Fuji-OSCAR 29 (FO-29), also known as JAS-2, the Japanese amateur radio satellite launched in August 1996, has entered a new operational phase as of early March 2026. Now approaching its 30th anniversary in orbit, the satellite—long limited by failed batteries—relies entirely on solar panel illumination for power, meaning it only functions during sunlight periods and shuts down in eclipse.

In February 2026, the FO-29 control team (operated from Japan) continued scheduled activations of the linear transponder, with commands sent on specific dates to turn it on for limited windows. Operators noted the unstable situation due to the satellite’s age, with activations sometimes failing if the onboard voltage didn’t respond quickly enough. The transponder operates in Mode V/u (inverting SSB/CW): uplink LSB 145.900–146.000 MHz, downlink USB 435.800–435.900 MHz, with a CW beacon on 435.795 MHz.

Thailand’s KNACKSAT-2 satellite is preparing for deployment from the International Space Station, with release currently scheduled for 3rd February 2026, at 08:55 UTC (03:55 AM EST). The mission continues Thailand’s university-led CubeSat development program following the earlier KNACKSAT-1 mission. The project is led by King Mongkut’s University of Technology North Bangkok in Thailand, working with domestic and international partners to advance satellite engineering, payload integration, and on-orbit operations.

KNACKSAT-2 was transported to the International Space Station in late 2025 and is a 3U CubeSat designed to host multiple payloads. The satellite expands on KNACKSAT-1, which demonstrated Thailand’s ability to design and build a satellite domestically. Development and testing were conducted in cooperation with NBSPACE and other academic and research partners. The mission is intended to help Thailand develop multi-payload CubeSat platforms and prepare for future ride-share launch opportunities.

Satellites orbiting at around 342 miles will be dropped down to about 298 miles, Starlink's VP of engineering says.

Starlink will lower the orbits of roughly 4,400 satellites this year as a safety measure, according to engineering VP Michael Nicolls. In a post on X, Nicolls wrote that the company is "beginning a significant reconfiguration of its satellite constellation," in which all satellites orbiting at around 550 kilometres (342 miles) will be lowered to around 480 km (298 miles). The move is intended to reduce the risk of collisions, putting the satellites in a region that's less cluttered and will allow them to deorbit more quickly should an incident occur.