April 19, 2026


In this edition:




* AMSAT/TAPR Banquet to Feature Ray Roberge, WA1CYB, Update on AMSAT's
SDR Gen2


* ARISS SSTV Series 31 ?World Space Commemoration? Concludes
Successfully


* AMSAT Participates in CubeSat Developers Workshop 2026

* New 2026 ITU Handbook on Amateur and Amateur-Satellite Services
Released


* Changes to AMSAT TLE Distribution for April 3, 2026

* Ambassador Events

* ARISS News

* Satellite Shorts from All Over


The AMSAT(R) 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<%20http:/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 .



Sign up for free e-mail delivery of the AMSAT News Service Bulletins via the ANS List. Join this list at: https://mailman.amsat.org/postorius/lists/ans.amsat.org/



AMSAT/TAPR Banquet to Feature Ray Roberge, WA1CYB, Update on AMSAT's SDR Gen2

Ray Roberge, WA1CYB, will be the speaker at the 17th annual AMSAT/TAPR
Banquet. Roberge, a member of AMSAT's Engineering team, will speak about progress on AMSAT's SDR Gen2 project, including what it does and where it can be used.



AMSAT's SDR Gen2 is a versatile, programmable GNU Radio
transceiver/transponder designed for a 1U CubeSat footprint. The transceiver has 144 MHz - 6 GHz continuous coverage with 10 GHz coverage expected as
well. The transceiver will


support direct VHF, UHF, L, S, C, and X band operations in all modes - CW,
SSB, FT8, NBFM, SSTV, FSTV, etc. and a downlink data rate of up to 1 MBps.
This transceiver is being built to fly on GOLF and FoxPlus missions and will
be both open source hardware and software.



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AMSAT SDR Gen 2 Circuit Board (WA1CYB Graphic)[


The 17th annual AMSAT/TAPR Banquet will be held at the Kohler Presidential Banquet Center on Friday, May 15th at 18:30 EDT. This dinner is always a highlight of the TAPR (Tucson Amateur Packet Radio) and AMSAT (Radio Amateur Satellite Corp.) activities during the Dayton Hamvention.



The Kohler Presidential Banquet Center is located at 4548 Presidential Way, Kettering, Ohio ? about 20 minutes away from the Greene County Fairgrounds.


Tickets ($75 each) may be purchased from the AMSAT store at https://www.amsat.org/product-category/amsat-at-hamvention/.



The banquet ticket purchase deadline is Monday, May 11th at 17:00 EDT / 21:00 UTC. Banquet tickets must be purchased in advance and will not be sold at the AMSAT booth. There will be no tickets to pick up at the AMSAT booth. Tickets purchased on-line will be maintained on a list with check-in at the door at
the banquet center. Seating is limited to the number of meals reserved with
the Kohler caterers based on the number of tickets sold by the deadline.



[ANS thanks the AMSAT Hamvention team for the above information.]


________________________________


The 2026 President?s Club Coin is Now Here!

Help Support GOLF and FoxPlus.


[Presidents' Club 2026 Coin]


Annual memberships start at only $20

Join the AMSAT President?s Club today and help

Keep Amateur Radio in Space!

https://www.amsat.org/join-the-amsat-presidents-club/


________________________________


ARISS SSTV Series 31 ?World Space Commemoration? Concludes Successfully

The ARISS Slow Scan Television (SSTV) Series 31 event, themed ?World Space Commemoration,? ran from April 10 through April 14, 2026. Transmissions
were made on 437.550 MHz FM using the Robot 36 mode from the International Space Station. Images celebrated major space milestones, including
Cosmonautics Day and the Space Shuttle program.



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ARISS SSTV Award (N0UW Photo)


Amateur radio operators worldwide captured the SSTV pictures and submitted
them to the official ARISS SSTV gallery at https://ariss-usa.org/ARISS_SSTV/. Many participants received commemorative certificates for successful receptions. The event provided an excellent opportunity for stations of all experience levels to practice satellite reception techniques and enjoy space-themed imagery.



[ANS thanks ARISS for the above information]


________________________________


AMSAT Remove Before Flight Key Tags Now Available

Yes, These are the Real Thing!


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Your $20 Donation Goes to Help Fly a FoxPlus Satellite

Includes First Class Postage (Sorry ? U.S. Addresses Only)

Order Today at https://www.amsat.org/product/amsat-remove-before-flight-keychain



________________________________


AMSAT Participates in CubeSat Developers Workshop 2026

AMSAT was well represented at the CubeSat Developers Workshop 2026 (CDW26), held April 14?16 at California Polytechnic State University in San Luis
Obispo, California. AMSAT President Drew Glasbrenner, KO4MA, delivered
updates on amateur satellite projects and conducted live on-air
demonstrations using the RS-44 linear transponder in SSB mode. Workshop attendees were able to listen to and participate in real-time amateur radio satellite contacts, experiencing firsthand the capabilities of the amateur-satellite service.



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The annual workshop brings together students, educators, researchers, and industry professionals to share advances in small-satellite technology
through presentations, panels, and exhibits. AMSAT?s active participation continues to strengthen connections between the amateur radio community and
the broader CubeSat developer ecosystem, opening doors for future
collaborative amateur radio payloads.



[ANS thanks Drew Glasbrenner, KO4MA, AMSAT President, for the above information.]



________________________________


New 2026 ITU Handbook on Amateur and Amateur-Satellite Services Released

The International Telecommunication Union (ITU) has published the 2026
edition of the Handbook on Amateur and Amateur-Satellite Services . The
updated reference provides comprehensive information on the amateur and amateur-satellite services, including relevant ITU regulatory texts,
technical guidelines, and operational practices.



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IARU President Tim Ellam, VE6SH/G4HUA, highlighted the handbook?s release, noting its value to national administrations, regulators, and amateur radio organizations worldwide. The document serves as an essential resource for anyone involved in frequency coordination, licensing, or satellite project planning.



The handbook is available for download free-of-charge at https://www.itu.int/pub/R-HDB-52-2026.



[ANS thanks the ITU and the IARU for the above information.]


________________________________


Join AMSAT or Renew Now. . .

Download a Free ?Getting Started with Amateur Satellites? Book!




[Getting Started w Shadow]


Get the latest edition just for doing the right thing!

Visit https://www.amsat.org/membership-specials/ for more details.


________________________________


Changes to AMSAT TLE Distribution for April 17, 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 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/.



The following satellites have permanent object numbers assigned:


SAL-E NORAD Cat ID 68458

DISCO 2 NORAD Cat ID 68431

HADES-SA (SpinnyONE) NORAD Cat ID 68446

JACK-002 NORAD Cat ID 68417

PARUS-6U1 NORAD Cat ID 68456


[ANS thanks Joe Fitzgerald, KM1P, AMSAT Orbital Elements Manager 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.



[cid:image008.png@01DCCF1F.AB615210]


Successful Contacts

Scouts Australia Western Australia Branch, Mount Hawthorn, Western Australia, Australia, telebridge via AB1OC.


The ISS callsign was NA1SS.

The crewmember was Jack Hathaway, KJ5NIV.

The ARISS mentor was Shane Lynd, VK4KHZ.

Contact was successful on Friday, April 17, 2026 at 10:22 UTC.


Scheduled Contacts

Elementary School ?Slava Raskaj?, Ozalj, Croatia, direct via 9A1CUA.

The ISS callsign was OR4ISS.

The crewmember was Chris Williams, KJ5GEW.

The ARISS mentor was Ferrario Gianpietro, IZ2GOJ.

Contact was successful on Monday, April 13, 2026 at 08:57 UTC .


University of Bordeaux (IUT de Bordeaux), GEII department, Gradignan, France, direct via F5KBW.


The ISS callsign was OR4ISS.

The crewmember was Sophie Adenot, KJ5LTN.

The ARISS mentor was Joseph Le Moine, F6ICS.

Contact is go for Monday, April 20, 2026 at 08:12:45 UTC.


Diamond Harbour School, Christchurch, New Zealand, telebridge via IK1SLD.

The ISS callsign is presently scheduled to be OR4ISS.

The scheduled crewmember is Jack Hathaway, KJ5NIV.

The ARISS mentor is Shane Lynd,VK4KHZ.

Contact is go for Monday, April 20, 2026 at 09:51:10 UTC.


ASU Preparatory STEM Academy, Mesa, AZ, direct via WB7TJD.

The ISS callsign is presently scheduled to be NA1SS.

The scheduled crewmember is Chris Williams KJ5GE, Jack Hathaway KJ5NIV, or Sophie Adenot, KJ5LTN.


The ARISS mentor is Dale Young, K4RGK and Brian Karley, KM4YHZ.

Contact is go for Wednesday, April 23, 2026 at 17:39:24 UTC.

Watch for Livestream at https://www.youtube.com/user/ASUPrepAcademy.


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.



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<%20https:/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.



[AMSAT Ambassador News Logo]


May 15-17, 2026

Dayton Hamvention

Greene County Fair and Expo Center

210 Fairground Road

Xenia 45385

https://hamvention.org/

October 8-11, 2026


44th AMSAT Space Symposium and Annual Membership Meeting

Crowne Plaza JAX Airport

14670 Duval Road

Jacksonville, FL 32218

Details to follow


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



________________________________

Satellite Shorts From All Over




* FO-29's full-sunlight period ends on April 21, 2026. The next full-sunlight period begins on approximately May 20th. See ANS-102 for the scheduled activations during the upcoming eclipse period. [ANS thanks JARL
for the above information.]



* ITU Corporation has purchased the former Linton (Indiana) National
Guard Armory to serve as the new manufacturing hub for Hy-gain and Cushcraft. Martin F. Jue, President and founder of MFJ Enterprises, Inc., was pleased to announce the sale of the Hy-gain and Cushcraft antenna, rotator, and communication product lines to ITU Corporation , a 25 year old Indiana engineering and manufacturing company. The designs, tooling, specialized equipment, manufacturing and marketing rights for Hy-gain and Cushcraft antennas and rotators are included in the sale. Read the complete story at https://tinyurl.com/ANS-109-Hy-gain-Cushcraft. [ANS thanks www.lintonnews.com<http://www.lintonnews.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 are eligible for FREE membership up to age 25.

* 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, Frank Karnauskas, N1UW.

f.karnauskas [at] amsat [dot] org


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


AMSAT is a registered trademark of the Radio Amateur Satellite Corporation.




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* Origin: Dragon's Lair, PyGate NNTP<>Fido Gate (3:633/10)