AMSAT News ServiceANS-348
December 14, 2025
In this edition:
*Â Soyuz Crew Lands Ending Eight-Month Space Research Journey
* Satellites Experience âOrbital Summerâ And âOrbital Winterâ
* CCSDS Development Competition Open to European Hams
* VUCC Satellite Standing December 2025
* DXCC Satellite Standing for December 2025
* A Dying Satellite May Photograph Asteroid Apophis in 2029
* Changes to AMSAT-NA TLE Distribution
* Boeingâs Next Starliner Flight Will Carry Cargo Only
* ARISS News
* AMSAT Ambassador Activities
* Satellite Shorts From All Over
The AMSAT® News Service bulletins are a free, weekly news and
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ANS publishes news related to Amateur Radio in Space including reports
on the activities of a worldwide group of Amateur Radio operators who
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The news feed on https://www.amsat.org publishes news of Amateur Radio in Space as soon as our volunteers can post it.
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Soyuz Crew Lands Ending Eight-Month Space Research Journey
The crew of Soyuz MS-27, including NASA astronaut Jonny Kim, KJ5HKP,
along with Russian Cosmonauts Sergey Ryzhikov and Alexey Zubritsky,
returned safely to Earth after living aboard the International Space
Station (ISS) in weightlessness for 245 days. The return marked the end
of ISS Expedition 73.
Lieutenant Commander (LCDR, U.S. Navy) Jonny Kim was born and raised
in Los Angeles, California to Korean-American immigrants. He enlisted in
the Navy as a Seaman recruit after graduating high school in 2002.
After completion of Hospital Corpsman âAâ school training, he reported
to Basic Underwater Demolition/SEAL (BUD/S) training in Coronado, CA.
After completing his training at Naval Special Warfare, Kim reported to
the John F. Kennedy Special Warfare Center and School in Fort Liberty,
NC for the Special Operations Combat Medic Course. He was assigned as a
Special Warfare Operator to SEAL Team THREE in San Diego, CA and
obtained various qualifications including Military Freefall Parachutist,
Advanced SCUBA, Combatant Diver (closed circuit rebreather), Naval
Special Warfare Special Reconnaissance Scout and Sniper, and Advanced
Special Operations Techniques. As a Navy SEAL he completed more than 100
combat operations.
In 2012, Petty Officer First Class Kim was commissioned as a naval
officer through the Navyâs enlisted-to-officer commissioning program,
Seaman to Admiral-21, following graduation from the University of San
Diego. Kim obtained his medical degree from Harvard Medical School and
completed his internship with the Harvard Affiliated Emergency Medicine
Residency at Massachusetts General Hospital and Brigham and Womenâs
Hospital in Boston, MA.
Kim is an Aeromedical Dual Designated (AMDD) Naval Aviator and Flight
Surgeon, he completed his primary flight training at Naval Air Station
(NAS) Corpus Christi, TX, helicopter advanced flight training at NAS
Whiting Field in Milton, FL, and the Naval Flight Surgeon course at the
Naval Aerospace Medical Institute at NAS Pensacola, FL.
Selected by NASA in 2017, Kim completed two years of training as an
Astronaut Candidate. Training included technical and operational
instruction in International Space Station systems, Extravehicular
Activities (EVA) Operations, T-38 flight training, robotics,
physiological training, expeditionary training, field geology, water and
wilderness survival training, and Russian language proficiency
training. In 2020, Kim began his support of International Space Station
operations as a Capsule Communicator (CapCom) in Mission Control Center
Houston and the Artemis program under the astronaut Exploration branch.
He served as the International Space Stationâs Increment Lead for
Expedition 65 in 2021.
As part of his astronaut training, Kim earned his Technician Class amateur radio license in July of 2024.

Soyuz MS-27 crew members (from left) NASA astronaut Jonny Kim and Roscosmos cosmonauts Sergey Ryzhikov and Alexey Zubritsky
pose for a pre-flight portrait at the Gagarin Cosmonaut Training Center in Russia. (Credit: GCTC)
Kim launched to the International Space Station on April 8, 2025, as a
flight engineer on the Soyuz MS-27 spacecraft. He spent eight months
aboard the station as an Expedition 72/73 flight engineer, conducting
science experiments and maintaining the space station. During the
science expedition, Kim orbited the Earth 3,920 times and traveling
nearly 104 million miles. He saw the arrival of nine visiting spacecraft
and the departure of six during his time in orbit.
This was Kimâs first spaceflight, where he served as flight engineer
for Expedition 72 and 73. This also was Zubritskyâs first trip to the
space station. Ryzhikov now has logged a total of 603 days in space
during three trips to the orbital complex, ranking him 13th all time.
The three crew members were flown by helicopter to Karaganda,
Kazakhstan, where recovery teams are based. After medical exams, Kim
boarded a NASA aircraft and returned to Houston to spend Christmas with
his wife and their three children.
Expedition 74 is now underway with veteran NASA astronaut Mike
Fincke, KE5AIT, as commander leading six flight engineers including NASA
astronauts Zena Cardman, KJ5CMN, and Chris Williams, KJ5GEW, JAXA
(Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency) astronaut Kimiya Yui, KG5BPH, and
Roscosmos cosmonauts Oleg Platonov, Sergey Kud-Sverchkov and Sergei
Mikaev.
[ANS thanks NASA for the above information.]
AMSAT Remove Before Flight Key Tags Now Available
Yes, These are the Real Thing!
Satellites Experience âOrbital Summerâ And âOrbital Winterâ
Think satellites are immune to seasons? Think again!
They experience âOrbital Summerâ and âOrbital Winterâ with extreme
effects. Because of the position of the Earth, as well as the orbital
path, satellites experience periods when they are entirely out of
Earthâs shadow (âorbital summerâ) and periods when they are in âeclipseâ
for most or all of their orbits (âorbital winterâ).
What does this mean for their batteries and temperature?

(Credit: TinyGS)
When fully illuminated, solar panels are
generating non-stop power and batteries are fully charged. But âOrbital
Summerâ isnât just about light; itâs about heat. Without the shadow of
an eclipse to cool down, the satellite heats up, putting stress on
batteries and other components.
Conversely, when âOrbital Winterâ happens, a satellite will
experience maximum eclipse time. When in eclipse, batteries may not
charge sufficiently. Satellites must survive long periods in the dark,
relying heavily on batteries and internal heaters to keep from freezing.
âOrbital Summerâ And âOrbital Winterâ are primary contributors to
satellite failure, and a major challenge to those who build and operate
satellites of all types.
[ANS thanks TinyGS for the above information.]
Only 2 Weeks Left to Get Your 2025 Coin!
Celebrate the 40th Anniversary of Amateur Radio on Human Spaceflight
Help Support GOLF and FoxPlus.

Annual memberships start at only $120
Join the AMSAT Presidentâs Club today and help
Keep Amateur Radio in Space!
https://www.amsat.org/join-the-amsat-presidents-club/
CCSDS Development Competition Open to European Hams
The European Space Agency (ESA) is presenting a pilot programme on
behalf of The Consultative Committee for Space Data Systems (CCSDS) and
is pleased to announce a new outreach initiative aimed at strengthening
engagement with the European amateur satellite and academic communities.
This initiative supports the wider objective of promoting the adoption
and practical application of CCSDS space communication standards.
CCSDS invites European amateur satellite operators, students,
educators, and academic researchers to participate and to help advance
open, interoperable space communication technologies.
ESA, in partnership with Goonhilly Earth Station, CCSDS, AMSAT-UK,
and AMSAT-DL, are launching a competition to develop high-quality
reference implementations of selected CCSDS protocols.
This competition is sponsored by the European Space Agency (ESA).
About the Competition
This programme invites participants to:
Develop open, standards-compliant reference implementations of CCSDS protocols
Contribute to a shared technical resource for amateur satellite operators, universities, and research groups
Gain recognition within both the CCSDS community and the broader space communications field
An in-person hackathon at Goonhilly Earth Station will be available
to interested participants, providing a unique environment for
collaboration, expert guidance, and accelerated development.
Goonhilly Earth Station is coordinating the competition and will not assert any ownership over Hackathon/Competition outputs.
Prize
Winners of the competition will receive an invitation to attend a
CCSDS conference in the United States, where they will present their
results to the international CCSDS community.
Protocols Featured in the Competition
These are the outlines of the two CCSDS protocols selected for this competition:
LunaNet Signal-In-Space Recommended Standard â Augmented Forward Signal (LSIS â AFS)
The LSISâAFS standard defines how lunar orbiters or surface systems
broadcast a unified navigation and timing signal to support future
missions on and around the Moon. It provides a framework for creating an
enhanced, interoperable âforward signalâ that spacecraft, rovers, and
astronauts can use for more accurate positioning, timing, and
situational awareness.
Space Communications Session Control (CCSDS 235.1)
The CCSDS 235.1 standard defines how space missions establish,
manage, and conclude communication sessions between spacecraft and
ground systems. It provides a common framework that ensures reliable
coordination when exchanging data, sending commands, and transitioning
between communication states.
Participants may choose either to develop a functional concept or
prototype that demonstrates how the LSISâAFS signal could be designed,
transmitted, interpreted, or applied to support future lunar missions,
or to create a practical, interoperable reference implementation of
Space Communications Session Control aligned with the CCSDS 235.1
standard.
A Long-Term Vision: Toward a Cislunar Amateur Radio Payload
CCSDS is pleased to highlight a longer-term aspiration linked to this
initiative. In close cooperation with its partnersâparticularly ESA,
which is proposing a future cislunar amateur radio payloadâCCSDS intends
to support the preparation of the most successful protocol
implementations for potential consideration for flight.
This offers an exceptional opportunity for community-developed
CCSDS-compliant software to be demonstrated in a deep-space operational
environment.
This prospective mission is subject to funding and programme approval.
Contact and Expressions of Interest
For enquiries or to express interest in participating, please contact: esa-competition@amsat-uk.org
Additional detailsâincluding eligibility criteria, protocol
specifications, submission requirements, evaluation processes, and
timelinesâwill be released soon.
[ANS thanks the AMSAT-UK for the above information.]
VUCC Satellite Standing December 2025
ââââââââââââââââââââ
VUCC Satellite Award/Endorsement Change Summary for
November 01, 2025 to November 30, 2025.
ââââââââââââââââââââ
| Call |
Nov |
Dec |
| E70A |
840 |
901 |
| A65BR |
676 |
701 |
| F6GLJ |
609 |
701 |
| EA3TA |
607 |
681 |
| AD2DD |
604 |
650 |
| HP2VX |
527 |
543 |
| N6PAZ |
495 |
500 |
| PY2HZ |
New |
427 |
| OH3DP |
300 |
352 |
| BI1QGX |
102 |
350 |
| W6IA |
278 |
302 |
| PY2YJ |
210 |
266 |
| DH0GSU |
170 |
204 |
| N9HF |
New |
185 |
| KT8O |
153 |
175 |
| WB5TX |
151 |
156 |
| BI1NWO |
New |
126 |
| DF3VG |
New |
123 |
Congratulations to the new VUCC Satellite holders.
PY2HZ
N9HF
BI1NWO
DF3VG
N0HF is first VUCC Satellite holder from EL99
PY2HZ is first VUCC Satellite holder from GG48
[ANS thanks Jon Goering, N7AZ for the above information.]

DXCC Satellite Standings for December, 2025
ââââââââââââââââââââ
DXCC Satellite Award/Endorsement Change Summary for
November 01, 2025 to December 01, 2025.
ââââââââââââââââââââ
| Call |
Nov |
Dec |
| HB9RYZ |
166 |
169 |
| IK4CIE |
146 |
157 |
| G8BCG |
135 |
154 |
| PA7RA |
148 |
154 |
| DL9RAN |
125 |
150 |
| IU0LFQ |
121 |
150 |
| IK1GPG |
100 |
144 |
| DL8GAM |
125 |
136 |
| LA0FA |
128 |
133 |
| ON6AA |
114 |
131 |
| W2GDJ |
122 |
123 |
| LA7XK |
110 |
118 |
| JK2XXK |
New |
106 |
| I1YDT |
New |
100 |
| YB5QZ |
New |
100 |
Congratulations to the new DXCC Satellite holders.
JK2XXK
I1YDT
YB5QZ
YB5QZ is first DXCC Satellite holder from Indonesia and OJ00
[ANS thanks Jon Goering, N7AZ, for the above information.]
A Dying Satellite May Photograph Asteroid Apophis in 2029
An Australian company wants to join efforts to study a rare space
event, conducting its own flyby of the asteroid Apophis when it makes
its close approach to Earth in 2029.
Sydney-based HEO Robotics, a provider of commercial
satellite-to-satellite imagery, wants to add to the international
missions already planning to get up close to the 1,115-foot-wide (340
meters) asteroid Apophis as it zooms by Earth in April 2029 by buying a
satellite near the end of its life up in geostationary orbit and use its
remaining fuel.

An illustration of the âGod of Destructionâ asteroid Apophis as it makes a close approach to Earth in April 2029
(Image credit: Jonathan Männel / with Eyes on the Solar System, NASA/JPL)
Satellites in the geostationary belt (GEO) orbit 22,236 miles (35,786
kilometers) above the equator. Spacecraft nearing the end of their
lives use their remaining fuel to head into a so-called graveyard orbit
above GEO to take themselves out of the way of the operational
satellites. HEO aims to buy a satellite near the end of its mission
lifetime and, using a little more fuel than needed for the graveyard
trip, make a close approach to Apophis, which will pass within the GEO
belt when it makes its close approach to Earth on Friday, April 13,
2029.
[ANS thanks Space.com for the above information. Read the full article at https://www.space.com/astronomy/asteroids/a-dying-satellite-could-use-its-final-moments-to-photograph-the-infamous-asteroid-apophis-in-2029]
Changes to AMSAT TLE Distribution for December 12, 2025
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 satellite has been removed from this weekâs AMSAT TLE Distribution:
Duchifat 3 NORAD Cat ID 44854 Decayed from orbit on or about 08 Dec 2025
The following satellites have been added to this weekâs AMSAT TLE Distribution:
SilverSat NORAD Cat ID 66909 Downlink frequency: 437.175 MHz
BEE-1000 NORAD Cat ID 66650 Downlink frequency: 436.5 MHz
SNUGLITE_III DURI NORAD Cat ID 66661 Downlink frequency 436.789 MHz
[ANS thanks Joe Fitzgerald, KM1P, AMSAT Orbital Elements Manager, for the above information.]
Boeingâs Next Starliner Flight Will Carry Cargo Only
NASA ended months of speculation about the next flight of Boeingâs
Starliner spacecraft, confirming that the vehicle will carry only cargo
to the International Space Station.
NASA and Boeing are now targeting no earlier than April 2026 to fly
the uncrewed Starliner-1 mission, the space agency said. Launching by
next April will require completion of rigorous test, certification, and
mission readiness activities, NASA added in a statement.
Starlinerâs first flight in December 2019, without crew, had to be
truncated after software problems plagued the vehicle. It was nearly
lost shortly after launch as well as before atmospheric reentry. It did
not make a planned rendezvous with the space station.

Boeingâs Starliner spacecraft is
pictured docked to the Harmony moduleâs forward port at the
International Space Station. Photo credit: NASA
The second mission, Orbital Flight Test 2, took place in May 2022.
Because of problems on the previous mission, this spacecraft also flew
uncrewed. This flight was more successful, reaching the space station
despite some thruster issues.
NASA then spent more than two years testing Starliner on the ground
before its first crewed flight in 2024, carrying NASA astronauts Butch
Wilmore and Suni Williams, KD5PLB. During its approach to the space
station, the Starliner spacecraft once again experienced serious
thruster issues. (However, the life-and-death nature of this flight was
not revealed until nearly a year later.) Starliner ultimately docked
with the station, but after heated deliberations, NASA informed Boeing
that the vehicle would return to Earth uncrewed.
As a result, a Dragon mission was launched later in 2024 carrying
just two astronauts instead of a full complement of four. This allowed
for the safe return of Wilmore and Williams in March 2025.
[ANS thanks Wired for the above information. Read the full article at https://www.wired.com/story/boeings-next-starliner-flight-will-only-be-allowed-to-carry-cargo/.]
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.
Scheduled Contacts
Due to the holidays, no contacts are scheduled until after the first of the year.

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.]
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
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.
None currently scheduled.
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:Â https://www.amsat.org/ambassador/
[ANS thanks Bo Lowrey, W4FCL, Director â AMSAT Ambassador Program, for the above information.]
Satellite Shorts from All Over
+ Earth observation satellite TUBIN of Technical University Berlin,
Germany is about to re-enter Earthâs atmosphere in the upcoming days;
16th December +/-1 day. During the orbit decay it is transmitting a
telemetry beacon every 10 seconds, including position, attitude,
temperatures, etc. via amateur radio UHF band at 435.950 MHz.
Researchers would appreciate support of additional radio amateurs
listening in and forward the received telemetry data. Further
information can be found at https://community.libre.space/t/tubin-tubsat-27-re-entry/13998. As the orbit is decaying quite fast, most recent TLEâs shall be used, which are frequently updated at https://db.satnogs.org/api/tle/?format=3le&norad_cat_id=48900. Any decoded frames, audio recordings or reception reports are very welcome and can be submitted following the instructions in https://community.libre.space/t/tubin-tubsat-27-re-entry/13998.
The team at TU Berlin will collect all contributions and can provide
specialized TUBIN re-entry QSL cards. Full project overview at https://www.tu.berlin/en/raumfahrttechnik/research/current-projects/tubin. (ANS thanks Steffen Reinert of Technische Universität Berlin for the above information.)
+ SkyRoof, a Windows application for Hams and satellite enthusiasts
by Alex Shovkoplyas, VE3NEA, was recently featured on the website of
AMSAT-SM, the Swedish amateur radio satellite organization. The article
by Lars Thunberg, SMÃTGU, may be found at https://www.amsat.se/2025/11/22/skyroof-sdr-satellite-software/. Lars also has an interesting article on setting up a LORA telemetry groundstation at https://www.amsat.se/category/operations/. (ANS thanks AMSAT-SM for the above information.)
+ Similarly, Peter Goodhall, MM9SQL, has developed Zenith, a web-based tracking application. Information at https://zenithtracker.org/. (ANS thanks Peter Goodhall, MM9SQL, for the above information.)
+ AMSATâs CubeSat Simulator gets excellent reviews, but a budget
version is available from the Ukraine for those with access to 3-D
printing and a willingness to overcome some bugs and limitations. A
YouTube video reviews the project at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pvtHcwemfco (ANS thanks @saveitforparts for the above information.)
+ At next yearâs World Radiocommunications Conference (WRC-25),
governments will face a choice that goes to the heart of how we monitor
our warming planet. Some regulators are wondering whether to open part
of the X-band â the 8.025â8.4 GHz range used by Earth observation
satellites â to 5G and 6G mobile networks. Several major telecom
operators have been pushing for this move, arguing that they could use
this spectrum more efficiently and pay countries handsomely for the
right to do so. Eleven satellite-focused companies have formed the
Remote Sensing Collective to resist the change. Theyâve done this
because the satellites we depend on to understand the environment depend
in turn on the X-band. (ANS thanks SpaceNews for the above information.
Read the full article at http://bit.ly/44pC8wX.)
+ Last month, Chinese astronauts on board the countryâs Tiangong
space station discovered cracks in the window of their return vehicle,
the Shenzhou-20, which officials suspected were the result of a space
debris strike. The spacecraft was deemed not safe enough to return its
crew, prompting an orbital game of musical chairs as the China Manned
Space Agency (CMSA) launched an emergency uncrewed replacement
spacecraft, Shenzhou-22, to the station. Two Shenzhou-21 astronauts
embarked on the missionâs first spacewalk on December 9, inspecting and
photographing a damaged spacecraft window which triggered an earlier
emergency launch. CMSA did not publicize results. (ANS thanks
Futurism.com for the above information. Read the full article at https://futurism.com/space/chinese-astronauts-spacewalk-station-damaged-spacecraft.)
+ NASA has lost contact with the Mars Atmosphere and Volatile
Evolution, or MAVEN, a spacecraft that has circled the planet for more
than a decade, collecting science data and serving as a key
communications relay. (ANS thanks SpaceNews for the above information.)
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 weekâs ANS Editor,
Mark Johns, KÃJM
mjohns [at] amsat.org
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