FCC Grants Frequencies' Use for Satellite Service

The US Federal Communications Commission announced that it had authorised AST SpaceMobile’s full, 248-satellite constellation to use requested parts of the radio spectrum, including those that had drawn objections from the amateur radio community.

The agency’s move will permit AST to fulfil its goal of providing services to consumers in so-called “dead zones,” regions without terrestrial networks, especially for emergency services. The successful application on behalf of the low-Earth orbit satellite system was granted on the 21st April 2026 with conditions. The grant for the use of 698 to 960 MHz includes permission to make use of 430 to 440 MHz for emergency control and tracking of the satellites - a move that amateur radio operators feared would cause interference with hams’ operations.

The FCC said that AST emergency telemetry use will be limited to the 430.5MHz, 432.3MHz, 434.1MHz, 435.9MHz, and 439.5MHz frequencies for a duration of less than 24 hours. The FCC has said in the past that interference with ham radio was “unlikely.”

Linux Kernel Drops AX.25 and Amateur Radio Subsystem Support

Linus Torvalds merged a pull request to remove AX.25 and hamradio subsystem support from the Linux kernel. While the headline sounds ominous, most modern AX.25 implementations occur in software at the user level without relying on the kernel-level implementation. Direwolf, for example, does not require kernel-level AX.25 support. Other software relying on AX.25 may take advantage of dedicated AX.25 Python libraries.

The change comes as a result of AI-based bug detection services capable of identifying critical issues in code that may no longer be maintained or utilised by end users. Torvalds stated that the amateur radio-related code in the Linux kernel no longer had any active maintainers:

Amateur radio did have occasional users, but most users switched to user space implementations since it's all super slow stuff. Nobody stepped up to maintain the kernel code.

The last Linux kernel commit related to AX.25 was 6 years ago.

Additional code removed includes ISDN support, bus mouse support, and various network drivers, including support for old 3Com devices.

Rocket Lab Launches Eight JAXA Satellites on Kakushin Rising Mission

Rocket Lab successfully launched eight satellites for Japan late Wednesday night as part of its Kakushin Rising mission, supporting the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency’s Innovative Satellite Technology Demonstration Program. Liftoff occurred at 11:09 PM EDT Wednesday, 22nd April 2026 (0309 UTC Thursday, 23rd April 2026) from Rocket Lab’s Launch Complex 1 in New Zealand. The mission carried a diverse set of small satellites designed to test new technologies and expand capabilities in low Earth orbit. The launch continues Rocket Lab’s steady cadence of dedicated smallsat missions.

The Electron rocket deployed all eight spacecraft into low Earth orbit at an altitude of approximately 336 miles (540 kilometres). Deployment occurred less than one hour after liftoff, in line with mission expectations. Rocket Lab confirmed the successful separation of all payloads shortly after the event. The mission marked the 79th launch of the Electron launch vehicle.

Kakushin Rising represents the second of two contracted launches for JAXA’s technology demonstration program. The first mission, RAISE and Shine, launched in December 2025 and carried the RAISE-4 satellite to orbit. Together, the missions highlight Japan’s continued investment in rapid, cost-effective access to space for experimental payloads. These efforts support the development of new satellite technologies and operational concepts.

The eight satellites on this mission include MAGNARO-II, KOSEN-2R, WASEDA-SAT-ZERO-II, FSI-SAT2, OrigamiSat-2, ARICA-2, Mono-Nikko, and PRELUDE. The payloads range from educational CubeSats to advanced technology demonstrators, including systems for remote sensing, communications, and deployable structures. One satellite features an antenna that can expand to many times its stowed size using origami-inspired techniques. These missions provide valuable on-orbit validation for emerging technologies. Several of the satellites are IARU-coordinated, including MAGNARO-II, KOSEN-2R, WASEDA-SAT-ZERO-II, and ARICA-2, with amateur radio downlinks in the VHF and UHF bands. Early reports from the SatNOGS network indicate that multiple satellites are already transmitting, with CW beacon signals received from MAGNARO-II, ARICA-2, 

WASEDA-SAT-ZERO-II, FSI-SAT2, and OrigamiSat-2 within hours of launch. These initial receptions confirm successful early operations and provide immediate opportunities for amateur radio operators to monitor and decode signals. Rocket Lab’s Electron rocket, a 59-foot-tall (18 metres) launch vehicle, is designed to provide responsive and dedicated access to space for small payloads. The company continues to support commercial, government, and research missions with frequent launches. Rocket Lab also operates a suborbital variant known as HASTE for hypersonic testing applications. The Kakushin Rising mission further demonstrates the growing role of small launch providers in enabling international space missions.

Media Article - https://www.space.com/space-exploration/launches-spacecraft/rocket-lab-launch-eight-japanese-satellites-kakushin-rising-mission