New Satellite Distance Records

/
New Satellite Distance Records

IO-117 continues to provide a lot of DX fun for amateur satellite operators. Numerous satellite operators have reported receiving the ARRL’s Worked All States and DX Century Club Satellite awards lately as well as CQ Magazine’s Worked All Zones Satellite award (25 of 40 zones are required for the satellite award). For an example about the distances that can be worked via this satellite in Medium Earth Orbit (MEO), two QSOs got very near the 13,000 km mark recently.

On 11th February 2023, Dave Fisher, KG0D, worked Lucky Bijanki, VU2LBW. The distance between KG0D in CN88kd and VU2LBW in MK82tv is 12,939 km.

Read More

Amateur Satellite FalconSAT-3 Nears Reentry

/
Amateur Satellite FalconSAT-3 Nears Reentry

Many amateur radio operators and satellite watchers have been predicting the date and time of reentry for FalconSAT-3 (FS-3). While all reentry predictions are something of a guessing game due to the large number of variables affecting the upper atmosphere, it is certain that the end for FS-3 will be coming very soon, possibly the week of 16-21 January 2023.

Radio Amateur Satellite Corporation (AMSAT) Board Member and FS-3 control operator, Mark Hammond, N8MH, said he will try to have the satellite operational for its final hours. The satellite has only been available for approximately 24 hours each weekend due to weak batteries.

FalconSAT-3 was built in 2005 and 2006 by cadets and faculty in the Space Systems Research Center at the US Air Force Academy (USAFA) in Colorado Springs, Colorado. It is the fourth in a series of small satellites designed, built, and operated there as part of a capstone course, which brings together about 30 cadets each year from several different academic departments.

Read More

CAMSAT XW-4 (CAS-10) Satellite To Be Deployed

/

The CAMSAT XW-4 (CAS-10) satellite was launched into the Chinese Space Station on 12th November 2022 aboard China’s Tianzhou-5 cargo spacecraft, and was launched by the Long March-7 Y6 launch vehicle from the Wenchang Launch Center in Hainan, China. It is currently planned that the XW-4 (CAS-10) satellite will be separated from the Chinese space station and enter operational orbit at 01:30 UTC on 18th December 2022.

More Information - CAMSAT XW-4 (CAS-10) Satellite To Be Deployed December 18th – AMSAT