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From: "Mark Johns, K0JM via ANS" <ans@amsat.org
Subject: [ANS] ANS-173 AMSAT News Service Bulletins for June 22
Date: Sun, 22 Jun 2025 09:16:30 EDT
Reply-To: k0jm.mark@gmail.com
To: space@ww
AMSAT News Service
ANS-173
June 22, 2025
In this edition:
* Hamsat to Test New Super-Black Paint That Could Fix Satellite Light
Pollution
* AMSAT Field Day on the Satellites
* The Legacy of AMSAT Flight Software â Part 2
* NASA Science Missions Could Be Cut In 2026 Budget
* Changes to AMSAT-NA TLE Distribution
* SpaceX to Launch Fourth Commercial Axiom Mission to the Space Station
* 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 http://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>*
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/
Hamsat to Test New Super-Black Paint That Could Fix Satellite Light
Pollution
AMSAT-UK is delighted to have been able to accept an opportunity to provide
a FUNcube Lite payload, with a mode U/V FM transponder, for the exciting
Jovian-1 satellite. This 6U CubeSat is being designed and built by Space
South Central which is the largest regional space cluster in the UK.
This is a partnership between industry and academia, designed to accelerate
space business growth, grow the reputation of the south central region of
the UK and foster an environment of innovation.
A collaboration between the universities of Surrey, Portsmouth and
Southampton, JUPITER â the Joint Universities Programme for In-Orbi
t
Training, Education and Research â will equip participants with inv
aluable
hands-on space industry experience and training for their future careers.
The FUNcube Lite payload from AMSAT-UK will collect and send telemetry from
Jovian-1 sub-systems for educational outreach to schools and colleges,
using the tried and tested FUNcube data format. Telemetry will include data
from the payloadâs own radiation sensor, along with GPS information
gathered from the satelliteâs CAN bus.
These data can be used to map radiation throughout the orbit, identifying
planetary radiation âhotspotsâ such as the polar regions an
d the South
Atlantic Anomaly. It will also give an accurate measure of how much
radiation reaches the sensitive electronics within the satellite.
While Jovian-1 and its ground station at Surrey University will use
commercial S and X band for primary communication, FUNcube Lite will use
frequencies in the amateur UHF and VHF spectrum. When not sending
telemetry, the payload can be configured as a mode U/V FM voice transponder
for amateurs to use for international communications.
*(Photo Credit: JUPITER)*
In addition, Jovian-1 will be a testbed for a new technology to reduce the
impact of low Earth orbit (LEO) satellites on astronomy.
A new partnership between Surrey NanoSystems and the University of Surrey
is aiming to tackle what has become a major concern for astronomers
worldwide.
They are working on using Surrey NanoSystemsâs newest product, Vant
ablack
310, which is a super-black coating. When Vantablack 310 is applied to a
surface, it reflects only 2% of incoming light, meaning it absorbs the
remaining 98%.
This high level of light absorption makes the coated surfaces appear
extremely dark, helping to minimise the unwanted brightness from satellites
that can disrupt the work of stargazers.
More than 8,000 LEO satellites already orbit Earth, and projections
estimate a rise to 60,000 by 2030, partly driven by the development of
mega-constellations.
*Starlink satellites are featured in this file photo (Dec. 2024) taken by
NASA astronaut Don Pettit from the International Space Station (ISS).
(Photo credit: Don Pettit/NASA via SWNS and Talker.com)*
To combat this problem, satellite operators have begun experimenting with
mitigation strategies, including dark coatings and changes to satellite
position, though the negative impact on ground-based measurement persists.
Surrey NanoSystems, with a heritage in ultra-black technologies, says their
new solution, Vantablack 310, is a handleable, customer-applied coating,
resistant to the challenging LEO environment.
The technology will have its first on-orbit trial on the Jovian-1 mission,
scheduled to launch in 2026. One side of the cubesat will be coated with
the material so that reflection and temperature measurements can be
compared.
More information will be provided at the AMSAT-UK Colloquium taking place
during the weekend of October 11-12, 2025 in Milton Keynes, UK.
https://amsat-uk.org/colloquium/
[ANS thanks AMSAT-UK, Space South Central, and Talker.com for the above
information]
------------------------------
*Your 2025 AMSAT Presidentâs Club Coin Is Waiting!*
*Celebrating the 40th Anniversary of Amateur Radio on Human Spaceflight*
*Help Support GOLF and Fox Plus.*
[image: 2025 PC Coin Set]
*Join the AMSAT Presidentâs 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/>*
------------------------------
AMSAT Field Day on the Satellites
Itâs that time of year again; summer and Field Day! Each year the A
merican
Radio Relay League (ARRL) sponsors Field Day as a âpicnic, a campou
t,
practice for emergencies, an informal contest and, most of all, FUN!â
The
event takes place during a 27-hour period on the fourth weekend of June.
For 2025 the event takes place from 1800 UTC on Saturday June 28, 2025
through 2100 UTC on Sunday June 29, 2025. Those who set up prior to 1800
UTC on June 28 can operate only 24 hours. The Radio Amateur Satellite
Corporation (AMSAT) promotes its own version of Field Day for operation via
the amateur satellites, held concurrently with the ARRL event.
*2025 ARRL Field Day logo (Credit: ARRL)*
This year should be as much fun as last year since we have more than 10
transponders and repeaters available. Users should check the AMSAT status
page at http://www.amsat.org/status/ and the pages at
https://www.amsat.org/amateur-satellite-index for what is available in the
weeks leading up to field day. To reduce the amount of time to research
each satellite, see the current FM satellite table at
https://www.amsat.org/live-fm-satellites/ and the current linear satellite
table at https://www.amsat.org/linear-satellite-frequency-summary/
If you are considering ONLY the FM voice satellites, there are ISS, SO-50,
PO-101, SO-124, SONATE-2 and possibly LilacSat. It might be easier this
year to make that one FM contact for the ARRL bonus points with so many FM
birds. The congestion on FM LEO satellites is always so intense that we
must continue to limit their use to one-QSO-per-FM-satellite. This includes
the International Space Station. You will be allowed one QSO if the ISS is
operating Voice.
It was suggested during past field days that a control station be allowed
to coordinate contacts on the FM satellites. There is nothing in the rules
that would prohibit this. This is nothing more than a single station
working multiple QSOâs. If a station were to act as a control stati
on and
give QSOâs to every other field day station, the control station wo
uld
still only be allowed to turn in one QSO per FM satellite while the other
station would be able to submit one QSO.
The format for the message exchange on the ISS or other digital packet
satellite is an unproto packet to the other station (3-way exchange
required) with all the same information as normally exchanged for ARRL
Field Day, e.g.:
W6NWG de KK5DO 2A STX
KK5DO de W6NWG QSL 5A SDG
W6NWG de KK5DO QSL
If you have worked the satellites on Field Day in recent years, you may
have noticed a lot of good contacts can be made on some of the
less-populated, low-earth-orbit satellites like AO-7, RS-44, AO-73, JO-97
and MO-122. During Field Day the transponders come alive like 20 meters on
a weekend. The good news is that the transponders on these satellites will
support multiple simultaneous contacts. The bad news is that you canâ
t use
FM, just low duty-cycle modes like SSB and CW.
*THE 2025 AMSAT FIELD DAY RULES:*
The AMSAT Field Day 2025 event is open to all Amateur Radio operators.
Amateurs are to use the exchange as specified in ARRL rules for Field Day.
The AMSAT competition is to encourage the use of all amateur satellites,
both analog and digital. Note that no points will be credited for any
contacts beyond the ONE allowed via each single-channel FM satellite.
Operators are encouraged not to make any extra contacts via theses
satellites (Ex: SO-50). CW contacts and digital contacts are worth three
points as outlined below.
*Analog Transponders:*
ARRL rules apply, except:
- Each phone, CW, and digital segment ON EACH SATELLITE TRANSPONDER is
considered to be a separate band.
- CW and digital (RTTY, PSK-31, etc.) contacts count THREE points each.
- Stations may only count one (1) completed QSO on any single channel FM
satellite. If a satellite has multiple modes such as V/u and L/s modes b
oth
turned on, one contact each is allowed. If the PBBS is on â see
Pacsats
below, ISS (1 phone and 1 digital), Contacts with the ISS crew will coun
t
for one contact if they are active. PCSat (I, II, etc.) (1 digital).
- The use of more than one transmitter at the same time on a single
satellite transponder is prohibited.
*Digital Transponders:*
We have only APRS digipeaters and 10m to 70cm PSK transponders (see Bob
Bruningaâs article in the March/April, 2016 issue of *The AMSAT Jou
rnal*).
Satellite digipeat QSOâs and APRS short-message contacts are worth
three
points each, but must be complete verified two-way exchanges. The one
contact per FM satellite rule is not applied to digital transponders.
The use of terrestrial gateway stations or internet gateways (i.e.
EchoLink, IRLP, etc.) to uplink/downlink is not allowed.
For the Pacsats (FalconSat-3) or âStore and Forwardâ hamsat
s, each
satellite is considered a separate band. Do not post âCQâ m
essages. Simply
upload ONE greeting message to each satellite and download as many greeting
messages as possible from each satellite. The subject of the uploaded file
should be posted as Field Day Greetings, addressed to ALL. The purpose of
this portion of the competition is to demonstrate digital satellite
communications to other Field Day participants and observers. Do not reply
to the Field Day Greetings addressed to ALL.
The following uploads and downloads count as three-point digital contacts.
Upload of a satellite Field Day Greetings file (one per satellite).
Download of Satellite Field Day Greetings files posted by other stations.
Downloads of non-Field Day files or messages not addressed to ALL are not
to be counted for the event. Save DIR listings and message files for later
âproof of contact.â
Please note AMSAT uploaded messages do not count for QSO points under the
ARRL rules.
*Sample Satellite Field Day Greetings File:*
Greetings from W5MSQ Field Day Satellite station near Katy, Texas, EL-29,
with 20 participants, operating class 2A, in the AMSAT-Houston group with
the Houston Amateur Television Society and the Houston QRP club. All the
best and 73!
Note that the message stated the call, name of the group, operating class,
where they were located (the grid square would be helpful) and how many
operators were in attendance.
*Operating Class:*
Stations operating portable and using emergency power (as per ARRL Field
Day rules) are in a separate operating class from those at home connected
to commercial power. On the report form simply list Emergency or Commercial
for the Power Source and be sure to specify your ARRL operating class (2A,
1C, etc.) and ARRL section.
*AND FINALLYâ¦*
The Satellite Summary Sheet should be used for submission of the AMSAT
Field Day competition and be received by KK5DO (e-mail) by 11:59 P.M. CDT,
Tuesday, July 29, 2025. This year, we are using the same due date as the
ARRL. The only method for submitting your log is via e-mail to kk5do at
amsatnet dot com or kk5do at arrl dot net. No mail-in entries.
Add photographs or other interesting information that can be used in an
article for the Journal.
You will receive an e-mail back (within one or two days) from me when I
receive your e-mail submission. If you do not receive a confirmation
message, then I have not received your submission. Try sending it again or
send it to my other e-mail address.
Certificates will be awarded for the first-place emergency power/portable
station at the AMSAT General Meeting and Space Symposium in the fall of
2025. Certificates will also be awarded to the second and third place
portable/emergency operation in addition to the first-place home station
running on emergency power. A station submitting high, award-winning scores
will be requested to send in dupe sheets for analog contacts and message
listings for digital downloads.
You may have multiple rig difficulties, antenna failures, computer
glitches, generator disasters, tropical storms, and there may even be
satellite problems, but the goal is to test your ability to operate in an
emergency situation. Try different gear. Demonstrate satellite operations
to hams that donât even know the HAMSATS exist. Test your equipment
. Avoid
making more than ONE contact via the FM-only voice HAMSATS or the ISS, and
enjoy the event!
Full article and downloadables available at https://www.amsat.org/field-day
/
[ANS thanks Bruce Paige, KK5DO, AMSAT Contest and Awards Manager, for the
above information]
------------------------------
The Legacy of AMSAT Flight Software â Part 2
Burns Fisher, WB1FJ, AMSAT Senior Software Engineer spoke at the 2025
Hamvention AMSAT Forum about his involvement in the development of flight
software for AMSAT satellites. In Part 2, Fisher explains that while Fox
satellites are in Low Earth Orbits between approximately 500 km and 800 km
altitudes, he needs to test newly added functions required for navigation
and propulsion, part of AMSATâs strategic goals involving highly el
liptical
orbits for wide access satellite missions.
Burns explained, âAdding to complexity is the need for fail over
capability. Fail over is a backup operational mode that automatically
switches to a standby system if the primary system fails. We wanted to have
multiple processors that could fail over in a higher altitude radiation
exposure event using processor coordination. One of the newer circuit
boards we are using is the Radiation Tolerant Internal Housekeeping Unit
(RT-IHU). It includes Error Detection And Correction (EDAC) memory that
performs self-tests while in use. We are using higher-quality Automotive
grade components for that purpose.â
*IHU Board â [Credit: AMSAT]*
Burns explained âEach processor has two redundant cores that cross
check
functionality. Each redundant board has these processor chips, non-volatile
memory as well as separate receiver and transmitter. There are bus switches
that disconnect one processor from the main satellite bus if thereâ
s a
failure.â
He said, âThe RT-IHU hasnât flown on an AMSAT satellite. So
we wanted to
have something that had flight heritage for more assurance of successful
operation. In addition to the RT-IHU then, we are flying the latest
revision of the legacy IHU â itâs essentially the same boar
d that flew
successfully seven times. The dual IHUs are connected together on the GOLF
bus. Controlling the multiple IHUs is the job of the coordination software
task mentioned above.
âThe RT-IHU also has a telemetry transmitter and a command receiver
.
Whichever processor is âin controlâ at a particular time is
responsible for
collecting and transmitting telemetry as well as control satellite
subsystems. All the command receivers are active at all times.â
*FlatSat Desktop â [Credit: Burns Fisher]*
âIn the photo above, you see my software development bench covered
with a
âflat satââthe satellite boards all spread out for
easy access. You can see
a purple Breakout Board (BoB) that Leandra Mac Lennan, AF1R built, tested
and documented. It has the IHUs, transmitter and receiver boards mounted on
it. The gray ribbon cable connects the BoB to a prototype Central Interface
Unit (CIU). The big green board in front is the GPS evaluation board
system. The GPS system is used to find out where the satellite is and get
our orbital elements out of it as well as getting the exact UTC time.
Toward the back is the ADAC (Attitude Determination and Control System). In
this flat-sat configuration, everything is connected by jumper wires,â
Burns explained.
âThe BoB is a vital element of the board-level testing of satellite
components. A Hamvention 2025 AMSAT forum presentation by Leandra covered
the BoB in detail and will be available shortly.â
Burns continued, âThe photo also shows the test equipment I use. Th
ere are
two different power supplies because the actual satellite power supply will
provide multiple voltages. In addition, I use an oscilloscope to help me
understand the electrical signals when a data bus does not operate the way
I expect. Flat-sats like this show how we develop the flight software. Not
in in the photo but to the right of what you see is my Linux computer where
the software is edited and compiled. The software is loaded into the
flat-sat IHUs and tested, often using the console task I mentioned above.
â
Burns concluded, âAMSAT software development is a continuous and
increasingly complex process We want to get started writing software even
before we have all the correct boards. It requires additional hours of work
and as well as following the development of all of the satelliteâs
subsystems in order to get an idea of the software that will be required.
â
[ANS thanks Burns Fisher, WB1FJ, AMSAT Senior Software Engineer for the
above information.]
------------------------------
*Need new satellite antennas?*
*Purchase M2 LEO-Packs from the AMSAT Store.*
*When you purchase through AMSAT, a portion of the proceeds goes towards*
*Keeping Amateur Radio in Space.*
*https://amsat.org/product-category/hardware/
<https://amsat.org/product-category/hardware/>*
------------------------------
NASA Science Missions Could Be Cut In 2026 Budget
President Donald Trumpâs fiscal 2026 budget request, if approved by
Congress, would kill many of NASAâs plans for robotic exploration o
f the
solar system. Gone, too, would be multiple space-based missions to study
Earth, the sun and the rest of the universe.
Among the planets that would get less attention are Venus, Mars and
Jupiter. But the planet facing the biggest drop in scrutiny from space is
our own. The Trump budget proposal calls for reducing Earth science funding
by 53 percent.
Also spiked: a mission that would take a close look at Apophis, a jumbo
asteroid that will pass just 20,000 miles from Earth â closer than
geosynchronous satellites â on April 13, 2029.
The White House Office of Management and Budget said in its request that
NASAâs current spending of more than $7 billion a year on nearly 10
0
science missions is âunsustainable.â
The Planetary Society, a nonprofit advocacy group for space science,
estimates that 41 current or planned missions, roughly a third of NASAâ
s
portfolio, would be terminated if the Trump budget is approved as written.
Trumpâs proposals would hammer the NASA workforce, triggering the l
oss of
thousands of civil service and contractor positions.
Congress has the power of the purse, however, and could save missions
targeted for termination. The Senate Commerce, Space and Transportation
Committee, chaired by Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas), is pushing to protect much
of NASAâs funding but is primarily concerned with saving existing e
lements
of the agencyâs Artemis moon program. On Thursday, the committee pr
oposed
restoring billions of dollars to a variety of NASA projects.
The full article, with a descriptive list of projects that might be cut,
may be found at
https://www.washingtonpost.com/science/2025/06/08/nasa-budget-voyager-space
/
(possible pay wall).
[ANS thanks *The Washington Post* for the above information]
------------------------------
*Want to fly the colors on your own grid expedition?*
*Get your 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*
*https://www.zazzle.com/amsat_gear* <https://www.zazzle.com/amsat_gear>
------------------------------
Changes to AMSAT-NA TLE Distribution for June 20
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/.
This week there are no additions or deletions to the AMSAT TLE distribution
.
[ANS thanks Joe Fitzgerald, KM1P, AMSAT Orbital Elements Manager for the
above information]
------------------------------
------------------------------
SpaceX to Launch Fourth Commercial Axiom Mission to the Space Station
Axiom Space is on verge of its fourth private astronaut mission to space in
as many years. The flight, dubbed Axiom Mission 4 (Ax-4), will see the
astronauts from India, Poland and Hungary reach the International Space
Station (ISS) for the first time.
The four crew members, led by Axiom Spaceâs Director of Human Space
flight,
Peggy Whitson, will embark on a roughly two-week mission to the orbiting
outpost. The quartet will launch onboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket from
NASAâs Kennedy Space Center, but the launch was delayed due to a va
riety of
issues, including an air leak on the ISS, weather, and a possible issue
with the Falcon 9 booster rocket.
SpaceX had also said on Sunday, June 15, it was reviewing data from a
static test firing that took place that day, suggesting there was perhaps
an undisclosed technical problem. The mission was previously delayed from
late May because the missionâs brand new Crew Dragon spacecraft was
not
ready.
The mission, dubbed Axiom Mission 4 or Ax-4, features the debut of the Crew
Dragon spacecraft, tail number C213. This has been billed by SpaceX as its
fifth and final Dragon capsule. SpaceXâs long-term goals are to shi
ft its
human spaceflight missions from Dragon to its Starship rocket, which it
said will be capable of ferrying dozens of people into space.
A number of amateur radio contacts are among the tasks that are to be
performed by the Axiom crew during their time aboard the ISS.
[ANS thanks Spaceflight Now for the above information]
------------------------------
ARISS NEWS
[image: 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:*
Youth On The Air 2025, Denver, Colorado, direct via WÃY
The ISS callsign is presently scheduled to be NA1SS
The scheduled crewmember is Nichole Ayers, KJ5GWI
The ARISS mentor is N7GZT
Contact was successful: Thu 2025-06-19 17:32:31 UTC 48 degrees maximum
elevation
Congratulations to the YOTA 2025 students, Nichole, mentor N7GZT, and
ground station WÃY
Watch for Livestream at https://youtube.com/live/I7JFXlzjrKc?featurer
e
and https://www.youtube.com/@yotaregion2/streams
*UPCOMING:*
A number of previously announced contacts associated with the Axiom mission
are being reschedule due to the launch delay.
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.
The packet system is currently *OFF* (145.825 MHz up & down).
As always, if there is an EVA, a docking, or an undocking; the ARISS radios
are turned off as part of the safety protocol.
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]
------------------------------
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.
June 21, 2025
*Rochester Amateur Radio Association Hamfest 2025*
Barnard Fire Field
410 Maiden Lane Rochester, NY 14616
KB2YSI
August 21-24, 2025
*Northeast HamXposition (HamX) & New England ARRL Convention*
Best Western Royal Plaza & Trade Center
181 Boston Post Road W
Marlborough, MA 01752
http://www.HamX.org
W1EME, WD4ASW, WB1FJ
September 6, 2025
*Greater Louisville Hamfest*
Paroquet Springs Conference Centre
395 Paroquet Springs Drive
Shepherdsville, KY 40165
W4FCL
October 16, 17, 18, 19, 2025
*AMSAT Board of Directors Meeting and 43rd Annual AMSAT Space Symposium &
Annual General Meeting*
Holiday Inn & Suites Phoenix Airport North
1515 North 44th Street
Phoenix, Arizona 85008
Details at https://www.amsat.org/2025-symposium/
[ANS thanks Bo Lowrey, W4FCL, Director â AMSAT Ambassador Program,
for the
above information]
------------------------------
Satellite Shorts From All Over
+ ARRLâs Logbook of the World (LoTW) is the primary means for provi
ding
confirmations for AMSAT awards such as GridMaster, Rover, and Reverse VUCC,
as well as ARRL Awards, such as VUCC, DXCC, and Worked All States. Almost
all satellite operators use it. As a part of the ongoing modernization of
the ARRL systems infrastructure, LoTW will be receiving major upgrades to
the operating system it is running on, the relational database system it
uses to store and access logbook and awards data, and server hosting, where
it will be fully migrated to the cloud. These changes will, among other
improvements, ensure LoTW performance needs can be better met based on user
demand. *LoTW will be unavailable from June 27 to July 2, 2025, to complete
these upgrades. *(ANS thanks ARRL for the above information.)
+ A SpaceX Starship rocket exploded in a huge fireball on a test stand late
Wednesday, June 18 during preparations for its next launch. The upper stage
Starship vehicle experienced a âmajor anomalyâ before start
ing a test fire
at around 11 p.m. local time, SpaceX said on social media. All personnel
were safe and there were no hazards to the residents of nearby communities,
SpaceX, a commercial space launch company, said. (ANS thanks *The New York
Times* for the above information.)
+ Astronomers have discovered that the largest comet from the Oort Cloud, a
shell of icy bodies at the very edge of the solar system, is bursting with
chemical activity. Using the Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array
(ALMA) in Chile, the team discovered that C/2014 UN271, an 85-mile-wide
(137 km) body around 10 times the size of the average comet and also known
as Bernardinelli-Bernstein, is erupting with complex and evolving jets of
carbon monoxide gas. Now located halfway between the sun and the solar
systemâs furthest planet, Neptune (or 16.6 times the distance betwe
en the
Earth and our star), C/2014 UN271 becomes the second-most distant comet
originating from the Oort Cloud that has been seen to be chemically active.
Full article at http://bit.ly/4nb7W0c (ANS thanks Space.com for the above
information.)
+ Chinaâs Shijian-21 and Shijian-25 satellites had been moving towa
rd each
other in geosynchronous orbit, around 22,236 miles (35,786 kilometers)
above the equator, Spacenews reported on June 6. And now the pair appear to
have had a brief first encounter, according to observations from the
ground. Optical tracking by the space situational awareness firm s2a
systems shows a close approach between the two on June 14, with the pair,
at times, virtually unresolvable from the other. This suggests that
Shijian-21 and Shijian-25 made at least a test-run close approach and may
have even performed a docking and undocking test. Full article at
http://bit.ly/407WHLV (ANS thanks Space.com for the above information.)
+ Honda has successfully tested an experimental reusable rocket, the
company said, as it seeks to expand into the space sector. The automaker,
which hopes to develop the tech prowess for a suborbital launch by 2029,
conducted a test flight of its rocket on the northern Japanese island of
Hokkaido. The prototype device, around six metres (20 feet) tall, landed
only 37 centimetres from its designated landing spot after the one-minute
flight. (ANS thanks AFP and spacedaily.com for the above information.)
+ Astronomers have discovered a huge filament of hot gas bridging four
galaxy clusters. At 10 times as massive as our galaxy, the thread could
contain some of the Universeâs âmissingâ matter, ad
dressing a decades-long
mystery. The astronomers used the European Space Agencyâs XMM-Newto
n and
JAXAâs Suzaku X-ray space telescopes to make the discovery. Over on
e-third
of the ânormalâ matter in the local Universe â the
visible stuff making up
stars, planets, galaxies, life â is âmissing.â It h
asnât yet been seen, but
itâs needed to make our models of the cosmos work properly. While w
eâve
spotted filaments before, theyâre typically faint, making it diffic
ult to
isolate their light from that of any galaxies, black holes, and other
objects lying nearby. (ANS thanks the European Space Agency for the above
information.)
------------------------------
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73 and remember to help Keep Amateur Radio in Space!
This weekâs ANS Editor, Mark Johns, KÃJM
mjohns [at] amsat.org
ANS is a service of AMSAT, the Radio Amateur Satellite Corporation, 712 H
Street NE, Suite 1653, Washington, DC 20002
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