From Radio to Orbit: Amateur Radio’s Space Renaissance
By Seda Hewitt, Interstellar Communication Holdings Inc., United States
Somewhere, right now, a teenager in Brazil is tuning into a signal from low Earth orbit using nothing more than a handheld antenna and a modest transceiver. Halfway across the world, a retired engineer in Japan is logging beacon pings from a PocketQube on his balcony. And in a small town in Eastern Europe, a community radio club is decoding live telemetry and sharing it with their local school.
What connects all these people?
Amateur radio—or “ham radio,” as it’s often called.
Once seen as a quaint, niche hobby, amateur radio is experiencing something of a renaissance. And it’s not because of nostalgia. It’s because the boundaries between Earth and space have started to thin. With small, affordable satellites like HADES‑ICM, and platforms like icMercury—from Interstellar Communication Holdings Inc., based in the United States—radio operators are now part of an expanding universe.
They’re no longer just reaching across continents. They’re reaching the stars.
A Legacy Hobby Meets a New Frontier
Amateur radio has been around for over a century. Traditionally, it’s been about sending and receiving messages, experimenting with antennas, and mastering long-distance communication through the atmosphere.
But the hobby has always carried a spirit of experimentation. And when space became accessible—not just to governments and corporations, but to hobbyists—radio operators were among the first to notice.
Satellites started transmitting in ham bands. Suddenly, a new frontier opened up—one that didn’t require a launchpad, only a license, a radio, and a bit of patience.
That spirit continues today. Only now, the satellites are smaller, cheaper, and far more interactive.
PocketQubes: The Game Changer
Our icMercury satellites, including HADES‑ICM, are about the size of a Rubik’s Cube and weigh less than a loaf of bread. But don’t let that fool you—they’re packed with capability. Operating on VHF and UHF amateur radio bands, they transmit beacon signals, telemetry data, and even allow for APRS relays (Automatic Packet Reporting System), enabling two-way messaging through space.
For amateur radio enthusiasts, this means:
Tracking live satellites with antennas they build themselves
Decoding telemetry using open-source software
Sending and receiving APRS messages through orbit
Participating in global space missions from their backyards
It’s not just fun. It’s real contribution.
Some hams are the first to hear a new satellite after deployment. Others provide critical signal reports that help us at Interstellar Communication Holdings Inc. refine operations. In a way, they’ve become mission partners—not officially on payroll, but unquestionably essential.
Why It’s Growing Again
Part of this revival is technological. Radios have become cheaper. Software has become more intuitive. Online communities have made it easier to learn. You don’t need a room full of gear anymore. A laptop and a $30 USB receiver can get you started.
But I think there’s something else going on.
In an era where most tech feels invisible—apps, clouds, algorithms—radio offers something tangible. You build it. You hear it. You feel it. And when you know that the beep you’re picking up just came from 500 km above Earth? That never stops being thrilling.
Young people are discovering this for the first time. Older hobbyists are coming back. And in the middle, a growing, global network of curious minds is forming.
A Culture of Sharing
Amateur radio has always had a generous, open-source heart. That fits beautifully with the way icMercury is built. We publish our telemetry formats. We share frequencies. We invite people to play, test, fail, and try again.
And they do.
We’ve seen logs from over 60 countries. We've received signal recordings from volunteers within hours of launch. We’ve had entire school groups build their own antennas based on blog posts from other hams.
This is space participation at its best—not centralized, not monetized, but communal.
Recognition Beyond the Hobby
This kind of public involvement is gaining notice at higher levels, too. This November, Interstellar Communication Holdings Inc. will attend the 2025 Go Global Awards in London, hosted by the International Trade Council. We’re proud to be a nominee.
But the real story isn’t just about our team—it’s about the people behind the scenes. The ones listening to passes at 3 a.m., who share signal maps online, who teach a younger generation how to tune into the sky.
At events like the Go Global Awards, where businesses and policymakers meet, we hope to shine a light on these communities. Because the future of space isn’t just built in boardrooms. It’s also soldered in garages and logged in field notebooks.
Final Thought: When You Listen, You Belong
Amateur radio is, at its core, about listening. And when you listen—really listen—you start to feel like you’re part of something bigger.
Maybe you hear a faint Morse beacon from HADES‑ICM. Maybe you decode a string of telemetry values and realize what they mean. Maybe you hear silence and wait again tomorrow. It doesn’t matter. You’re part of the sky now.
And in a world where space can feel distant, technical, and owned by someone else… that feeling of inclusion? It’s powerful.
We’re proud to help make that possible. And if you’re one of the many tuning in: thank you. You're helping write the next chapter in the story of amateur radio—and the story of space.
