Clubs and Activities
MSOPS (Midshipmen Space Operations Team)
MSOPS is a team of midshipmen who volunteer to participate in space operations at USNA. Initially trained by USAFA cadets to operate satellites through the USAFA ground station, MSOPS was also responsible for RSAT operations on the ISS and construction of the radome on the roof of Rickover Hall. MSOPS receive formal training throughout the academic year.
W3ADO Amateur Radio Club
The Amateur (HAM) Radio Club at USNA provides communication support for Academy events (Sea Trials, Ball Run) and serves the community through volunteer communications at special events (Cross-band Military Contest) and during emergencies. Midshipmen in the club provide instruction for licensing exams and maintain the APRS repeater and crossband repeater at the Navy Stadium. W3ADO is active in the Service Academy Radio Group (SARG).
On December 5, 2023 at 0800, almost 200 current and former midshipmen from the 13th Company began running the Army-Navy game football 450+ miles from Annapolis to Gillette Stadium in Foxborough, Massachusetts. The USNA Amateur Radio Club W3ADO revived the decades-old tradition of tracking the runners using Automatic Packet Reporting System (APRS), a digital communications protocol for rapidly and reliably exchanging real-time information over amateur radio frequencies. W3ADO went “on the move with the ball run” using a Yaesu FTM-200DR that sends out APRS position beacons at 25 watts. The radio, its battery and its magnet-mount antenna were transferred from van to van for the duration of the run.
i5 Club
i5 ( Institute For Applied Space Policy and Strategy) is a national organization created by the Air Force Academy, with the purpose of educating future service members about space policy, doctrine, and war fighting capabilities. i5 at USNA gives Midshipmen an opportunity to learn and to become proficient in understanding this increasingly important domain, including joint satellite operations with USAFA.
