the above information]

________________________________
AMSAT Opens Candidate Nominations for 2026 Board of Directors Election

AMSAT has officially opened the nomination period for its 2026 Board of Dir ectors election, which will take place during the third quarter of the year
.

Three director positions are set to expire in 2026. The current board membe
rs whose seats are up for election are:

* Mark Hammond, N8MH
* Bruce Paige, KK5DO
* Paul Stoetzer, N8HM

In addition to these three full Director roles, up to two Alternate Directo
rs may also be elected to serve one-year terms.

To nominate a candidate, a written submission is required. Nominations must
include the nominee's name, call sign, and contact information, along with
the same details for either five AMSAT members in good standing or one Mem
ber Society endorsing the candidate.

Nominations should be directed to the AMSAT Secretary:

Douglas Tabor, N6UA
1133 Verlan Way
Cheyenne, WY 82009

Per AMSAT's bylaws, all nominations must follow the format specified by the
Secretary. Doug Tabor has indicated that nominations will be accepted in b
oth hard copy (via postal mail) and digital formats (including email or sca nned documents). However, fax submissions are not permitted.

Email nominations should be sent to: dtabor [at] amsat [dot] org

All nomination petitions must be received by the Secretary no later than Ju
ne 15. After the submission deadline, the Secretary will confirm the eligib ility of each candidate and the supporting members or societies, with final
notification to candidates provided by the end of June.

[ANS thanks Doug Tabor, N6UA<https://x.com/dtabor>, AMSAT Secretary, for th
e above information]

________________________________
AMSAT Forum Covers Education, Operations, and Future Satellite Projects

AMSAT presented its annual Hamvention forum on Saturday afternoon at Dayton
Hamvention 2026, providing attendees with updates on educational outreach efforts, satellite operations, ongoing engineering projects, and future spa cecraft development. AMSAT Executive Vice President Paul Stoetzer, N8HM, op ened the session and noted a packed program schedule covering topics rangin
g from youth initiatives and CubeSat education tools to next-generation sat ellite hardware and the GOLF-TEE mission.

AMSAT Vice President for Development Frank Karnauskas, N1UW, highlighted AM SAT's BuzzSat youth initiative, a community-based outreach program designed
to introduce younger audiences to satellites and space technology through accessible educational materials. Rather than focusing initially on amateur
radio itself, BuzzSat uses topics such as weather satellites, agriculture,
climate monitoring, and space exploration to engage students before introd ucing amateur radio concepts. The initiative includes a downloadable colori
ng book and a growing collection of interactive educational courses for mid
dle and high school students.

AMSAT Vice President for Educational Relations Alan Johnston, KU2Y, provide
d updates on the AMSAT CubeSat Simulator project, a low-cost educational sa tellite emulator designed for STEM instruction and amateur radio training.
The CubeSatSim transmits actual telemetry and can emulate several on-orbit satellites while removing complexities such as Doppler shift and satellite tracking. Johnston demonstrated command and control functions including tel emetry mode changes and crossband repeater operation and noted that complet
e systems, classroom loaner kits, and simplified CubeSatSim Lite versions a
re now available. [https://www.amsat.org/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/Hamvention_AMSA T_Forum_SDR_Gen2.jpg]<https://www.amsat.org/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/20 26/05/Hamvention_AMSAT_Forum_SDR_Gen2.jpg>
AMSAT Engineering slide presents an overview of next-generation SDR transpo nder development for future satellite missions.

AMSAT Vice President for Operations Mark Hammond, N8MH, reviewed currently active amateur satellites and encouraged operators to use AMSAT's satellite
status resources to determine operational modes and activity. Hammond also
promoted the new Students on the Air (StOTA) activity created by Carsten G lasbrenner, KQ4SJM, intended to encourage student participation on amateur satellites. He also discussed renewed development of PACSAT store-and-forwa
rd communications payloads, which revisit packet satellite concepts first p opularized during the late 1980s and early 1990s.

AMSAT Flight Software Team Lead Burns Fisher, WB1FJ, and AMSAT Engineering Team member Ray Roberge, WA1CYB, outlined several engineering efforts inclu ding AMSAT's Linear Transponder Module (LTM), FoxPlus satellites, and SDR G
en 2 development. The LTM project continues AMSAT partnerships with univers ities by providing communications hardware in exchange for future amateur r adio access after mission completion. SDR Gen 2 development expands microwa
ve capabilities and is designed to support multiple modes while preparing o perators for future high-bandwidth satellite communications.

AMSAT Vice President of Engineering Jerry Buxton, N0JY, concluded the sessi
on with a status update on the GOLF-TEE mission. Engineering work remains u nderway using a full system engineering model while a newly arrived metal s pace frame advances development toward a planned critical design review cur rently targeted for May 2027. Additional discussion included AMSAT particip ation in the FutureGEO proposal and announcements regarding the 2026 AMSAT Symposium scheduled for October in Jacksonville, Florida.

The full AMSAT Forum presentation can be viewed on YouTube at: https://www. youtube.com/watch?v?DAQx-VgCc&t341s

[ANS thanks AMSAT<https://www.amsat.org/> and the Dayton Amateur Radio Asso ciation<https://w8bi.org/> for the above information]

________________________________
Buying from DX Engineering?
Add AMSAT's Getting Started With Amateur Satellites to your order. [https://www.amsat.org/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/DX_Engineering_ AMSAT_Book_Hard_Copy_1200px_650px.jpg]<https://www.dxengineering.com/parts/ amt-satellites>
Available for $30 from DX Engineering (free shipping on most orders over $9
9)
https://www.dxengineering.com/parts/amt-satellites ________________________________
Bird Chaser Bingo Summer 2026 Adds New Twist to Satellite Operating

A new community challenge called Bird Chaser Bingo Summer 2026 is inviting amateur radio satellite operators to add a playful twist to their on-air ac tivities. Organized by Sean Borgerson, KK7OVF, the event is now underway an
d invites operators to participate throughout the summer. Operators can par ticipate from anywhere and compete by completing satellite-themed bingo obj ectives based on contacts, locations, satellites, and operating challenges.

Bird Chaser Bingo draws inspiration from other lighthearted amateur radio s atellite activities such as WMPLOTA (Walmart Parking Lots on the Air) and A
D? Squared. Organizers describe it as a friendly competition intended to encourage operating activity and create opportunities for satellite operato
rs to connect while pursuing unusual goals. There are no entry fees, sponso
rs, or geographic limitations, and participation is open to satellite opera tors worldwide.

Players receive a bingo card filled with summer-themed operating tasks and satellite-related objectives. Participants can earn a traditional bingo by completing a row, column, or diagonal. Those seeking an additional challeng
e can attempt a "Full Eclipse," the event's term for completing every squar
e on the card. Organizers say a single contact may count for multiple squar
es if it satisfies more than one requirement, creating opportunities for me morable "one QSO bingo wonder" moments when several conditions align at onc
e.
[https://www.amsat.org/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/Bird_Chaser_Bin go_Summer_2026-1024x1024.jpg]<http://borgersons.com/>
Bird Chaser Bingo Summer 2026 card presents fun operating challenges and ac tivities for satellite enthusiasts. [Credit: KK7OVF<https://x.com/Borgerson

]

Operators submitting completed cards will receive recognition, and printabl
e certificates will be emailed for completed bingo achievements. Participan
ts who complete a Full Eclipse card are also expected to receive commemorat
ive QSL cards. Event organizers note that QSL distribution outside the Unit
ed States may be limited by mailing costs and available resources.

Activity for Bird Chaser Bingo runs from May 15 through August 31, 2026, us
ing UTC dates. Completed card submissions are requested by September 15, 20
26. Participants are encouraged to use online tools such as hams.at<https:/ /hams.at/> to identify portable operators and satellite activations. Organi zers suggest rovers include notes such as "Bingo Campground" or "Bingo Fest ival" in activation announcements to help other participants locate qualify
ing activity.

Bird Chaser Bingo organizers say the event is intended as a relaxed summer operating activity rather than a race. Participants are encouraged to enjoy
portable operations, unusual activation locations, and the occasional unex pected contact that checks multiple boxes at once. Organizers also encourag
e operators to share activation details through online tools and social med
ia to help other participants locate activity. The event runs on the honor system and jokingly warns that any funny business may result in "QRM."

Additional information, sign-up details, and Bird Chaser Bingo cards are av ailable at: http://borgersons.com

[ANS thanks Sean Borgerson, KK7OVF<https://x.com/BorgersonS>, and the Bird Chaser Bingo<https://borgersons.com/> organizers for the above information]

________________________________
Hamvention 2026 Brings Estimated $35 Million Impact to Xenia Region

Hamvention 2026 recently concluded in Xenia, Ohio, after once again drawing
amateur radio operators and enthusiasts from around the world. Held at the
Greene County Fairgrounds since 2017, Hamvention remains the world's large
st gathering devoted to amateur radio. Participants ranged from newcomers e ntering the hobby to experienced operators, technical experts, and internat ional visitors. The annual event wrapped up on May 17 following three days
of activities, exhibits, demonstrations, and presentations.

Local television coverage highlighted the event's significance beyond the a mateur radio community itself. Hamvention spokesperson Michael Kalter, W8CI
, said the gathering generates an estimated economic impact of more than $3
5 million for southwest Ohio. Kalter noted that Xenia has a population of a pproximately 26,000 residents, while Hamvention attendance rivals and often
exceeds that number. Hotels, restaurants, and businesses throughout the re gion benefit from the annual influx of visitors.

Kalter also emphasized amateur radio's worldwide reach and continuing growt
h. He noted that amateur radio operators are licensed in approximately 160 countries around the globe and that the United States alone now has more th
an 750,000 licensed operators. Hamvention continues serving as a central me eting place where operators can discover new technology, exchange ideas, an
d connect with the broader amateur radio community. Kalter described the ev
ent as a "living, breathing community" rather than simply a trade show. [https://www.amsat.org/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/Hamvention_AMSA T_Satellite_Demonstration-1024x576.jpg]<https://www.amsat.org/wordpress/wp- content/uploads/2026/05/Hamvention_AMSAT_Satellite_Demonstration.jpg>
Paul Stoetzer, N8HM, and Carsten Glasbrenner, KQ4SJM, demonstrate amateur s atellite operations during Hamvention 2026. [Credit: Dayton 24/7 Now<https: //dayton247now.com/>]

The television report also included several views of AMSAT activities durin
g Hamvention 2026, including amateur satellite operating demonstrations out side the AMSAT exhibit area. Video coverage showed AMSAT volunteers demonst rating handheld satellite communications and interacting with visitors atte nding the event. Additional scenes highlighted the AMSAT booth inside the e xhibition area, where attendees explored satellite operating equipment, ant ennas, and educational displays. The demonstrations offered visitors a prac tical introduction to amateur satellite operations and AMSAT's continuing o utreach efforts at Hamvention.

Beyond technology and equipment, Kalter highlighted the international frien dships and cultural connections amateur radio can create. He reflected on o pportunities to travel and meet amateur radio operators around the world th rough the shared interests of communication and experimentation. Organizers
also noted continuing growth in interest from both new and experienced ope rators. Hamvention 2026 concluded after another year celebrating amateur ra dio's technical, educational, and global community spirit.

The complete Dayton 24/7 Now report, including the original article and vid
eo coverage, is available at: https://dayton247now.com/news/local/worlds-la rgest-amateur-radio-gathering-returns-to-xenia-bringing-35m-plus-impact

[ANS thanks Jeff Schrock<https://x.com/Jeff247now> and Dayton 24/7 Now<http s://dayton247now.com/> for the above information]

________________________________
The 2026 Coins Are Here! Help Support GOLF-TEE and Fox-Plus.
Annual memberships start at only $120.

[Presidents' Club 2026 Coin]<https://www.amsat.org/join-the-amsat-president s-club/>

Join the AMSAT President's Club today and help Keep Amateur Radio in Space! https://www.amsat.org/join-the-amsat-presidents-club/ ________________________________
Changes to AMSAT TLE Distribution for May 22, 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 u pdates are completely adequate for most amateur satellites. TLE bulletin fi
les 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-res ources/>.

+ This week there are no additions or deletions to the AMSAT TLE distributi
on.

General Perturbations Data Support

AMSAT is pleased to announce that modern forms of what are called General P erturbations data are being disseminated via modern formats including JSON,
XML and KVN at https://newark192.amsat.org/gpdata/current/. The reason thi
s change is being made is that we are running out of 5-digit catalog number
s and the TLE format is not viable for satellites launched after July of th
is 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 wh
ile hosted on the test server newark192.amsat.org<http://newark192.amsat.or

, and we are very open to community feedback at webmaster@amsat.org<mailt o:webmaster@amsat.org>. Testers may experience outages and errors while we make improvements. We intend to put this into production on our main web se rver in July as we expect that satellites launched after this summer will r equire one of the new formats to accommodate longer object numbers. AMSAT w

ill continue to publish TLE bulletins for satellites launched before July 2
026 indefinitely.

[ANS thanks Joe Fitzgerald, KM1P, AMSAT Orbital Elements Manager, for the a bove information]

________________________________
ARISS News

Amateurs and others around the world may listen in on contacts between amat eurs operating in schools and allowing students to interact with astronauts
and cosmonauts aboard the International Space Station. The downlink freque
ncy on which to listen is 145.800 MHz worldwide.

Scheduled Contacts

+ Recently Completed

D.V. Skobeltsyn Research Institute of Nuclear Physics of the Lomonosov Mosc
ow State University, Moscow, Russia, direct via R4UAB
The ISS callsign was RS?ISS
The scheduled crewmember was Sergey Kud-Sverchkov
The ARISS mentor was RV3DR
Contact was successful: Mon 2026-05-18 17:27 UTC
Congratulations to the Moscow State University students, Sergey, mentor RV3
DR, and ground station R4UAB

N.I. Lobachevsky Lyceum and School No. 132, Kazan, Russia, direct via TBD
The ISS callsign was RS?ISS
The scheduled crewmember was Sergey Kud-Sverchkov
The ARISS mentor was RV3DR
Contact was successful: Wed 2026-05-20 15:50 UTC
Congratulations to the N.I. Lobachevsky Lyceum and School No. 132 students,
Sergey, and mentor RV3DR

Pedagogical Lyceum of Blagoveshchensk State Pedagogical University, Blagove shchensk, Russia, direct via TBD
The ISS callsign was RS?ISS
The scheduled crewmember was Andrey Fedyaev
The ARISS mentor was RV3DR
Contact was successful: Thu 2026-05-21 08:50 UTC
Congratulations to the Pedagogical Lyceum of Blagoveshchensk State Pedagogi
cal University students, Andrey, and mentor RV3DR

Colegio San Lucas, Tigre, Buenos Aires, Argentina, telebridge via ON4ISS
The ISS callsign was OR4ISS
The scheduled crewmember was Sophie Adenot KJ5LTN
The ARISS mentor was VE6JBJ
Contact was successful: Fri 2026-05-22 17:19 UTC
Congratulations to the Colegio San Lucas students, Sophie, mentor VE6JBJ, a
nd ground station ON4ISS

+ Upcoming Contacts

Siksika High School, Siksika, Alberta, Canada telebridge via AB1OC
The ISS callsign is presently scheduled to be NA1SS
The scheduled crewmember is Sophie Adenot KJ5LTN
The ARISS mentor is VE6JBJ
Contact is go for: Mon 2026-05-25 17:58 UTC

Minamigaoka Elementary School, Tsu, Japan, direct via JJ2YJC
The ISS callsign is presently scheduled to be OR4ISS
The scheduled crewmember is Jack Hathaway KJ5NIV
The ARISS mentor is 7M3TJZ/ JA1CJP/ M?XTD
Contact is go for: Thu 2026-05-28 11:22 UTC

Many times, a school makes a last-minute decision to do a Livestream or run
s 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://l ive.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 remains configured in the Columbus Module (145.990 M
Hz up {PL 67} & 437.800 MHz down). If a crewmember decides to pick up the m icrophone and turn up the volume, you may hear them on the air-so keep list ening, as you never know when activity might occur. In support of Russian E
VA: Power Down May 27 07:45 UTC | Power Up May 28 11:10 UTC

Kenwood D710GA in the Zvezda Service Module - Call sign RS?ISS. Please no
te we're still in the process of troubleshooting and testing this radio. AP
RS is currently active on 437.825 MHz. Feel free to check out status report
s at https://ariss-usa.org/ARISS_APRS/. In support of Russian EVA: Power Do
wn May 27 07:50 UTC | Power Up May 28 11:05 UTC

HamTV in the Columbus Module (2395.00 MHz) is powered down in support of pa yload operations. The power up is scheduled for May 25 at 13:40 UTC.

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

The latest information on the operation mode can be found at https://www.ar iss.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 f
or the above information]

________________________________
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.

AMSAT Ambassador Clint Bradford, K6LCS, says,

"Think a 75-minute presentation on "working the easy satellites" would be a ppropriate for your club or event? Let me know by emailing me at k6lcsclint
[at] gmail [dot] com or calling me at 909-999-SATS (7287)!"

Clint has NEVER given the exact same show twice: EACH of the 150+ presentat ions so far has been customized/tailored to their audiences.

Scheduled Events

44th AMSAT Space Symposium and Annual Membership Meeting - October 8 thru 1
1, 2026
Crowne Plaza JAX Airport
14670 Duval Road
Jacksonville, FL 32218

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

[ANS thanks Bo Lowrey, W4FCL, Director - AMSAT Ambassador Program, for the above information]

________________________________
[SDR Gen 2 Ad - 2026]
________________________________
Satellite Shorts from All Over

+ SpaceX successfully launched the first Version 3 Starship vehicle on May
22 from Starbase, Texas, during a major test flight of the company's next-g eneration heavy-lift launch system. During the Flight 12 mission, the Super
Heavy booster and Starship upper stage separated successfully after ascent
, although both stages experienced individual Raptor engine shutdowns durin
g flight. Despite the engine issues, Starship continued on a near-planned s uborbital trajectory, deployed 20 Starlink mass simulators along with two e xperimental "Dodger Dogs" spacecraft, and transmitted video from space. Spa
ceX also completed a successful reentry and soft splashdown of Starship in
the Indian Ocean after approximately 66 and one-half minutes of flight, alt hough the vehicle later tipped over and exploded as expected after landing.
The upgraded Version 3 design includes major improvements to both the boos
ter and upper stage and is expected to support future orbital payload launc hes, Starlink deployment missions, and the Human Landing System being devel oped for NASA's Artemis program. NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman attended
the launch and later congratulated SpaceX and Elon Musk on what he describ
ed as a major step toward future Moon and Mars missions. (ANS thanks SpaceN ews<https://spacenews.com/> for the above information)

+ A newly released video from the YouTube channel Heriton<https://www.youtu be.com/@HeritonINC> revisits the unusual history of AMSAT OSCAR 7 (AO-7), t
he amateur radio satellite launched in 1974 that unexpectedly returned to o peration after more than two decades of silence. The video recounts how AO-
7 ceased transmitting in 1981 after a battery failure led operators to decl
are the spacecraft inactive. In June 2002, amateur radio operators discover
ed that AO-7 had resumed operation while in sunlight, likely because long-t
erm changes inside the failed battery pack removed the electrical short tha
t had disabled it. AO-7 remains one of amateur radio's most enduring engine ering stories and is still active today. Heriton combines historical footag
e, narration, and technical background to introduce the satellite's story t
o a broader audience. The complete video, "This Cold War Satellite Was Dead
for 21 Years. Then It Started Transmitting Again," can be viewed at https: //www.youtube.com/watch?v?BBmITGtnQ. (ANS thanks the Heriton YouTube ch annel<https://www.youtube.com/@HeritonINC> for the above information)

+ The Solar wind Magnetosphere Ionosphere Link Explorer (SMILE) spacecraft successfully launched aboard a Vega-C rocket from Europe's Spaceport in Fre
nch Guiana on May 19, beginning a joint mission between the European Space Agency and the Chinese Academy of Sciences. The mission is designed to impr
ove understanding of solar storms, geomagnetic disturbances, and the effect
s of space weather on Earth and spacecraft systems. SMILE will become the f irst mission to observe Earth's magnetic shield using X-ray imaging, allowi
ng scientists to study how the solar wind interacts with the magnetosphere.
The spacecraft will also use ultraviolet imaging to continuously observe a uroral activity for periods of up to 45 hours. During the coming weeks, SMI
LE will gradually raise its orbit through a series of engine burns before b eginning scientific operations in July. Scientists hope the mission's obser vations will improve future models of Earth's magnetic environment and help
protect satellites and astronauts from space weather effects. (ANS thanks
the European Space Agency<https://www.esa.int/> for the above information)

+ NASA engineers have successfully tested a prototype of a lithium-fed nucl
ear electric propulsion system that could one day help power human missions
to Mars. During testing at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, the experimen
tal thruster reached 120 kilowatts, the highest power level ever achieved i
n a U.S. electric propulsion test. Unlike conventional chemical rockets, el ectric propulsion systems use electromagnetic forces to accelerate propella
nt and can operate with dramatically improved efficiency. The new magnetopl asmadynamic thruster uses lithium metal vapor and is designed to eventually
pair with megawatt-class nuclear power systems for deep-space travel. Duri
ng five test firings, engineers observed temperatures above 5,000 degrees F ahrenheit as the prototype produced a bright red exhaust plume. NASA resear chers hope future versions of the system could support larger payloads and faster crewed missions to Mars. (ANS thanks Gizmodo<https://gizmodo.com/> f
or the above information)

+ US Space Command has launched a new series of classified wargames called Apollo Insight, bringing together military experts and commercial space com panies to examine potential threats in orbit. The first tabletop exercise f ocused on a simulated scenario involving a nuclear payload in low Earth orb
it and its potential consequences for space operations. Officials said a nu clear detonation in orbit could destroy or disable thousands of satellites
and disrupt communications, navigation, and surveillance systems worldwide.
Previous government assessments suggested portions of low Earth orbit coul
d become unusable for up to a year following such an event. More than 60 co mpanies participated in the exercise, along with allied partners from Austr alia, Canada, New Zealand, and the United Kingdom. Space Command plans addi tional Apollo Insight exercises later this year focused on orbital maneuver
warfare and other evolving space threats. (ANS thanks Ars Technica<https:/ /arstechnica.com/> 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 enrolled in at least half-time status are eligible for free membership to age 25.
* Memberships are available for annual and lifetime terms.

Contact info [at] amsat.org<http://amsat.org> for additional membership inf ormation.

73 and remember to help Keep Amateur Radio in Space!

This week's ANS Editor,

Mitch Ahrenstorff, AD?HJ
mahrenstorff [at] amsat.org<http://amsat.org>

ANS is a service of AMSAT, the Radio Amateur Satellite Corporation, 712 H S treet NE, Suite 1653, Washington, DC 20002
AMSAT is a registered trademark of the Radio Amateur Satellite Corporation.

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