This is a sat database that I actually have missed and seen for the first time today. It is updated daily with GitHub Action and if you would like more information visit the project on GitHub.
Category: Ham Satellite news
Här finner du nyheter om amatörradiosatelliter från hela världen.
Varios ham radio satellites news.
Re-post from ANS-327:
Mike Seguin, N1JEz, reports the successful reception of the University of Arizona’s CatSat’s 10 GHz downlink on 10.47 GHz on the morning of November 21, 2025. The satellite’s linear transponder uses 10 GHz down and 5 GHz up. More information is available at https://catsat.arizona.edu/
Mike reports that signals were quite good in FN34xn in Vermont! His next step is to try the uplink on 5 GHz on 5.663 GHz.
Below is a link to a portion of the pass. It is an I&Q file recorded with HDSDR using the Winrad format.
https://drive.google.com/file/d/15cuuhi-U5WDkVjiKHJeuP_argBhH0Cpz/view?usp=drive_link
Congrats to the CatSat team!!
SkyRoof is a Windows application for Hams and satellite enthusiasts by Alex Shovkoplyas VE3NEA.
The main features of SkyRoof are:
- detailed information about all satellites that transmit in the Ham bands;
- satellite tracking in real time;
- pass prediction for the selected satellites;
- visual representation of the current satellite position and future passes, using:
- Sky View – the view of the sky from your location;
- Earth View – the view of the Earth from the satellite;
- Time Line – the satellite passes on the time scale;
- Pass List – the details of the predicted passes;
- SDR-based waterfall display that covers the whole satellite segments on the VHF and UHF bands, with zoom and pan;
- SDR-based SSB/CW/FM receiver with RIT and Doppler tracking;
- audio and I/Q output to external programs via VAC or UDP;
- frequency scale with satellite names and transponder segments, Doppler-corrected;
- CAT control of an external transceiver;
- antenna rotator control.
Download at https://ve3nea.github.io/SkyRoof/
Thank you to Funkamateur and Andreas Bilsing (DM4TG) for mentioning AMSAT-SM’s letter to amateur radio manufacturers regarding developing a full duplex handheld radio.
Unfortunately the result of out open letter is so far… nothing.
Re-post from ANS-313:
The CatSat team has announced that preparations are underway to open public operation of the spacecraft’s linear transponder, offering the amateur-radio community a new microwave-band satellite resource. CatSat, a 6U CubeSat developed and flown by students, faculty, and staff at the University of Arizona in partnership with FreeFall Aerospace and Rincon Research, has been on orbit since July 2024 and is now entering the phase of its mission focused on community engagement and technology demonstration.
CatSat was launched aboard a Firefly Aerospace Alpha rocket from Vandenberg Space Force Base as part of NASA’s CubeSat Launch Initiative. Measuring roughly the size of a family-size cereal box, the spacecraft carries a suite of experimental payloads, including a novel inflatable antenna capable of enabling large-aperture communications from a small satellite platform. In addition to ionospheric monitoring via high-frequency (HF) radio measurements and imaging of the Earth, CatSat includes a linear transponder for amateur radio, extending the University of Arizona’s long legacy in space science down to hands-on student involvement.
The satellite orbits Earth in a nearly sun-synchronous polar orbit, circling the globe approximately every 90 minutes. As part of its student-driven mission, CatSat is demonstrating how cutting-edge antenna systems and commercial-off-the-shelf radio hardware can support meaningful research and amateur communications from a compact form factor. The mission is funded by the University of Arizona Office of the Vice President for Research and the Arizona Space Institute, with additional support from industry partners.
When the linear transponder is active, CatSat listens on 5.663 GHz (uplink) and transmits on 10.47 GHz (downlink), providing approximately 200 kHz of bandwidth. Patch antennas on the spacecraft’s −Y face offer roughly 60-degree beam coverage, and the attitude-control system can point the antenna footprint at ground stations for up to 10 minutes per pass. Power considerations limit each activation to about 15 minutes, a balance that allows the spacecraft to support both mission science and amateur communications.
Early on-orbit demonstrations used a 1-meter C-band uplink dish and a 6.1-meter X-band downlink dish to confirm transponder functionality, successfully relaying Morse code. The CatSat team is now constructing a more accessible ground station using 1-meter-class commercial antennas to show that amateur access is practical with reasonably sized equipment. Operators will be able to monitor schedule updates — informally known as the “five and dime” plan — through the CatSat mission website.
Commissioning passes targeting the CatSat ground stations in Tucson took place on October 29 and November 2, with one final activation scheduled for November 9 at approximately 7:50 PM MST (UTC-7) — just hours after this bulletin’s publication. As testing continues, dates may shift as the team evaluates performance and power-budget constraints. Operators can follow activation plans and future opportunities at https://catsat.arizona.edu.
Read the full announcement at: https://catsat.arizona.edu/news/catsat-team-preparing-public-linear-transponder-operations
[ANS thanks the CatSat Team and the University of Arizona for the above information]
From ANS-299:
At the Annual General Meeting of AMSAT members, held as part of the AMSAT Symposium in Phoenix, Ariz. last weekend, newly elected AMSAT President Drew Glasbrenner, KO4MA, outlined some future directions for the organization.
Noting that membership in organizations and voluntary associations of all types has been declining across the board, in all areas of society, Glasbrenner suggested a two-pronged approach.
First, reduce the cost per member. AMSAT has already made major steps in that direction, by closing the office and changing to an all-volunteer administration, and also by changing the AMSAT Journal from print to a digital publication. The organization should seek more opportunities to economize.
Second, increase membership by creating a strategy to actively seek and invite new hams. The Board has just approved a free student membership to bring young hams into the organization. Reinstating a College Activity Night on the satellites, an AMSAT Youth Net, and publicizing youth satellite activities are priorities. Another possibility might be a two-tiered membership structure with a low-fee introductory membership.
Glasbrenner also noted that government budget cuts have caused NASA to eliminate the CubeSat Launch Initiative program (CSLI), which provided free launch opportunities to educational projects. AMSAT has benefited from CSLI, but has also purchased commercial launches in the past. He indicated that AMSAT should not wait to see if CSLI is reinstated or replaced with a similar program, but that the organization should move forward to fund commercial launches for GOLF-Tee and Fox Plus satellites that are nearing readiness in coming months.
Another challenge facing AMSAT is that it is becoming increasingly difficult to operate in Low Earth Orbit (LEO). While orbital debris regulations forbid launches to higher orbits without meeting stringent technical requirements for deorbiting, reentry devices are largely unavailable or unproven. The GOLF program is meant to address this, but launches to higher orbits are also difficult to find. Future rules may mandate propulsion for collision avoidance in LEO.
A strategy to meet these orbital challenges is to focus on developing amateur radio payloads that can fly on other satellites. The Italian Greencube satellite, IO-117, was an example. To take advantage of these opportunities, AMSAT engineers must focus on developing payloads as a series, rather than as single projects, so that units are “on the shelf” and available on short notice. The SDR Gen2 transverter board – an updated version of the units flown on HuskySat and MESAT1 – is a major step in this direction, as is the updated PacSat board under development. The GOLF and Fox Plus programs are also being crafted to create satellites in a series with iterative improvements and an up-tempo launch cadence.
Finally, Glasbrenner called for strengthening international collaboration with other AMSAT organizations around the world, as well as establishing mechanisms for strategic planning at the Board of Directors level. His address was received enthusiastically by those in attendance.
[ANS thanks Mark Johns, KØJM, News Service Senior Editor, for the above information.]