OSCAR
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This page is about the OSCAR, the communications satellite. For other meanings, see Oscar. The other common use of the word OSCAR (All caps) is the AOL Instant Messenger protocol, for that see OSCAR protocol
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
OSCAR I - the first amateur satellite, launched December 12, 1961 by a Thor Agena B rocket from Vandenberg Air Force Base, piggybacked as ballast with Discover 36. It weighed 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 amateurs in 28 countries heard its Morse code "hi hi" message on the two meter 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 Satellites have been launched)
External link:
- AMSAT Corporation (http://www.amsat.org) a nonprofit corporation that coordinates construction and launch of the satellitesde:OSCAR