u/FromNutToNow

Hey everyone,

I’m a college student working on a satellite project, and I’m coordinating the amateur radio / public interaction side of things.

We’re still in development, so I can’t share too many specifics—but I’d really like to get input from the community.

What would you want from an amateur satellite?

Not just passive receiving, but actual ham functionality too. The goal is to make something that’s:

• Fun to use
• Accessible (not just for people with huge dishes or expensive setups)
• Worth going outside and tracking

Some ideas we’ve been tossing around:

• Repeater (what kind?)
• Decodable transmissions (images, telemetry, etc.)
• Small challenges / hidden messages

But instead of guessing, I’d rather ask directly:

What would make you actually use it?

What have other satellites done that you loved?
What felt useless or overcomplicated?
What would bring in newer people vs just experienced operators?

Curious to hear your thoughts