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SESK: Stuff Everyone Should Know · sesk.info/ham-space-station-definition

How does Part 97 define an amateur space station?

It is an amateur station more than 50 kilometers above Earth.

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  1. Any satellite orbiting Earth
  2. A station relaying through satellites
  3. An amateur station over 50 km high ✔

Why: The rule uses location, not whether the craft is crewed or relays a signal. An amateur station more than 50 kilometers above Earth's surface is a space station.

Huh, didn't know that: Fifty kilometers is about 31 miles above Earth's surface.

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Why did the satellite become a ham? It already had space to talk.
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References

Answer: An amateur station over 50 km high. The rule uses location, not whether the craft is crewed or relays a signal. An amateur station more than 50 kilometers above Earth's surface is a space station.

  1. 2026-2030 Technician Class Question Pool ncvec.org/downloads/2026-2030%20Technician%20Pool%20and%20Syllabus%20Public%20Release%20Feb%2019%202026.pdf
    An amateur station located more than 50 km above Earth's surface
    Checked 2026-10-09.

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