On May 31, 2026, AMSAT submitted a Letter of Intent (LOI) to NASA Marshall Space Flight Center in response to a Sources Sought Notice for CubeSat secondary payload opportunities aboard the Space Launch System (SLS) on the Artemis III, IV, and V missions.
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The LOI expresses strong interest in developing and flying an AMSAT-designed CubeSat payload on one or more of these missions. It highlights the strategic alignment between the opportunity and AMSAT’s ongoing GOLF (Greater Orbit, Larger Footprint) program, which is building the technologies and operational experience needed for amateur radio satellites in progressively higher orbits—from LEO through MEO to HEO.
A high-Earth deployment would provide an outstanding environment to qualify key GOLF technologies—particularly radiation-tolerant electronics, advanced Software-Defined Radio (SDR) transponders, three-axis attitude determination and control, and deployable/steerable solar arrays—in the demanding thermal, radiation, and trajectory conditions beyond low Earth orbit. Such a mission would significantly expand amateur radio’s “larger footprint,” deliver critical flight heritage, and create clear synergies with NASA’s exploration, technology demonstration, and public engagement goals.
The LOI emphasizes AMSAT’s long heritage of successful CubeSat missions (including the Fox series flown via NASA CSLI/ELaNa) and its robust portfolio of educational and university partnership programs. These include the CubeSat Simulator Program used worldwide in schools and universities, collaborations such as the radiation experiment from Vanderbilt University and imaging payloads from Virginia Tech on Fox satellites, broader STEM outreach through live satellite contacts and telemetry projects, and active mentorship of student teams and early-career professionals.
AMSAT is prepared to deliver a flight-ready CubeSat payload, leveraging its proven engineering pipeline, dedicated volunteer technical team, and sustainable funding model of membership support, targeted donations, and grants. AMSAT proposes a 6U-class spacecraft (<14 kg) featuring deployable solar arrays and an AMSAT-developed amateur radio communications system supporting VHF uplink/UHF downlink plus 5 GHz uplink and 10 GHz downlink. A precursor 3U technology demonstrator, GOLF-TEE, is under construction with completion targeted by the end of the year; if selected, AMSAT would pivot development toward the 6U configuration in collaboration with partners. Ground operations would leverage the global amateur radio community for telemetry reception via AMSAT’s analysis tools, supported by dedicated AMSAT command stations.
The organization is genuinely excited about the prospect of contributing an AMSAT-developed CubeSat to the Artemis program—advancing amateur radio’s historic role in space exploration, qualifying technologies for future HEO and lunar missions, and inspiring students and the global public through meaningful educational partnerships.
[ANS thanks AMSAT for the above information]