AMSAT News Service
ANS-187
July 6, 2025
In this edition:
* AMSAT Field Day Submissions Now Due
* Seeking Additional Volunteers for Moon Day at Dallas Frontiers of Flight
Museum
* GridMasterMap Satellite Top 100 Rovers July 2025 Rankings
* VUCC Satellite Standing July 2025
* DXCC Satellite Standing July 2025
* Changes to AMSAT-NA TLE Distribution
* French Astronaut Will Take Food From Michelin-Starred Chef to ISS
* 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/AMSAT Field Day Submissions Now Due
Now that Field Day is over, there is one more thing you can do if you would
like to participate in the scoring process for AMSAT Field Day. Email your
submission sheet.
If you do not have the submission sheet, go to AMSAT.org and under EVENTS,
select AMSAT Field Day. Download the rules. The Satellite Summary Sheet is
at the end of the rules.
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.com or kk5do [at] arrl.net. No mail-in entries.
Add photographs or other interesting information that can be used in an
article for *The AMSAT Journal*.
You will receive an e-mail back (within one or two days) your e-mail
submission has been received. If you do not receive a confirmation message,
then try sending it again or send it to the other e-mail address.
[ANS thanks Bruce Paige, KK5DO, AMSAT Director Contests and Awards, for the
above information]
------------------------------
*Your 2025 AMSAT President’s 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 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/>*
------------------------------
Seeking Additional Volunteers for Moon Day at Dallas Frontiers of Flight
Museum
The 2025 Moon Day, a space-themed public STEM event, will take place on
Saturday, July 19 at the Frontiers of Flight Museum at Love Field in
Dallas. Held each year close to the date of the Apollo 11 moon landing, the
event features hands-on science exhibits and activities for all ages. Moon
Day runs from 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. CDT, with setup beginning at 8:00
a.m. CDT.
AMSAT will once again be represented at the event by AMSAT Ambassador
Thomas Schuessler, N5HYP, along with several North Texas satellite
enthusiasts. They will engage with the public — including many youn
g people
— on topics such as satellite orbits, the International Space Stati
on, and
amateur radio in space. Exhibits will include the AMSAT Fox CubeSat
engineering model and the CubeSat Simulator, and the team hopes to
demonstrate a few live satellite passes during the day.
Tom is seeking additional AMSAT volunteers from the North Texas area to
help staff the exhibit table. The AMSAT booth will be located next to the
Dallas Amateur Radio Club exhibit, providing opportunities for great
conversations with fellow hams as well as curious families. Volunteers
receive free museum admission and lunch. Anyone interested in helping for
part or the entire day is encouraged to email Tom at n5hyp [at] arrl [dot]
net.
*Col. Carl E. Walz (USAF, Ret.) ex-KC5TIE and former NASA Astronaut will be
the keynote speaker for Moon Day 2025 (Photo credit: NASA)*
More information about the event is available at:
https://flightmuseum.com/events/moonday[ANS thanks Tom Schuessler, N5HYP, AMSAT Ambassador, 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/>
------------------------------
GridMasterMap Satellite Top 100 Rovers July 2025 Rankings
The July 2025 rankings for the Top 100 Rovers (Mixed LEO/MEO/GEO) in
satellite operations, as determined by @GridMasterMap on Twitter, has been
released. The ranking is determined by the number of grids and DXCC
entities activated, taking into account only those grids where a minimum
number of QSOs logged on the gridmaster.fr website have been validated by a
third party. Grid numbers do not directly reflect the exact number of
activations. Satellite operators are encouraged to upload their LoTW
satellite contacts to
https://gridmaster.fr in order to provide more
accurate data.
Updated: 2025-06-28
1 ND9M
26 KX9X
51 K7TAB
76 HB9GWJ
2 NJ7H
27 DJ8MS
52 PR8KW
77 N4UFO
3 JA9KRO
28 KG5CCI
53 XE1ET
78 PT2AP
4 UT1FG
29 ON4AUC
54 W7WGC
79 AA8CH
5 N5UC
30 N5BO
55 EB1AO
80 VE1VOX
6 DL6AP
31 K8BL
56 DF2ET
81 PT9BM
7 OE3SEU
32 KE4AL
57 N6DNM
82 FG8OJ
8 DP0POL
33 KB5FHK
58 EA4NF
83 YU0W
9 F5VMJ
34 PA3GAN
59 LU4JVE
84 N6UTC
10 WI7P
35 JO2ASQ
60 SM3NRY
85 AF5CC
11 K5ZM
36 F4BKV
61 KI7QEK
86 KI7UXT
12 LU5ILA
37 VE3HLS
62 AA5PK
87 JM1CAX
13 N6UA
38 KI0KB
63 W1AW
88 KJ7NDY
14 W5PFG
39 VA3VGR
64 F4DXV
89 PS8BR
15 N9IP
40 KI7UNJ
65 DL4EA
90 N4DCW
16 WY7AA
41 HJ5LVR
66 KE9AJ
91 WA9JBQ
17 HA3FOK
42 LA9XGA
67 AD7DB
92 KG4AKV
18 AK8CW
43 N7AGF
68 VE1CWJ
93 W8MTB
19 DL2GRC
44 VK5DG
69 BG7QIW
94 KB2YSI
20 AD0DX
45 JL3RNZ
70 W8LR
95 K0FFY
21 N4AKV
46 XE3DX
71 SP5XSD
96 VE3GOP
22 BA1PK
47 KE0WPA
72 M1DDD
97 N0TEL
23 AD0HJ
48 AC0RA
73 N8RO
98 DK9JC
24 WD9EWK
49 KE0PBR
74 VA7LM
99 K6VHF
25 ND0C
50 JK2XXK
75 KM4LAO
100 VE7PTN
[ANS thanks @GridMasterMap for the above information]
------------------------------
VUCC Satellite Standing July 2025
VUCC Satellite Award/Endorsement Change Summary for June 01, 2025 to July
01, 2025.
KO4MA 2000 2100
DL5GAC 1576 1745
DF2ET 1602 1700
W5CBF 1326 1554
AA5PK 1524 1525
K8TL 1016 1017
4J6D 150 1000
W8LR 905 910
VE7PTN 635 794
N8MR 775 783
W6ZQ 560 561
JG2TSL 157 516
K6VHF 376 401
N8HRZ 337 343
JE2UFF 280 334
SP7JS 253 300
YL2KF New 283
EA4DEI 150 200
OH3DP 150 176
NK0S 169 170
N9BX 125 163
KC7WXD New 133
XE2YWH(DL82-DL92) New 119
WB5TX 101 110
KB4YKC 100 108
K4XP 101 102
BI1OEU New 100
EA1FWI New 100
Congratulations to the new VUCC Satellite holders!
YL2KF is first VUCC Satellite holder from Latvia and KO27
EA1FWI is first VUCC Satellite holder from IN72
[ANS thanks Jon Goering, N7AZ, for the above information]
------------------------------
DXCC Satellite Standing July 2025
DXCC Satellite Award/Endorsement Change Summary for June 01, 2025 to July
01, 2025.
IW1FZR 154 184
YO2CMI 180 184
HB9RYZ 163 164
EA2AA 160 161
IK4DRY 144 150
W5CBF 130 143
DL2MIH 132 141
EA1N 114 139
DL2QB 120 136
IK0WMJ 128 131
IK7FMQ 128 130
LA0FA 117 128
W8LR 112 114
I4DOR New 101
KP3V New 100
KP3V is first DXCC Satellite holder from FK78
[ANS thanks Jon Goering, N7AZ, 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 July 4
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]
------------------------------
French Astronaut Will Take Food From Michelin-Starred Chef to ISS
French cuisine has a reputation for being among the world’s best. S
o what’s
a French astronaut do to when faced with the prospect of spending months
aboard the International Space Station eating freeze-dried food straight
from the packaging?
Recruit a Michelin-starred chef to reimagine French classics like foie gras
and lobster bisque was the answer for Sophie Adenot, KJ5LTN, who is due to
undertake her first space mission in 2026.
*Chef Anne-Sophie Pic and astronaut Sophie Adenot, KJ5LTN, at a tasting in
Paris. (Photo: Groupe Pic and ESA)*
The meals designed by Anne-Sophie Pic will make up the “bonus food
” taken
to the ISS during Adenot’s εpsilon mission, the European Space
Agency said
in a statement Tuesday, July 1.
Food in space is typically freeze-dried and comes in plastic packaging from
a list of preapproved items, the ESA said. Fruit and vegetables are a rare
luxury that are available only when a spacecraft arrives with supplies.
Astronauts, however, are able to have specially catered “bonus food
” that
makes up about 10 percent of what they eat. This is usually developed in
partnership with a chef, and astronauts say it boosts mental well-being,
adds variety and helps them bond with fellow crew members when shared in
orbit, according to the ESA.
See the full article at
https://wapo.st/4lyxEKj[ANS thanks *The Washington Post* 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.
[image: ARISS News]
*RECENTLY COMPLETED*
Axiom 4 group 1 telebridge via K6DUE
Hungarian Scout Association, Budapest, Hungary
Debrecen – Bánki Reformed Primary School, Technical College an
d Vocational
Training School, Debrecen, Hungary
Mezőberényi Petőfi Sándor Evangélikus Gimnázi
um, Kollégium és Általános
Iskola, Mezöberény, Hungary
Budapesti Műszaki Szakképzési Centrum Puskás Tivadar T
ávközlési és
Informatikai Technikum, Puskás Radio Amateur Club – HA5KHC, HA
5KBF,
Budapest, Hungary
The ISS callsign was scheduled to be NA1SS
The crewmember was Tibor Kapu, HA5TRO
The ARISS mentor is ON6TI
Contact was successful: Thu 2025-07-03 11:05:59 UTC 50 degrees elevation
Axiom 4 group 4 telebridge via K6DUE
University of Wrocław, Wrocław, Poland
The ISS callsign was scheduled to be NA1SS
The crewmember was Sławosz Uznański-Wiśniewski, SQ7AS
The ARISS mentor is K4RGK
Contact was successful: Fri 2025-07-04 08:41:36 UTC 16 degrees elevation
Congratulations to the Axiom 4 group 4 school, Sławosz, mentor K4RGK,
and
telebridge station K6DUE!
Congratulations to Sławosz for his first ever ARISS contact!
Watch for Livestream at
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v�TPwoNf_zg
Axiom 4 group 5 telebridge via K6DUE
UR Rao Satellite Centre (URSC), Dept. of Space, Govt. of India, Bengaluru,
Karnataka, India
The ISS callsign was scheduled to be NA1SS
The crewmember was Shubhanshu Shukla, VU2TNI
The ARISS mentor is AA6TB
Contact was successful: Fri 2025-07-04 10:17:10 UTC 86 degrees elevation
Congratulations to the Axiom 4 group 5 students, Shubhanshu, mentor AA6TB,
and telebridge station K6DUE!
Congratulations to Shubhanshu for his first ever ARISS contact!
Axiom 4 group 3 telebridge via K6DUE
Rzeszow University of Technology, Rzeszow Poland
The ISS callsign was scheduled to be NA1SS
The crewmember was Sławosz Uznański-Wiśniewski, SQ7AS
The ARISS mentor is K4RGK
Contact was successful: Sat 2025-07-05 09:28:23 UTC 48 degrees elevation
Congratulations to the Axiom 4 group 3 students, Sławosz, mentor K4RGK
, and
telebridge station K6DUE!
Watch for Livestream at
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v�I8YF1mGJc
*UPCOMING*
Axiom 4 group 6 telebridge via K6DUE
North Eastern Space Applications Centre (NESAC), Dept. of Space, Govt. of
India, Shillong, Meghalaya, India
The ISS callsign is presently scheduled to be NA1SS
The scheduled crewmember is Shubhanshu Shukla, VU2TNI
The ARISS mentor is AA6TB
Contact is go for: Tue 2025-07-08 08:38:31 UTC 77 degrees elevation
Axiom 4 group 2 telebridge via K6DUE
MOBILIS Közhasznú Nonprofit Kft., Győr, Hungary
The ISS callsign is presently scheduled to be NA1SS
The scheduled crewmember is Tibor Kapu, HA5TRO
The ARISS mentor is ON6TI
Contact is go for: Wed 2025-07-09 07:49:40 UTC 43 degrees elevation
The crossband repeater continues to be *active* [except for Progress Ops
July 5 & 6](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 also *active* [except for Progress Ops July 5 &
6](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. *Powering off for Progress
Ops on 7/5 OFF 15:50 UTC; ON 7/6 10:05 UTC. *
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.htmlThe 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.
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.orgW1EME, 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/*W4FCL is with WA4VOC at BARS Field Day (KC3WNX photo)*
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/[ANS thanks Bo Lowrey, W4FCL, Director – AMSAT Ambassador Program,
for the
above information]
------------------------------
Satellite Shorts From All Over
+ ARRL’s *Logbook of the World* (LoTW) was returned to service at 1
400z on
Wednesday, July 2, with upgraded servers. LoTW is a web-accessed database
and repository that enables radio amateurs to submit electronic logs for
amateur radio contacts (QSOs) and for confirmation (QSLs). Users can view
submitted QSOs and resulting QSLs online. Radio amateurs can use LoTW to
track their progress toward achievements and awards, such as Worked All
States, DXCC, VUCC. It is also used to verify AMSAT awards such as
Gridmaster. It is used by the vast majority of satellite operators. ARRL is
soliciting donations through the ARRL website to support the maintenance
and expansion of LoTW. (ANS thanks ARRL for the above information.)
+ *AMSAT South Africa* (AMSAT SA) has announced that the 2025 Space
Symposium will be held on Saturday 2 August 2025 from 08:00 UTC – 1
4:00 UTC
and has issued a call for papers. The theme of the symposium is “Em
bracing
68 years of space science and innovation in Amateur Radio.” Papers
are
invited covering all aspects of space science and communication impacting
and enhancing the Amateur Radio experience, from the technical to
operational aspects. Presentations are typically 30 minutes a with a
10-minute Q&A. Send proposals in MS Word to admin [at] amsatsa.org.za by 7
July 2025. To enable as widest as possible audience to participate, this
symposium will be held online on the Webex platform. Members of all AMSAT
organisations and national societies may attend free upon registration,
which open on 9 July 2025. Email admin [at] amsatsa.org.za for details.
(ANS thanks AMSAT SA for the above information.)
+ *SpaceX* launched its 500th Falcon 9 rocket to date with an overnight
Starlink flight on Wednesday, July 2. The first stage booster used on the
mission also flew for a record-setting 29th time. The mission, dubbed
Starlink 10-25, lifted off from Space Launch Complex 40 at Cape Canaveral
Space Force Station at 0628 UTC. A little more than eight minutes after
liftoff, the booster landed on the droneship, ‘A Shortfall of Gravi
tas,’
completing the 472nd booster landing to date. (ANS thanks Spaceflight Now
for the above information.)
+ *MethaneSAT*, the Environmental Defense Fund (EDF) methane-tracking
satellite backed by the Bezos Earth Fund, is lost in space. Its ground team
lost contact with the spacecraft on June 20 but tried to reestablish a
connection until it learned in the morning of July 1 that MethaneSAT had
lost power altogether. The team believes that the satellite is likely not
recoverable. MethaneSAT collected data on methane emissions that have
previously been untrackable in an effort to combat climate change. Methane
is the second largest contributor to global warming after carbon dioxide,
with agriculture, fossil fuels and waste decomposition being the largest
sources. (ANS thanks Engadget for the above information.)
+ EUMETSAT’s *Meteosat-12* satellite, formerly Meteosat Third Gener
ation
(MTG) Imager 1, has now taken over from Meteosat-10 to deliver Europe�
�s
prime weather data service from GEO. Meteosat-12 is the first imaging
satellite in the MTG program and now moves into its key position above the
equator at 0° longitude, directly over the Gulf of Guinea. Meteosat-12
is
now the main source of near-real-time geostationary satellite data for
Europe, Africa and the surrounding oceans. (ANS thanks satnews for the
above information.)
+ A newly discovered *interstellar object* is only the third such
interloper to be observed in our solar system. The object — provisi
onally
known as A11pl3Z — is not expected to pose an impact risk to Earth,
but
gained attention on Tuesday, July 1, when it was spotted by telescopes for
NASA’s early warning system for asteroid impacts. Speeding through
our
solar system at about 245,000 kilometers per hour relative to the sun, it
is currently located just inside the orbit of Jupiter, 528 million
kilometers from Earth. It’s uncertain at this time if the object
— which
will get a new name when it is approved and published by the Minor Planet
Center — is a comet or asteroid, but the observations so far have h
elped
track the object’s journey, indicating it likely came from outside
of the
solar system from a thin galactic disk. (ANS thanks *The Washington Post*
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, Mark Johns, KØJM
mjohns [at] amsat.org
ANS is a service of AMSAT, the Radio Amateur Satellite Corporation, 712 H
Street NE, Suite 1653, Washington, DC 2000
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[ANS] ANS-187 AMSAT News Service Bulletins for July 6