AMSAT News Service
ANS-039
February 8, 2026
In this edition:
*Â FO-29 Approaches Full Sunlight
* Gridmaster Top 100 Rovers for February 2026
* VUCC Satellite Standing February 2026
* DXCC Satellite Standing for February 2026
* SpaceX Grounds its Falcon 9 Rocket
* Declassifying JUMPSEAT: An American Pioneer in Space
* Changes to AMSAT-NA TLE Distribution
* Kenya to Represent Africa in ARISS Program 2026
* 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 https://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
You can 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/
FO-29 Approaches Full Sunlight
Fuji-OSCAR 29 (JAS 2) will soon enter a season of orbits in full sunlight, making it once again available for worldwide use.
JAS-2 was successfully launched on August 17, 1996. It orbits the
Earth in a polar orbit at 1300 km altitude in a time of 112 minutes. The
inclination is 98°. The transmission power of the beacon is 100 mW, the
transponder 1 watt. The linear transponder downlink is from 435.800 MHz
â 435.900 MHz (USB, CW), with uplink from 145.900 MHz â 146.00 MHz
(LSB, CW). CW beacon frequency is 435.795 MHz.

Fuji-OSCAR 29 (JAS 2) Credit: JAMSAT
Designated as Fuji-OSCAR 29 after achieving orbit, JAS 2 has long
been one of the most popular and most useful linear satellites available
to amateurs. However, as the satellite approaches 30 years of age, its
batteries have long-since failed. It only continues to operate while the
sun is illuminating its solar panels.
On March 9, FO-29 will begin orbiting in full sunlight, without periodic eclipses.
In mid-February, the duration of the shadow decreases from about 20
minutes to about 1 minute per day. Therefore, FO-29âs transmitter may
suddenly come to life unexpectedly. Amateurs are encouraged to monitor
the satellite and to update its activity on the AMSAT OSCAR Satellite
Status page, https://www.amsat.org/status/.
Please enjoy using FO-29 while it remains available!
[ANS thanks Akira Kaneko, JA1OGZ, of JAMSAT for the above information.]
AMSAT Remove Before Flight Key Tags Now Available
Yes, These are the Real Thing!
Gridmaster Top 100 Rovers for February 2026
The February 2026 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.
| 1 |
ND9M |
26 |
BA1PK |
51 |
KE0WPA |
76 |
HB9GWJ |
| 2 |
NJ7H |
27 |
KX9X |
52 |
WD5GRW |
77 |
VA7LM |
| 3 |
UT1FG |
28 |
KG5CCI |
53 |
KE0PBR |
78 |
DL4EA |
| 4 |
JA9KRO |
29 |
DJ8MS |
54 |
XE3DX |
79 |
N8RO |
| 5 |
N5UC |
30 |
N5BO |
55 |
BA8AFK |
80 |
SP5XSD |
| 6 |
F5VMJ |
31 |
ON4AUC |
56 |
LU4JVE |
81 |
N6UTC |
| 7 |
DL6AP |
32 |
K8BL |
57 |
W7WGC |
82 |
N4UFO |
| 8 |
DP0POL |
33 |
KE4AL |
58 |
PR8KW |
83 |
VE7PTN |
| 9 |
WI7P |
34 |
KB5FHK |
59 |
JK2XXK |
84 |
PT2AP |
| 10 |
K5ZM |
35 |
AC0RA |
60 |
EA4NF |
85 |
VE1VOX |
| 11 |
OE3SEU |
36 |
PA3GAN |
61 |
EB1AO |
86 |
AA8CH |
| 12 |
WY7AA |
37 |
F4BKV |
62 |
XE1ET |
87 |
KB2YSI |
| 13 |
LU5ILA |
38 |
KI0KB |
63 |
N6DNM |
88 |
KI7UXT |
| 14 |
N6UA |
39 |
JO2ASQ |
64 |
W8LR |
89 |
AF5CC |
| 15 |
HA3FOK |
40 |
KI7UNJ |
65 |
W1AW |
90 |
KJ7NDY |
| 16 |
OH2UDS |
41 |
VA3VGR |
66 |
KI7QEK |
91 |
BI1MHK |
| 17 |
W5PFG |
42 |
VE3HLS |
67 |
SM3NRY |
92 |
PT9BM |
| 18 |
AK8CW |
43 |
BG7QIW |
68 |
KE9AJ |
93 |
FG8OJ |
| 19 |
N9IP |
44 |
LA9XGA |
69 |
F4DXV |
94 |
BG5CZD |
| 20 |
AD0DX |
45 |
HJ5LVR |
70 |
VE1CWJ |
95 |
YU0W |
| 21 |
AD0HJ |
46 |
VK5DG |
71 |
AA5PK |
96 |
PU4CEB |
| 22 |
DL2GRC |
47 |
N7AGF |
72 |
AD7DB |
97 |
W8MTB |
| 23 |
N4AKV |
48 |
DF2ET |
73 |
KM4LAO |
98 |
N4DCW |
| 24 |
ND0C |
49 |
K7TAB |
74 |
PU6JBN |
99 |
WA9JBQ |
| 25 |
WD9EWK |
50 |
JL3RNZ |
75 |
M1DDD |
100 |
PS8BR |
[ANS thanks Gridmaster.fr for the above information.]
The 2026 Presidentâs Club Coin is Now Available!
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/
VUCC Satellite Standing February 2026
VUCC Satellite Award/Endorsement Change Summary for January 01, 2026 to February 01, 2026.
| Call |
Jan |
Feb |
| DF2ET |
1700 |
1801 |
| DG7RO |
1504 |
1600 |
| PS8ET |
1000 |
1216 |
| EA2AA |
1135 |
1170 |
| JL1SAM |
905 |
1008 |
| JS1LQI |
808 |
825 |
| PA7RA |
534 |
604 |
| XE2YWH |
595 |
600 |
| HB9BIN |
356 |
460 |
| WO3T |
437 |
450 |
| OH3DP |
352 |
401 |
| IK8YTA |
300 |
332 |
| PU5DDC |
254 |
258 |
| EA4DEI |
200 |
250 |
| XE1R |
105 |
237 |
| G4BWP |
200 |
220 |
| I2OIM |
155 |
206 |
| WB5TX |
160 |
165 |
| W1AW |
103 |
134 |
| PU4FAR |
New |
100 |
| YB0OSU |
New |
100 |
Congratulations to the new VUCC Satellite holders.
PU4FAR
YB0OSU
PU4FAR is first VUCC Satellite holder from GH83
[ANS thanks Jon Goering, N7AZ, 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/
DXCC Satellite Standing for February 2026
DXCC Satellite Award/Endorsement Change Summary for January 01, 2026 to February 01, 2026.
| Call |
Jan |
Feb |
| HB9BZA |
196 |
204 |
| PY2RN |
166 |
192 |
| YO2CMI |
185 |
186 |
| VU2LBW |
166 |
174 |
| ON4AOI |
156 |
167 |
| HB9GWJ |
150 |
154 |
| EA3GP |
103 |
153 |
| LA7XK |
118 |
119 |
| IK8YTA |
107 |
118 |
| K6FW |
102 |
104 |
[ANS thanks Jon Goering, N7AZ, for the above information.]

SpaceX Grounds its Falcon 9 Rocket
SpaceX has temporarily grounded its workhorse Falcon 9 rocket, which is slated to launch four astronauts next week.
A Falcon 9 delivered 25 of SpaceXâs Starlink satellites into low
Earth orbit (LEO) as planned on Monday (Feb. 2). But, after deploying
the payloads, the rocketâs upper stage failed to perform its deorbit
burn, which was designed to bring it down for controlled destruction in
Earthâs atmosphere.

Northrop Grummanâs Cygnus XL cargo craft lifts off atop SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket from Floridaâs Cape Canaveral Space Force Station
to the International Space Station in September, 2025. Credit: NASA+
The Falcon 9 is the worldâs busiest rocket by far. It launched a
record-breaking 165 times in 2025 and already has 14 liftoffs until its
belt this year.
The rocket is incredibly reliable, too. All of last yearâs missions
were successful, and just a single one â a Starlink launch on March 3 â
experienced a significant anomaly.
Itâs unclear how long this new launch hiatus will last. But both
SpaceX and NASA doubtless hope the issue is resolved soon, for a very
high-profile Falcon 9 launch is coming up â that of the Crew-12
astronaut mission to the International Space Station (ISS).
Crew-12 is scheduled to include NASA astronauts Jack Hathaway,
KJ5NIV, and Jessica Meir, as well as French astronaut Sophie Adenot,
KJ5LTN, and Russian cosmonaut Oleg Artemyev. Their SpaceX Dragon capsule
has been scheduled for launch atop a Falcon 9 rocket on February 11.
[ANS thanks Space.com for the above information. See the full article at https://www.space.com/space-exploration/launches-spacecraft/spacex-grounds-its-falcon-9-rocket-after-a-problem-with-its-upper-stage-will-the-crew-12-astronaut-mission-be-affected]
Declassifying JUMPSEAT: An American Pioneer in Space
The director of the National Reconnaissance Office (NRO) recently
declassified the existence of JUMPSEAT: the United Statesâ
first-generation, highly elliptical orbit (HEO) signals-collection
satellite.
Launched from 1971 to 1987 under mission numbers 7701 to 7708,
JUMPSEAT was the product of the United States Air Forceâs (USAF) program
at the NRO. Developed under a program called âProject EARPOP,â JUMPSEAT
offered the U.S. a way of collecting intelligence during unprecedented
geopolitical change and Cold War tensions that lasted until the early
1990s.

JUMPSEAT Model_2_1 Credit: NRO
The NRO and USAF, collaborating as a part of NROâs âProgram A,â were
tasked with developing a foundational HEO signals collection satellite
to bolster the U.S. governmentâs space intelligence portfolio. Named
JUMPSEAT, the new satellite would be capable of operating in a highly
ellipical, or Molniya, orbit. [Editorâs Note: These orbits are very
similar to those that were used by amateur radio satellites AO-10,
AO-13, and AO-40 in the 1980s and -90s.]
Together, the NRO and the USAF launched the first JUMPSEAT mission in
1971 from Vandenberg Air Force Base (now Vandenberg Space Force Base)
in California. Once in orbit, JUMPSEAT successfully collected electronic
emissions and signals, communication intelligence, and foreign
instrumentation intelligence: invaluable information that was downlinked
to ground processing facilities within the U.S. From there, the data
was provided to the Department of Defense, the National Security Agency,
and other national security elements.
Over the decades, JUMPSEAT satellites continued to prove their worth
to signals intelligence, finally operating in transponder mode until
they were taken out of service in 2006.
[ANS thanks the National Reconnaissance Office for the above information. Read the full article at https://www.nro.gov/news-media-featured-stories/news-media-archive/News-Article/Article/4392223/declassifying-jumpseat-an-american-pioneer-in-space/]
Changes to AMSAT TLE Distribution for February 6
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 AMSATÂ TLE distribution.
[ANS thanks Joe Fitzgerald, KM1P, AMSAT Orbital Elements Manager, for the above information.]
Kenya to Represent Africa in ARISS Program 2026
Kenya is set to make history in 2026 after being selected to host the
Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) program, a
global initiative that enables the public to communicate live with
astronauts aboard the International Space Station (ISS).
The Kenya Space Agency announced the selection, positioning the
country at the heart of an international effort to advance space
education and public engagement in science. Kenya is the only African
nation chosen for the 2026 ARISS cycle, a milestone expected to spark
interest in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) and
inspire innovation across the country.
According to the agency, the hosting window will run between July and
December 2026. During this period, Kenyan students, professionals and
members of the public will take part in live radio sessions with
astronauts on the ISS. Participants will have the opportunity to ask
questions and receive real-time answers about daily life in orbit,
scientific research conducted on board and the realities of living and
working in space.
The Kenya Space Agency will oversee preparations for the event in
collaboration with Pan-African Citizen Science e-Laboratory mentor and
agency liaison Harold Safary. Planning efforts will include technical
coordination, public outreach and the selection of participants, with an
open call to be issued for interested individuals and institutions
wishing to take part in the live ISS contacts.
The 2026 ARISS program will offer Kenyans a rare opportunity to speak
directly with astronauts aboard the ISS, marking a significant step in
the countryâs engagement with global space initiatives and space
education.
[ANS thanks Satellite Pro Middle East for the above information. Read the full article at https://satelliteprome.com/news/kenya-to-represent-africa-in-iss-ariss-programme-2026/]
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
School No. 4, Semenov, Nizhny Novgorod Region, Russia, direct via UB3TBX
The ISS callsign was scheduled to be RSÃISS
The scheduled crewmember was Sergey Kud-Sverchkov
The ARISS mentor was RV3DR
Contact was successful for Thu 2026-02-05 09:14 UTC
Congratulations to the School No. 4 students, Sergey, mentor RV3DR, and ground station UB3TBX!
FBU Im. I. Kant, Kaliningrad, Russia, direct via R2FDB
The ISS callsign was scheduled to be RSÃISS
The scheduled crewmember was Sergey Mikaev
The ARISS mentor was RV3DR
Contact was successful for Thu 2026-02-05 10:49 UTC
Congratulations to the FBU Im. I. Kant students, Sergey, mentor RV3DR, and ground station R2FDB!
Klimop Tongeren, Tongeren-Borgloon, Belgium, telebridge via ON4ISS
The ISS callsign was scheduled to be OR4ISS
The scheduled crewmember was Chris Williams, KJ5GEW
The ARISS mentor was ON6TI
Contact was successful for: Thu 2026-02-05 12:21:51 UTC 82 degrees maximum elevation
Congratulations to the Klimop Tongeren students, Chris, mentor ON6TI, and telebridge station ON4ISS!
UPCOMING
Hilltop Elementary, Canfield, OH, telebridge via K6DUE
The ISS callsign is presently scheduled to be NA1SS
The scheduled crewmember is Chris Williams, KJ5GEW
The ARISS mentor is KD8COJ
Contact is go for Mon 2026-02-09 18:44:58 UTC 57 deg
Watch for Livestream at https://www.youtube.com/@ARISSlive/videos and https://live.ariss.org/
Many times a school may make a last minute
decision to do a Livestream or run into a last minute glitch requiring a
change of the URL but we at ARISS may not get the URL in time for
publication.  You can always check https://live.ariss.org/ to see if a school is Livestreaming.
As always, if there is an EVA, a docking, or an undocking; the ARISS radios are turned off as part of the safety protocol.
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 (145.825 MHz up & down) was scheduled for repair on February 5.
Ham TV (2395.00 MHz) is configured for scheduled digital amateur television operations.
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.
February 13-15, 2026
Hamcation 2026
Central Florida Fairgrounds and Expo Park
Colonial Drive
Orlando, Florida
AMSAT will have a table and many items available for purchase
Contact Dave Jordan, AA4KN to volunteer n4csitwo [at] bellsouth.net
March 21, 2026
Midwinter Madness Hamfest 2026
Maple Grove Radio Club
Buffalo Civic Center
1306 County Rd 134
Buffalo, Minnesota 55313
https://k0ltc.org/midwinter-madness/
KÃJM, ADÃHJ, KEÃPBR
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
+Â In September 2025, AMSAT-DL and the Bochum Observatory jointly
organized the âBochum Space Days 2025â conference in the radome under
the 20-metre antenna. The Radom was all about satellite and space
research. A varied and informative program was offered, aimed at AMSAT
members as well as all space enthusiasts and makers. The presentations
are now available on the AMSAT-DL YouTube channel. The language of the
presentation is mixed German/English and subtitles can also be
optionally activated in the respective translation. Begin at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IW384KY6lBo&list=PLbIhjH2wj12GfMJGRwbYPFEjU7ECtjzzO (ANS thanks AMSAT-DL for the above information.)
+ The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Space
Weather Follow On â Lagrange 1 (SWFO-L1) satellite has reached its final
destinationânearly one million miles away from Earth toward the sun and
has been renamed SOLAR-1. The observatory is expected to begin space
weather operations in Spring 2026. Read more at http://bit.ly/4bUIY1K. (ANS thanks NOAA for the above information.)
+ Edge of Space Sciences, a ham radio club in Englewood, Colorado,
has been monitoring three amateur radio pico balloons as they continue
to circumnavigate the globe. Two balloons were released at HamCon
Colorado on October 25, 2025. EOSSP-3 has completed 5 circumnavigations
and is currently lost somewhere âup north.â No signal has been heard for
4 days. EOSSP-4 has completed 7 circumnavigations and is currently
approaching India. Meanwhile, EOSSP-2, launched September 18, completed
its 10th circumnavigation at 19:05 UTC on February 4. The balloons can
be tracked on aprs.fi at https://aprs.fi/#!call=a%2FEOSSP-2%2Ca%2FEOSSP-4%2Ca%2FEOSSP-3&timerange=259200&tail=86400. More information can be found on the clubâs website, www.eoss.org. (ANS thanks ARRL for the above information.)
+ NASA is no longer planning a February launch of the Artemis 2
mission after encountering hydrogen leaks during a fueling test of the
Space Launch System. In a statement early Feb. 3, NASA said it completed
a wet dress rehearsal for Artemis 2 but determined the vehicle will not
be ready to launch during the February window, which closes Feb. 11.
Several other issues occurred during the test. A valve in Orionâs hatch
pressurization system was accidentally vented during closeout work,
requiring additional time to repressurize the system. Unseasonably cold
temperatures, which had already delayed the rehearsal by two days,
caused further issues, including delays in tanking operations and
problems with cameras and other pad equipment. NASA also reported
intermittent audio dropouts in communications among ground teams. The
next launch period for Artemis 2 runs from March 6 to 11, with five
two-hour windows available. Another launch opportunity extends from
April 1 to 6. (ANS thanks SpaceNews for the above information. Read the
full article at https://spacenews.com/artemis-2-slips-to-march/)
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
ANS is a service of AMSAT, the Radio Amateur Satellite Corporation, 712 H Street NE, Suite 1653, Washington, DC 20002
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