Sometimes we see discussions on whether or not a satellite
can be called an "amateur satelite".

This is what the 2023 edition of the ITU Handbook on Small Satellites says:

"5.4  Amateur-satellite missions

Amateur-satellite missions use satellites “self-training and
communication”, with no pecuniary interest and
could be categorised under three broad types:
• Amateur missions that allow for two-way communications including
transponders and repeaters
among others.
• Amateur missions that might provide useful technology for future
amateur missions.
• Amateur‐educational missions where there is an amateur interest, not
necessarily involving two‐
way communications, exposing students in Science, Technology,
Engineering and Mathematics
(STEM) projects with the aim to encourage these students to enter a
career in a STEM topic.

Key points are that the mission must be related to radio technique, and
that the mission will not offer a
pecuniary interest. The mission must relate in some way to the
advancement and understanding of the technical
and operational aspects of radio and satellite systems and are relevant
to the amateur and amateur-satellite
services. This excludes more general science payloads within missions
like earth-observation, biology, wildlife
tracking, geology, etc. which should be operated under other
radiocommunication services because they are
not related to radio technique. Furthermore, any mission that proposes
any sort of pecuniary (monetary or
financial) return is specifically excluded from amateur and
amateur-satellite service bands.

Radio technique means having a reasonable possibility of application to
radio communication systems
operated in the amateur satellite service. Missions that are classified
as amateur-educational might study
aspects within the following topics:
• Radiocommunication modulation methods and transmission protocols
• Attitude determination and control systems
• Command and control procedures
• Radio receivers, transmitters and transponders
• Satellite antennas systems
• Sensors to study spacecraft performance
• Power controls and supplies for use in space
• Spacecraft computers, memory, operating systems, programs and related
items
• Radiation effects on electronic components
• Radio wave propagation
• Meteor trail reflection and other sporadic propagation mechanisms
• Measurements of the orbital environment
• Solar panel technologies
• Software Defined Radios
• Radiation tolerant electronics
• In-orbit spacecraft software updates.

Technology developed and information acquired by missions studying the
above topic have direct relevance
to the advancement of the amateur-satellite service.

Satellite missions that are purely amateur include:
• Linear transponders or FM repeaters for voice or data communications
• Digital voice repeaters
• Transmission of images using appropriate analogue or digital standards
• Amateur Packet Reporting System (APRS) transmissions
• Microwave beacons
• Digital Store-and-forward bulletin boards and global messaging systems.

Transmission of telemetry alone and without additional mission
components is generally an insufficient reason
for a mission to be considered for operation within frequency bands
allocated to the amateur-satellite service."

73,
Nico PA0DLO



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