Blog

Wick High School students to contact ISS

Students at Wick High School in East Caithness have been chosen by ARISS International to have an amateur radio contact with an astronaut on the International Space Station.

The Wick High School Radio Club @GM0WHS posted on X:
HUGE NEWS FROM @wickhigh
Pupils from all across East Caithness will be talking to an astronaut later this year! We’re really humbled to have been chosen by @ARISS_Intl for a scheduled contact with the Space Station.

The radio club was established in 2023 by Computing Science teacher Chris Aitken MM0WIC @skipperAitken . So far 15 students have passed the exam for their amateur radio licence.

The John O’Groat Journal says:

“Because of Wick’s far-north location, this contact is likely to be one of the most northerly direct educational links with the ISS ever attempted. The station will appear around 25 degrees above the southern horizon, travelling west to east, making the contact both spectacular and technically demanding.”

Read the full story in the John O’Grout Journal at
https://www.johnogroat-journal.co.uk/news/we-have-contact-wick-high-pupils-to-get-direct-line-to-i-425857/

RSGB announcement https://rsgb.org/main/blog/school-zone-stories/2026/01/30/lift-off-for-wick-high-astronaut-contact/

Follow Wick High School Radio Club on X

Follow ARISS International on X

Follow AMSAT-UK on X

Powered by WPeMatico

Get The Details…

Editor

AMSAT-UK

Webinar for CCSDS Outreach Initiative and Competition

Following on from our announcement of the ESA / CCSDS sponsored outreach competition to develop reference protocols, AMSAT-UK are pleased to announce they will be holding a webinar at 16:00 UTC on Wednesday 14th January.

The webinar will be via Zoom and the event will be recorded. The registration link is here:

https://zoom.us/meeting/register/KgrRSLJgQN2tpriQye18tw

A reminder that the details of the competition can be found here:

https://amsat-uk.org/2025/12/08/ccsds-outreach-initiative-and-competition/

73
Dave Johnson, G4DPZ
Hon Sec, AMSAT-UK
Email: esa-competition@amsat-uk.org

Powered by WPeMatico

Get The Details…

Editor

AMSAT-UK

CCSDS Outreach Initiative and Competition

CCSDS Outreach Initiative and Reference Implementation Development Competition

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 – Augmented Forward Signal (LSIS – AFS)
  • The LSIS–AFS 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 “forward signal” 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 LSIS–AFS 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 partners—particularly ESA, which is proposing a future cislunar amateur radio payload—CCSDS 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

Further Information

Additional details—including eligibility criteria, protocol specifications, submission requirements, evaluation processes, and timelines—will be released soon.

Word doc CCSDS – Outreach and Competition Anouncement

 

Powered by WPeMatico

Get The Details…

Editor

AMSAT-UK

New ARISS Video Premiere

ARISS is excited to premier a new video all about Amateur Radio on the International Space Station! Thanks to Nichole Ayers KJ5GWI (@Astro_Ayers on X) who recorded this during her time on the International Space Station.

Join us Tuesday 02-December on https://YouTube.com/ARISSlive for the big reveal!

Follow ARISS International on X

Follow AMSAT-UK on X

Powered by WPeMatico

Get The Details…

Editor

AMSAT-UK

ISS SSTV Planned for Nov 12-19

From November 12-19 amateur Slow Scan TV (SSTV) transmissions are expected from the International Space Station (ISS) to commemorate the ISS at 25 and Scouts.

Start: Wednesday, November 12 1730 GMT (5:30pm UK local)
End: Wed, November 19 1450 GMT (2:50pm UK local)

Frequency: 145.800 MHz FM (+/-3.5 kHz Doppler Shift)
SSTV Mode: PD120 (Transmission cycle 2 minutes on, 2 minutes off)

You are invited to upload decoded images in the ARISS gallery, area “Series 30 – ISS at 25 & Scouts” at: https://ariss-usa.org/ARISS_SSTV/

Once you’ve submitted, just clicking on the dedicated button you can apply for the official ARISS SSTV award.

Also, you can request the ARISS QSL by contacting the European QSL bureau: https://www.ariss-eu.org/index.php/ariss-station/european-qsl-bureau

To support everyone interested in such events, the European Space Agency released tutorials about how to receive pictures transmitted over amateur radio by the International Space Station: you can find them on https://issfanclub.eu/2024/11/08/esa-tips-how-to-get-pictures-from-the-international-space-station-via-amateur-radio-2/

It’s always possible to receive the ISS SSTV signal by using the WebSDR at the Goonhilly Earth Station, the audio can then be fed into your PC or Smartphone SSTV App  https://vhf-goonhilly.batc.org.uk/

Follow @ARISS_intl on X for official updates, since changes can occur.

Reminder, the images are sent on a (roughly) 2 minutes on, 2 minutes off schedule. So if you don’t hear anything, give it 2 minutes!

Many FM rigs can be switched been wide and narrow deviation FM filters. For best results you should select the filter for wider deviation FM. Handhelds generally have a single wide filter fitted as standard.

You can get predictions for the ISS pass times at https://www.amsat.org/track/

Useful information on receiving the pictures and links for Apps to display the pictures can be found here:
https://amsat-uk.org/beginners/iss-sstv/

You may be able to get publicity for the amateur radio hobby if you contact your local newspaper and tell them you’ve received a picture (doesn’t have to be perfect) from the International Space Station, see
https://amsat-uk.org/2015/02/04/iss-sstv-in-uk-press/

Powered by WPeMatico

Get The Details…

Editor

AMSAT-UK