[ANS thanks Paul Stoetzer, N8HM, AMSAT Executive Vice President, for the above information]

VUCC & DXCC Satellite Standing as of January 1, 2024

VUCC Satellite Award/Endorsement Change Summary
December 01, 2023 to January 01, 2024

Congratulations to the new VUCC holders!
HL1WP is first VUCC Satellite holder from PM37
N8XHF is first VUCC Satellite holder from FM16

DXCC Satellite Award/Endorsement Change Summary
December 01, 2023 to January 01, 2024

Congratulations to the new DXCC Satellite holders!
UW8SM is first DXCC Satellite holder from KN59

[ANS thanks Jon Goering, N7AZ, for the above information]

Changes to AMSAT-NA TLE Distribution for January 5, 2024

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 Thursday evenings around 2300 UTC, or more frequently if new high interest satellites are launched. More information may be found at https://www.amsat.org/keplerian-elements-resources/

The following satellite has been added to this week's AMSAT-NA TLE distribution:

BeliefSat-0 NORAD Cat ID 58695 IARU coordinated downlink on 145.980 MHz

The following satellite has been removed from this week's AMSAT-NA TLE distribution:

VENTA 1 NORAD Cat ID 42791 Decayed from orbit on or about 03 January 2024

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

Need new satellite antennas?
Purchase an M2 LEO-Pack from the AMSAT Store!

When you purchase through AMSAT, a portion of the proceeds goes towards Keeping Amateur Radio in Space.

ARISS and Amateur Radio Featured on the TODAY Show

On January 5, 2024, the TODAY Show featured Harry Smith of NBC News going behind the scenes of last month's QSO between Harbor Creek School in Pennsylvania and the ISS. Video of the segment can be seen on YouTube.

ARISS International Chair Frank Bauer, KA3HDO, said of the segment: "What a phenomenal story of a breathtaking ARISS educational experience. Our heartiest congratulations to the Harbor Creek School: the Advanced Technology Group students, educators, families and Leader/Assistant Principal/ARISS Educator Drew Mortensen. WOW!!"

[ANS thanks the TODAY Show and ARISS for the above information]

Assistance Requested With CubeSat History Project

A general announcement to the AMSAT community!

Prof. Robert "Bob" Twiggs KE6QMD and Dr. Aaron Zucherman KM6CHY (a former student of his) are working on gathering and publishing a series on the history of the creation and adoption of the CubeSat, including its direct SmallSat forebears (AMSAT, WeberSat, OPAL, etc.) and educational picosat successors (CanSats, PocketQubes and ThinSats). While outstanding technical accounts have been written on the subject, we plan on focusing on the underreported human stories and drama during this early history. 

[ANS thanks Aaron Zucherman, PhD, KM6CHY, 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.

No contacts have been scheduled from 2023-12-21 to 2024-01-14. The complete schedule page has been updated as of 2023-12-21 05:00 UTC.

The Service Module radio is temporarily stowed.

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.

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]

Upcoming Satellite Operations

No scheduled operations are listed at this time.

A growing number of satellite rovers are currently engaged in sharing their grid square activations on https://hams.at. By visiting the website, you gain easy access to comprehensive information about the operators responsible for activating specific grid squares. Additionally, you have the ability to assess the match score between yourself and a particular rover for a given pass, while also being able to identify the upcoming satellite passes that are accessible from your location.

[ANS thanks Ian Parsons, K5ZM, AMSAT Rover Page Manager, for the above information]

 Want to fly the colors on your own grid expedition?
Get an AMSAT car flag and other neat stuff from our Zazzle store!
25% of the purchase price of each product goes towards Keeping Amateur Radio in Space

Hamfests, Conventions, Maker Faires, and Other Events

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 appropriate 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+ presentations so far has been customized/tailored to their audiences.

Scheduled Events

ARISS 40th Anniversary Conference: Celebrating the Positive Impact of Amateur Radio on Human Spaceflight

Center for Space Education, Adjacent to NASA Kennedy Space Center Visitor’s Center, Florida, USA
February 22-24, 2024

More information is available at https://www.ariss.org/overview.html

[ANS thanks Clint Bradford, K6LCS, and AMSAT for the above information]

Satellite Shorts from All Over

+ The ARRL has published Logbook of the World configuration file version 11.27, adding support for QSOs made through SO-121.

+ The SaxaVord Spaceport on the Scottish island of Unst in the Shetland Islands was approved to launch rockets in 2024, the first fully licensed orbital spaceport in Western Europe. (ANS thanks The Orbital Index for the above information)

+ China launched 4 weather satellites and a pair of Beidou satellites… but again dropped a booster full of highly toxic hypergols on someone’s house. Video at https://bit.ly/3vo9mhu (ANS thanks The Orbital Index 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).
• Primary and secondary school students are eligible for membership at one-half the standard yearly rate.
• Post-secondary school students enrolled in at least half time status shall be eligible for the student rate for a maximum of 6 post-secondary years in this status.
• 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,

Paul Stoetzer, N8HM
n8hm [at] amsat.org

ANS is a service of AMSAT, the Radio Amateur Satellite Corporation, 712 H Street NE, Suite 1653, Washington, DC 20002