OSCAR
From Free net encyclopedia
- For other uses, see OSCAR (disambiguation).
OSCAR is an acronym for Orbital Satellite Carrying Amateur Radio.
OSCAR series satellites use Amateur Radio to communicate with earth. They are conceived, designed, and built by Amateur Radio operators under the general direction of national organisations known as AMSAT.
Satellites
Image:OSCAR 1.jpg OSCAR I - the first amateur radio satellite, launched December 12, 1961 by a Thor Agena B rocket from Vandenberg Air Force Base, piggybacked as ballast with Discoverer 36. It was 4.5 kg and was placed in a 372 x 211 km orbit, inclined 81.2 degrees, with an orbital period of 91.8 minutes. Over 570 amateur radio operators in 28 countries heard its Morse code "hi hi" message on the two metre band. Its 140 mW battery-powered transmitter lasted 3 weeks. OSCAR I reentered on January 31, 1962.
- UO-11 UoSAT-OSCAR 11 (aka UoSAT 2)
- AO-10 AMSAT-OSCAR 10 (aka Phase 3B)
- FO-29 Fuji-OSCAR 29 (aka Fuji-3 and JAS-2)
- AO-40 AMSAT-OSCAR 40 (aka Phase 3D)
- AO-51 AMSAT-OSCAR 51 (aka Phase 2E, AMSAT ECHO, and ECHO)
(Note: This list is not complete. More than 70 amateur radio satellites have been launched.)
External link
- AMSAT Corporation a nonprofit corporation that coordinates construction and launch of the satellites
- Project OSCARde:OSCAR