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OSCAR

OSCAR

Overview
OSCAR is an acronym for Orbiting Satellite Carrying Amateur Radio. OSCAR series satellite
Satellite
In the context of spaceflight, a satellite is an object which has been placed into orbit by human endeavor. Such objects are sometimes called artificial satellites to distinguish them from natural satellites such as the Moon....

s use amateur radio
Amateur radio
Amateur radio, often called ham radio, is both a hobby and a service in which participants, called "hams," use various types of radio communications equipment to communicate with other radio amateurs for public service, recreation and self-training....

 frequencies
Frequency
Frequency is the number of occurrences of a repeating event per unit time. It is also referred to as temporal frequency.The period is the duration of one cycle in a repeating event, so the period is the reciprocal of the frequency....

 to communicate with Earth. They are conceived, designed, and built by amateur radio operator
Amateur radio operator
An amateur radio operator is an individual who typically uses equipment at an amateur radio station to engage in two-way personal communications with other similar individuals on radio frequencies assigned to the amateur radio service. Amateur radio operators have been granted an amateur radio...

s under the general direction of national organisations such as AMSAT
AMSAT
AMSAT is a name for amateur radio satellite organizations worldwide, but in particular the Radio Amateur Satellite Corporation with headquarters at Silver Spring, Maryland, near Washington DC. AMSAT organizations design, build, arrange launches for, and then operate satellites carrying amateur...

.

The first amateur satellite simply named OSCAR-1, was launched on December 12, 1961, barely four years after the launch of world's first satellite, Sputnik
Sputnik 1
Sputnik 1 was the first Earth-orbiting artificial satellite. It was launched into an elliptical low earth orbit by the Soviet Union on 4 October 1957, and was the first in a series of satellites collectively known as the Sputnik program...

.
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Encyclopedia
OSCAR is an acronym for Orbiting Satellite Carrying Amateur Radio. OSCAR series satellite
Satellite
In the context of spaceflight, a satellite is an object which has been placed into orbit by human endeavor. Such objects are sometimes called artificial satellites to distinguish them from natural satellites such as the Moon....

s use amateur radio
Amateur radio
Amateur radio, often called ham radio, is both a hobby and a service in which participants, called "hams," use various types of radio communications equipment to communicate with other radio amateurs for public service, recreation and self-training....

 frequencies
Frequency
Frequency is the number of occurrences of a repeating event per unit time. It is also referred to as temporal frequency.The period is the duration of one cycle in a repeating event, so the period is the reciprocal of the frequency....

 to communicate with Earth. They are conceived, designed, and built by amateur radio operator
Amateur radio operator
An amateur radio operator is an individual who typically uses equipment at an amateur radio station to engage in two-way personal communications with other similar individuals on radio frequencies assigned to the amateur radio service. Amateur radio operators have been granted an amateur radio...

s under the general direction of national organisations such as AMSAT
AMSAT
AMSAT is a name for amateur radio satellite organizations worldwide, but in particular the Radio Amateur Satellite Corporation with headquarters at Silver Spring, Maryland, near Washington DC. AMSAT organizations design, build, arrange launches for, and then operate satellites carrying amateur...

.

Early OSCAR satellites


The first amateur satellite simply named OSCAR-1, was launched on December 12, 1961, barely four years after the launch of world's first satellite, Sputnik
Sputnik 1
Sputnik 1 was the first Earth-orbiting artificial satellite. It was launched into an elliptical low earth orbit by the Soviet Union on 4 October 1957, and was the first in a series of satellites collectively known as the Sputnik program...

. OSCAR-1 was the very first satellite to be ejected as a secondary payload and subsequently enter a separate orbit. Despite being in orbit only 22 days OSCAR-1 was an immediate success with over 570 amateur radio operator
Amateur radio operator
An amateur radio operator is an individual who typically uses equipment at an amateur radio station to engage in two-way personal communications with other similar individuals on radio frequencies assigned to the amateur radio service. Amateur radio operators have been granted an amateur radio...

s in 28 countries forwarding observations to Project OSCAR. Throughout the years OSCAR satellites have helped make significant breakthroughs in the science of satellite communications. A few advancements include the launch of the very first satellite voice transponders and the development of highly advanced digital
Digital
A digital system is a data technology that uses discrete values. By contrast, non-digital systems use a continuous range of values to represent information...

 "store-and-forward"
Store and forward
Store and forward is a telecommunications technique in which information is sent to an intermediate station where it is kept and sent at a later time to the final destination or to another intermediate station. The intermediate station, or node in a networking context, verifies the integrity of...

 messaging transponder techniques. To-date over 70 OSCAR's have been launched with more to be launched in the near future.

OSCAR satellite communications


Currently OSCAR satellite
Satellite
In the context of spaceflight, a satellite is an object which has been placed into orbit by human endeavor. Such objects are sometimes called artificial satellites to distinguish them from natural satellites such as the Moon....

s support many different types of operation including FM voice, SSB
SSB
SSB might be an acronym or abbreviation for:* Super Smash Bros. series** Super Smash Bros., a game in the series* Sacramento Sustainable Business, environmentally-friendly business recognition program operated by the Business Environmental Resource Center.* Salomon Smith Barney, a former investment...

 voice, as well as digital communications of AX.25
AX.25
AX.25 is a data link layer protocol derived from the X.25 protocol suite and designed for use by amateur radio operators. It is used extensively on amateur packet radio networks....

 FSK
Frequency-shift keying
Frequency-shift keying is a frequency modulation scheme in which digital information is transmitted through discrete frequency changes of a carrier wave. The simplest FSK is binary FSK . BFSK literally implies using a couple of discrete frequencies to transmit binary information...

 (Packet radio
Packet radio
Packet radio is a form of packet switching technology used to transmit digital data via radio or wireless communications links. It uses the same concepts of data transmission via Datagram that are fundamental to communications via the Internet, as opposed to the older techniques used by dedicated...

) and PSK-31
PSK31
PSK31 or "Phase Shift Keying, 31 Baud" is a digital radio modulation mode, used primarily in the amateur radio field to conduct real-time informal text chat between amateur radio operators. Colloquial usage of the term PSK31 in amateur radio most often implies the use of binary phase shift keying...

.

Mode designators

Historically OSCAR uplink
Uplink
A telecommunications link is generally one of several types of information transmission paths accomplished by communication satellites to connect two points on earth.-Uplink:...

 (transmit to) and downlink (receive from) frequencies were designated using single letter codes.
  • Mode A 10 meters
    10 meters
    The 10-meter band is a portion of the shortwave radio spectrum allocated to amateur radio use. The band consists of frequencies stretching from 28.000 MHz to 29.700 MHz.-History:The 10-meter band was created by the on November 25, 1927....

    /2 meters
    2 meters
    The 2-meter amateur radio band is a portion of the VHF radio spectrum, comprising frequencies stretching from 144.000 MHz to 148.000 MHz in International Telecommunication Union region Regions 2 and 3 and from 144.000 MHz to 146.000 MHz in ITU Region 1...

  • Mode B 2 meters
    2 meters
    The 2-meter amateur radio band is a portion of the VHF radio spectrum, comprising frequencies stretching from 144.000 MHz to 148.000 MHz in International Telecommunication Union region Regions 2 and 3 and from 144.000 MHz to 146.000 MHz in ITU Region 1...

    /70 cm
  • Mode J 70 cm/2 meters
    2 meters
    The 2-meter amateur radio band is a portion of the VHF radio spectrum, comprising frequencies stretching from 144.000 MHz to 148.000 MHz in International Telecommunication Union region Regions 2 and 3 and from 144.000 MHz to 146.000 MHz in ITU Region 1...


New uplink
Uplink
A telecommunications link is generally one of several types of information transmission paths accomplished by communication satellites to connect two points on earth.-Uplink:...

 and downlink designations use sets of paired letters following the structure X/Y where X is the uplink
Uplink
A telecommunications link is generally one of several types of information transmission paths accomplished by communication satellites to connect two points on earth.-Uplink:...

 band and Y is the downlink band.

{|class="wikitable"

|-
!Designator
|
H

|
A

|
V

|
U

|
L

|
S

|
S2

|
C

|
X

|
K

|
R

|-
!Band
|15 m
15 meters
The 15-meter band is an amateur radio frequency band spanning the shortwave spectrum from 21 to 21.45 MHz. Almost all countries permit amateur communications on the entire band....


|10 m
10 meters
The 10-meter band is a portion of the shortwave radio spectrum allocated to amateur radio use. The band consists of frequencies stretching from 28.000 MHz to 29.700 MHz.-History:The 10-meter band was created by the on November 25, 1927....


|2 m
2 meters
The 2-meter amateur radio band is a portion of the VHF radio spectrum, comprising frequencies stretching from 144.000 MHz to 148.000 MHz in International Telecommunication Union region Regions 2 and 3 and from 144.000 MHz to 146.000 MHz in ITU Region 1...


|70 cm
70 centimeters
The 70-centimeter amateur radio band is a portion of the UHF radio spectrum, whose exact allocations vary regionally. In the United States and Australia the band ranges from 420 to 450 MHz with some geographical limitations; in Canada, the band is only 430–450 MHz; in the UK, amateurs are...


|23 cm
23 centimeters
23 centimeters is a common amateur radio band located in the UHF spectrum between 1240 and 1300 MHz . Most all modes of communication used in amateur radio can be found in the 23 cm band...


|13 cm
13 centimeters
The 13 centimeter amateur radio band is a portion of the UHF radio spectrum, comprising frequencies in two segments stretching from 2.300 to 2.310 GHz, and from 2.390 to 2.450 GHz. The license privileges of amateur radio operators include the use of frequencies within these ranges for...


|9 cm
|5 cm
5 centimeters
The 5 cm band in the United States lies between the U-NII and ISM band for license-free applications including WiFi, and the commercial microwave band which covers 5925-6425 MHz. The amateur allocation extends from 5650 to 5925 MHz, overlapping the license-free band from 5470 to 5725...


|3 cm
|1.2 cm
|6 mm
|-
!Frequency
(General)
|21 MHz
|29 MHz
|145 MHz
|435 MHz
|1.2 GHz
|2.4 GHz
|3.4 GHz
|5 GHz
|10 GHz
|24 GHz
|47 GHz
|-
|}

Doppler shift


Due to the high orbital speed of OSCAR satellites, the uplink
Uplink
A telecommunications link is generally one of several types of information transmission paths accomplished by communication satellites to connect two points on earth.-Uplink:...

 and downlink frequencies will vary during the course of a satellite pass. This phenomenon is known as the Doppler effect
Doppler effect
The Doppler effect , named after Austrian physicist Christian Doppler who proposed it in 1842, is the change in frequency of a wave for an observer moving relative to the source of the wave. It is commonly heard when a vehicle sounding a siren or horn approaches, passes, and recedes from an observer...

. While the satellite
Satellite
In the context of spaceflight, a satellite is an object which has been placed into orbit by human endeavor. Such objects are sometimes called artificial satellites to distinguish them from natural satellites such as the Moon....

 is moving towards the ground station, the downlink frequency will appear to be higher than normal and therefore, the receiver frequency at the ground station must be adjusted higher in order to continue receiving the satellite
Satellite
In the context of spaceflight, a satellite is an object which has been placed into orbit by human endeavor. Such objects are sometimes called artificial satellites to distinguish them from natural satellites such as the Moon....

. The satellite in turn, will be receiving the uplink signal at a higher frequency than normal so the ground station's transmitted uplink frequency must be lower in order to be received by the satellite. After the satellite passes overhead and begins to move away, this process reverses itself. The downlink frequency will appear lower and the uplink frequency will need to be adjusted higher. The following mathematical formulas relate the doppler shift to the velocity
Velocity
In physics, velocity is the rate of change of position. It is a vector physical quantity; both speed and direction are required to define it. In the SI system, it is measured in meters per second: or ms-1. The scalar absolute value of velocity is speed...

 of the satellite.
Where:
|width="40"| = doppler corrected downlink frequency
| = doppler corrected uplink frequency
| = original frequency
| = velocity of the satellite relative to ground station in m
M
M is the thirteenth letter of the basic modern Latin alphabet. Its name in English is spelled em.-History:The letter M derives its shape from the Phoenician Mem, via the Greek Mu . Semitic Mem probably originally pictured water. It is known that Semitic people working in Egypt c...

/s
S
S is the nineteenth letter in the basic modern Latin alphabet. Its name in English is spelled ess, or usually es- when part of a compound word; the plural is esses.- Usage :...

.
Positive when moving towards, negative when moving away.
| = the speed of light in a vacuum (  m
M
M is the thirteenth letter of the basic modern Latin alphabet. Its name in English is spelled em.-History:The letter M derives its shape from the Phoenician Mem, via the Greek Mu . Semitic Mem probably originally pictured water. It is known that Semitic people working in Egypt c...

/s
S
S is the nineteenth letter in the basic modern Latin alphabet. Its name in English is spelled ess, or usually es- when part of a compound word; the plural is esses.- Usage :...

).

Change in frequency Downlink Correction Uplink Correction
relative velocity
Relative velocity
In kinematics, relative velocity is the vector difference between the velocities of two objects, as evaluated in terms of a single coordinate system, usually an inertial frame of reference unless specifically stated otherwise....

 of the satellite and the speed with which these corrections must be made, these calculations are normally accomplished using satellite tracking software. Many modern transceiver
Transceiver
A transceiver is a device that has both a transmitter and a receiver which are combined and share common circuitry or a single housing. If no circuitry is common between transmit and receive functions, the device is a transmitter-receiver. The term originated in the early 1920s. Technically,...

s include a computer interface that allows for automatic
Automatic
- Technology :* Automatic transmission, or a car with an automatic transmission* Automatic firearm* Automatic watch*Automatic , a defunct American automobile company- Music :Bands* The Automatic, a bandAlbums* Automatic...

 doppler correction. Manual doppler correction is possible, however it is difficult to remain exactly on frequency. FM is more tolerant of doppler shift than SSB
SSB
SSB might be an acronym or abbreviation for:* Super Smash Bros. series** Super Smash Bros., a game in the series* Sacramento Sustainable Business, environmentally-friendly business recognition program operated by the Business Environmental Resource Center.* Salomon Smith Barney, a former investment...

 and therefore much easier to tune manually.

Satellites previously launched


The names of the satellites below are sorted in chronological order by launch date, acsending. The status column denotes the current operational status of the satellite. Green signifies that the satellite is currently operational, orange indicates that the satellite is partially operational or failing. Red indicates that the satellite is non operational and black indicates that the satellite has re-entered the earth's atmosphere. The country listing denotes the country that constructed the satellite and not the launching country.
Name (a.k.a) Status Launched Country
OSCAR (OSCAR 1) Decayed; 1961-12-12 USA
OSCAR II (OSCAR 2) Decayed; 1962-06-02 USA
OSCAR III (OSCAR 3, EGRS-3) Non-Operational; 1965-03-09 USA
OSCAR IV (OSCAR 4) Decayed; 1965-12-21 USA
Australis-OSCAR 5 (OSCAR 5, AO-5, AO-A) Non-Operational; 1970-01-23 Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the continental mainland , the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans...
AMSAT-OSCAR 6 (OSCAR 6, AO-6, AO-C, P2A) Non-Operational; 1972-10-15 USA
AMSAT-OSCAR 7
AMSAT-OSCAR 7
AO-7 is an amateur satellite launched into orbit on 15 November 1974. It remained operational until a battery failure in 1981...

 (OSCAR 7, AO-7, AO-B, P2B)		 Operational; 1974-11-15 USA / Spain
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain , is a country located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula.The Spanish constitution does not establish any official denomination of the country, even though España , Estado español and Nación española are used interchangeably...
AMSAT-OSCAR 8 (OSCAR 8, AO-8, AO-D, P2D) Non-Operational; 1978-03-05 USA
UoSat-OSCAR 9
UoSat-OSCAR 9
UO-9 was an amateur satellite built at the University of Surrey and launched into low Earth orbit on October 6 1981. It exceeded its planned orbital lifespan by at least three years, being attested in June 1986, before re-entering the atmosphere...

 (UOSAT 1, UO-9)		 Decayed; 1981-10-06 UK
AMSAT-OSCAR 10 (Phase 3B, AO-10, P3B) Semi-Operational; 1983-06-16 USA
UoSat-OSCAR 11
UO-11
UO-11 is an amateur satellite built at the University of Surrey and launched into orbit on March 1 1984. Though orbital and active for twenty-four years after launch its status is now questionable, with no reports of reception since 15 February 2008...

 (UoSat-2, UO-11, UoSAT-B)		 Semi-Operational; 1984-03-01 UK
Fuji-OSCAR 12 (JAS 1, FO-12) Non-Operational; 1986-08-13 Japan
Japan
is an island country in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, People's Republic of China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
AMSAT-OSCAR 13 (Phase 3C, AO-13, P3C) Decayed; 1988-06-15 USA
UOSAT-OSCAR 14 (UoSAT-3, UO-14 UoSAT-D) Non-Operational; 1990-01-21 UK
UOSAT-OSCAR 15 (UoSAT-4, UO-15, UoSAT-E) Non-Operational; 1990-01-22 UK
AMSAT-OSCAR 16 (Pacsat, AO-16, Microsat-1) Operational; 1990-01-22 USA
Dove-OSCAR 17 (Dove, DO-17, Microsat-2) Non-Operational; 1990-01-22 Brazil
Brazil
Brazil , officially the Federative Republic of Brazil , is a country in South America. It is the fifth largest country by geographical area, occupying nearly half of South America, the fifth most populous country, and the fourth most populous democracy in the world. Bounded by the Atlantic Ocean...
Weber-OSCAR 18 (WeberSAT, WO-18, Microsat-3) Non-Operational; 1990-01-22 USA
LUSAT-OSCAR 19 (LUSAT, LO-19, Microsat-4) Semi-Operational; 1990-01-22 Argentina
Argentina
Argentina, officially the Argentine Republic , is the second largest country in South America, constituted as a federation of 23 provinces and an autonomous city, Buenos Aires. It is the eighth largest country in the world by land area and the largest among Spanish-speaking nations, though Mexico,...
Fuji-OSCAR 20 (JAS 1B, FO-20, Fuji-1B) Non-Operational; 1990-02-07 Japan
Japan
is an island country in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, People's Republic of China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
AMSAT-OSCAR 21 (RS-14, AO-21, Informator-1) Non-Operational; 1991-01-29 Russia
Russia
Russia , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia . It is a semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...
Radio Sputnik 12 Non-Operational; 1991-02-05 Russia
Russia
Russia , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia . It is a semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...
Radio Sputnik 13 Non-Operational; 1991-02-05 Russia
Russia
Russia , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia . It is a semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...
UoSat-OSCAR 22 (UOSAT 5, UO-22 UoSAT-F) Non-Operational; 1991-07-17 UK
KitSAT-OSCAR 23 (KITSAT 1, KO-23, Uribyol-1) Non-Operational; 1992-08-10 Korea
Korea
Korea is a civilization and formerly unified nation currently divided into two states. Located on the Korean Peninsula, it borders China to the northwest, Russia to the northeast, and is separated from Japan to the east by the Korea Strait....
Arasene-OSCAR 24 (Arasene, AO-24) Non-Operational; 1993-05-12 France
France
France , officially the French Republic , is a country located in Western Europe, with several overseas islands and territories located on other continents. Metropolitan France extends from the Mediterranean Sea to the English Channel and the North Sea, and from the Rhine to the Atlantic Ocean...
KitSAT-OSCAR 25 (KITSAT B, KO-25, Kitsat-2, Uribyol-2) Non-Operational; 1993-09-26 Korea
Korea
Korea is a civilization and formerly unified nation currently divided into two states. Located on the Korean Peninsula, it borders China to the northwest, Russia to the northeast, and is separated from Japan to the east by the Korea Strait....
Italy-OSCAR 26 (ITAMSAT, IO-26) Semi-Operational; 1993-09-26 Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic , is a country located on the Italian Peninsula in Southern Europe and on the two largest islands in the Mediterranean Sea, Sicily and Sardinia. Italy shares its northern, Alpine boundary with France, Switzerland, Austria and Slovenia...
AMRAD-OSCAR 27 (EYESAT-1, AO-27) Operational; 1993-09-26 USA
POSAT-OSCAR 28 (POSAT, PO-28, Posat-1) Operational; 1993-09-26 Portugal
Portugal
Portugal , officially the Portuguese Republic , is a country located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula. Portugal is the westernmost country of mainland Europe and is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the west and south and by Spain to the north and east...
Radio Sputnik 15 (RadioSkaf-15, RS-15, Radio-ROSTO) Non-Operational; 1994-12-26 Russia
Russia
Russia , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia . It is a semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...
Fuji-OSCAR 29 (JAS 2, FO-29, Fuji-2) Semi-Operational; 1996-08-17 Japan
Japan
is an island country in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, People's Republic of China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
Mexico-OSCAR 30 (UNAMSAT-2, MO-30, Unamsat-B, Kosmos-2334) Non-Operational; 1996-09-05 Mexico
Mexico
The United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of...

/Russia
Russia
Russia , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia . It is a semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...
Thai-Microsatellite-OSCAR 31 (TMSAT-1, TO-31) Non-Operational; 1998-07-10 Thailand
Thailand
The Kingdom of Thailand is an independent country that lies in the heart of Southeast Asia.It is bordered to the north by Laos and Burma, to the east by Laos and Cambodia, to the south by the Gulf of Thailand and Malaysia, and to the west by the Andaman Sea and Burma...
Gurwin-OSCAR 32 (GO-32, Gurwin-1b, Techsat-1b) Operational; 1998-07-10 Israel
Israel
Israel officially the State of Israel , is a developed state in Western Asia located on the eastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea. It borders Lebanon in the north, Syria in the northeast, Jordan in the east, and Egypt on the southwest, and contains geographically diverse features within its...
SEDSat-OSCAR 33 (SEDSat, SO-33, SEDsat-1) Semi-Operational; 1998-10-24 USA
Pansat-OSCAR 34 (PAN SAT, PO-34) Non-Operational; 1998-10-30 USA
ARISS (ARISS) Operational; International
ASU-OSCAR 37 (AO-37, ASUsat-1, ASUSAT) Non-Operational; 2000-01-27 USA
OPAL-OSCAR 38 (OO-38, StenSat, OPAL) Non-Operational; 2000-01-27 USA
Weber-OSCAR 39 (WO-39, JAWSAT) Non-Operational; 2000-01-27 USA
Saudi-OSCAR 41 (SO-41, Saudisat 1A) Non-Operational; 2000-01-27 Saudi Arabia
Saudi Arabia
Saudi Arabia , is an Arab country and the largest country of the Arabian Peninsula. It is bordered by Jordan on the northwest, Iraq on the north and northeast, Kuwait, Qatar, Bahrain, and the United Arab Emirates on the east, Oman on the southeast, and Yemen on the south...
Saudi-OSCAR 42 (SO-42, Saudisat 1B) Non-Operational; 2000-09-26 Saudi Arabia
Saudi Arabia
Saudi Arabia , is an Arab country and the largest country of the Arabian Peninsula. It is bordered by Jordan on the northwest, Iraq on the north and northeast, Kuwait, Qatar, Bahrain, and the United Arab Emirates on the east, Oman on the southeast, and Yemen on the south...
Malaysian-OSCAR 46 (MO-46, TIUNGSAT-1) Non-Operational; 2000-09-26 Malaysia
Malaysia
Malaysia is a country in Southeast Asia that consists of thirteen states and three Federal Territories, with a total landmass of . The capital city is Kuala Lumpur, while Putrajaya is the seat of the federal government. The population stands at over 28 million inhabitants...
AMSAT-OSCAR 40
AO-40
AO-40 is the on-orbit name designation of an amateur radio satellite of the OSCAR series; formerly known as Phase 3D.The Project Manager was Peter Guelzow of AMSAT Germany ....

 (AO-40, Phase 3D, P3D)		 Non-Operational; 2000-11-16 USA
Starshine-OSCAR 43 (SO-43, Starshine 3) Decayed; 2001-09-30 USA
Navy-OSCAR 44 (NO-44, PCSat) Semi-Operational; 2001-09-30 USA
Navy-OSCAR 45 (NO-45, Sapphire) Non-Operational; 2001-09-30 USA
BreizhSAT-OSCAR 47 (BO-47, IDEFIX CU1) Non-Operational; 2002-05-04 France
France
France , officially the French Republic , is a country located in Western Europe, with several overseas islands and territories located on other continents. Metropolitan France extends from the Mediterranean Sea to the English Channel and the North Sea, and from the Rhine to the Atlantic Ocean...
BreizhSAT-OSCAR 48 (BO-48, IDEFIX CU2) Non-Operational; 2002-05-04 France
France
France , officially the French Republic , is a country located in Western Europe, with several overseas islands and territories located on other continents. Metropolitan France extends from the Mediterranean Sea to the English Channel and the North Sea, and from the Rhine to the Atlantic Ocean...
AATiS-OSCAR 49 (AO-49, Safir-M, RUBIN 2) Non-Operational; 2002-12-20 Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a country in Central Europe. It is bordered to the north by the North Sea, Denmark, and the Baltic Sea; to the east by Poland and the Czech Republic; to the south by Austria and Switzerland; and to the west by France, Luxembourg, Belgium,...
Saudi-OSCAR 50 (SO-50, Saudisat-1C) Operational; 2002-12-20 Saudi Arabia
Saudi Arabia
Saudi Arabia , is an Arab country and the largest country of the Arabian Peninsula. It is bordered by Jordan on the northwest, Iraq on the north and northeast, Kuwait, Qatar, Bahrain, and the United Arab Emirates on the east, Oman on the southeast, and Yemen on the south...
CubeSat-OSCAR 55 (Cute-1) Operational; 2003-06-30 Japan
Japan
is an island country in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, People's Republic of China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
CubeSat-OSCAR 57 (CubeSat-XI-IV) Operational; 2003-06-30 Japan
Japan
is an island country in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, People's Republic of China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
CanX-1 Decayed; 2003-06-30 Canada
Canada
Canada is a country occupying most of northern North America, extending from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
DTUSat
DTUsat
DTUsat was a CubeSat built by students from the Technical University of Denmark. It was launched on 30 June 2003 from the Plesetsk Cosmodrome on a Rockot launcher. Contact with the satellite was never established....

 Decayed; 2003-06-30 Denmark
Denmark
Denmark is a Scandinavian country in Northern Europe and the senior member of the Kingdom of Denmark. It is the southernmost of the Nordic countries; southwest of Sweden and south of Norway, and it is bordered to the south by Germany. Denmark borders both the Baltic and the North Sea...
AAU Cubesat
AAU CubeSat
AAU CubeSat was a CubeSat built and operated by students from Aalborg University in Denmark. AAU CubeSat was launched on 30 June 2003 from the Plesetsk Cosmodrome on a rocket launcher....

 Non-Operational; 2003-06-30 Denmark
Denmark
Denmark is a Scandinavian country in Northern Europe and the senior member of the Kingdom of Denmark. It is the southernmost of the Nordic countries; southwest of Sweden and south of Norway, and it is bordered to the south by Germany. Denmark borders both the Baltic and the North Sea...
AMSAT-OSCAR 51
AO-51
AO-51 is the in-orbit name designation of an amateur radio satellite of the OSCAR series; formerly known as ECHO. It was launched on June 29, 2004 from Baikonur Cosmodrome, Kazakhstan on a Dnepr launch vehicle. It is in sun synchronous low Earth orbit.-External links:*** ***...

 (Echo, AO-51)		 Operational; 2004-06-28 USA
RS-22 (Mozhayets 4) Operational; 2004-09-27 Russia
Russia
Russia , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia . It is a semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...
VUSat-OSCAR 52 (Hamsat, VO-52, VUSat) Operational; 2005-05-05 India
India
India, officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country, and the most populous democracy in the world. Bounded by the Indian Ocean on the south, the Arabian Sea on the west, and the Bay of Bengal...

 / Netherlands
Netherlands
The Netherlands is a country in Northwestern Europe, constituting the major portion of the Kingdom of the Netherlands. It is a parliamentary democratic constitutional monarchy. The Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east...
PCSat2
PCSat2
PCSat2 is an amateur radio satellite created by the US Naval Academy.It was installed on the International Space Station on August 3 2005. PCSAT2 was recovered from the outside of the ISS by astronauts on the 3rd EVA of mission STS-115 and was return to Earth....

 (PCSAT2)		 Decayed; 2005-08-03 USA
AMSAT-OSCAR 54
SuitSat
SuitSat is a retired Russian Orlan spacesuit with a radio transmitter mounted on its helmet. SuitSat-1 was deployed in an ephemeral orbit around the Earth on February 3, 2006...

 (AO-54, SuitSat, Radioskaf)		 Decayed; 2005-09-08 International
eXpress-OSCAR 53 (XO-53, SSETI Express) Non-Operational; 2005-10-27 ESA
CubeSat-OSCAR 58 (CO-58, Cubesat XI-V) Operational; 2005-10-27 Japan
Japan
is an island country in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, People's Republic of China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
UWE-1
UWE-1
UWE-1 is a CubeSat built by students of the University of Würzburg and was launched as part of the SSETI Express mission from Plesetsk in Russia. Down/Uplink frequency is 437.505 MHz, modulation is 9600 Baud AFSK. The satellite's radio call sign is DPØUWE....

 Non-Operational; 2005-10-27 Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a country in Central Europe. It is bordered to the north by the North Sea, Denmark, and the Baltic Sea; to the east by Poland and the Czech Republic; to the south by Austria and Switzerland; and to the west by France, Luxembourg, Belgium,...
NCube-2 Non-Operational; 2005-10-27 Norway
Norway
Norway , officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a country in Northern Europe occupying the western portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula, as well as Jan Mayen and the Arctic archipelago of Svalbard under the Spitsbergen Treaty...
CubeSat-OSCAR 56 (CO-56, Cute-1.7) Semi-Operational; 2006-02-21 Japan
Japan
is an island country in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, People's Republic of China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
K7RR-Sat Non-Operational; 2006-07-26 USA
CP2 Non-Operational; 2006-07-26 USA
HAUSAT 1 Non-Operational; 2006-07-26 South Korea
South Korea
South Korea, officially the Republic of Korea and often simply referred to as Korea, is a country in East Asia, located on the southern half of the Korean Peninsula. It is neighbored by China to the west, Japan to the east, and North Korea to the north. Its capital is Seoul, the second largest...
ICE Cube 1 Non-Operational; 2006-07-26 USA
ICE Cube 2 Non-Operational; 2006-07-26 USA
ION Non-Operational; 2006-07-26 USA
KUTESat Non-Operational; 2006-07-26 USA
MEROPE
Merope
Merope was the name of several, probably unrelated, characters in Greek mythology.* Merope , one of the Heliades, daughter of Helios and Clymene* Merope , foster mother of Oedipus, wife of Polybus...

 Non-Operational; 2006-07-26 USA
nCUBE 1 Non-Operational; 2006-07-26
RINCON
Rincón
Carlos Eduardo de Castro Lourenço, commonly known as Rincón , is a Brazilian football player who currently plays for Italian side Piacenza, on loan from Internazionale.-Early career:...

 Non-Operational; 2006-07-26 USA
SACRED
SACRED
SACRED was a Cubesat built by the Student Satellite Program of the University of Arizona. It was the product of the work of about 50 students, ranging from college freshmen to Ph. D. students, over the course of several years. It was launched, after being postponed several times, on board a Dnepr...

 Non-Operational; 2006-07-26 USA
SEEDS Non-Operational; 2006-07-26 Japan
Japan
is an island country in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, People's Republic of China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
Voyager Non-Operational; 2006-07-26 USA
PicPot Non-Operational; 2006-07-26 Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic , is a country located on the Italian Peninsula in Southern Europe and on the two largest islands in the Mediterranean Sea, Sicily and Sardinia. Italy shares its northern, Alpine boundary with France, Switzerland, Austria and Slovenia...
Libertad-1 Operational; 2006-09-15 Colombia
Colombia
Colombia , officially the Republic of Colombia , is a constitutional republic in northwestern South America. Colombia is bordered to the east by Venezuela and Brazil; to the south by Ecuador and Peru; to the north by the Caribbean Sea; to the northwest by Panama; and to the west by the Pacific Ocean...
CAPE-1
CAPE-1
CAPE-1 is a CubeSat amateur satellite developed and launched by students at the University of Louisiana at Lafayette...

 Non-Operational; 2006-09-15 USA
CP3 Operational; 2006-09-30 USA
Delfi-C3
Delfi-C3
Delfi-C3 is a CubeSat satellite constructed by students at the Delft University of Technology in the Netherlands. It is a 3-unit CubeSat, and was launched at 03:53:42 on 28 April 2008, as part of the NLS-4 mission, aboard a PSLV rocket, from the Second Launch Pad at the Satish Dhawan...

 (DO-64)		 Operational; 2008-04-28 Netherlands
Netherlands
The Netherlands is a country in Northwestern Europe, constituting the major portion of the Kingdom of the Netherlands. It is a parliamentary democratic constitutional monarchy. The Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east...


List current as of 2006-10-14

Multinational effort


Currently 23 countries have launched an OSCAR satellite. These countries, in chronological order by date of launch, include: The United States of America, Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the continental mainland , the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans...

, Spain
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain , is a country located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula.The Spanish constitution does not establish any official denomination of the country, even though España , Estado español and Nación española are used interchangeably...

, the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland is a sovereign state located off the northwestern coast of continental Europe. It is an island country, spanning an archipelago including Great Britain, the northeastern part of Ireland, and many small islands...

, Japan
Japan
is an island country in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, People's Republic of China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...

, Brazil
Brazil
Brazil , officially the Federative Republic of Brazil , is a country in South America. It is the fifth largest country by geographical area, occupying nearly half of South America, the fifth most populous country, and the fourth most populous democracy in the world. Bounded by the Atlantic Ocean...

, Argentina
Argentina
Argentina, officially the Argentine Republic , is the second largest country in South America, constituted as a federation of 23 provinces and an autonomous city, Buenos Aires. It is the eighth largest country in the world by land area and the largest among Spanish-speaking nations, though Mexico,...

, Pakistan
Pakistan
Pakistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan, is a country located at the crossroads of South Asia, the Middle East, and Central Asia...

, Russia
Russia
Russia , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia . It is a semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...

, France
France
France , officially the French Republic , is a country located in Western Europe, with several overseas islands and territories located on other continents. Metropolitan France extends from the Mediterranean Sea to the English Channel and the North Sea, and from the Rhine to the Atlantic Ocean...

, Portugal
Portugal
Portugal , officially the Portuguese Republic , is a country located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula. Portugal is the westernmost country of mainland Europe and is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the west and south and by Spain to the north and east...

, Korea
Korea
Korea is a civilization and formerly unified nation currently divided into two states. Located on the Korean Peninsula, it borders China to the northwest, Russia to the northeast, and is separated from Japan to the east by the Korea Strait....

, Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic , is a country located on the Italian Peninsula in Southern Europe and on the two largest islands in the Mediterranean Sea, Sicily and Sardinia. Italy shares its northern, Alpine boundary with France, Switzerland, Austria and Slovenia...

, Mexico
Mexico
The United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of...

, Israel
Israel
Israel officially the State of Israel , is a developed state in Western Asia located on the eastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea. It borders Lebanon in the north, Syria in the northeast, Jordan in the east, and Egypt on the southwest, and contains geographically diverse features within its...

, Thailand
Thailand
The Kingdom of Thailand is an independent country that lies in the heart of Southeast Asia.It is bordered to the north by Laos and Burma, to the east by Laos and Cambodia, to the south by the Gulf of Thailand and Malaysia, and to the west by the Andaman Sea and Burma...

, South Africa
South Africa
The Republic of South Africa is a country located at the southern tip of Africa, with a coastline on the Atlantic and Indian Oceans. To the north lie Namibia, Botswana and Zimbabwe, to the east are Mozambique and Swaziland, while Lesotho is an independent country surrounded by South Africa.Modern...

, Malaysia
Malaysia
Malaysia is a country in Southeast Asia that consists of thirteen states and three Federal Territories, with a total landmass of . The capital city is Kuala Lumpur, while Putrajaya is the seat of the federal government. The population stands at over 28 million inhabitants...

, Saudi Arabia
Saudi Arabia
Saudi Arabia , is an Arab country and the largest country of the Arabian Peninsula. It is bordered by Jordan on the northwest, Iraq on the north and northeast, Kuwait, Qatar, Bahrain, and the United Arab Emirates on the east, Oman on the southeast, and Yemen on the south...

, Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a country in Central Europe. It is bordered to the north by the North Sea, Denmark, and the Baltic Sea; to the east by Poland and the Czech Republic; to the south by Austria and Switzerland; and to the west by France, Luxembourg, Belgium,...

, India
India
India, officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country, and the most populous democracy in the world. Bounded by the Indian Ocean on the south, the Arabian Sea on the west, and the Bay of Bengal...

, Colombia
Colombia
Colombia , officially the Republic of Colombia , is a constitutional republic in northwestern South America. Colombia is bordered to the east by Venezuela and Brazil; to the south by Ecuador and Peru; to the north by the Caribbean Sea; to the northwest by Panama; and to the west by the Pacific Ocean...

, and the Netherlands
Netherlands
The Netherlands is a country in Northwestern Europe, constituting the major portion of the Kingdom of the Netherlands. It is a parliamentary democratic constitutional monarchy. The Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east...

.

Satellites in development

  • IRSHSAT-1 - A cubesat
    CubeSat
    A CubeSat is a type of miniaturized satellite for space research that usually has a volume of exactly one liter , weighs no more than one kilogram, and typically uses commercial off-the-shelf electronics components...

     is being built by the students at Pakistan Student Satellite Program
    Pakistan Student Satellite Program
    Pakistan Student Satellite Program is first ever attempt of Pakistani students to build and launch a satellite in low earth orbit. The satellite bus is based on CALPOLY university's standards CubeSat. The program is support by the Science Amateur Development Foundation .-External links:****...

    . Launch Date sometime in 2011.
  • BLUEsat
    BLUEsat
    The Basic Low Earth Orbit UNSW Experimental Satellite project is an engineering project being undertaken by students at the University of New South Wales. It aims to raise awareness of space and give students the opportunity to investigate, design, build and launch a satellite...

     - A microsatellite built by the students of The University of New South Wales
    University of New South Wales
    The University of New South Wales, also known as UNSW or colloquially as New South, is a university situated in Kensington, a suburb in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia.The University was founded in 1949...

    . Unknown launch date.
  • Prism - A nanosatellite built by the University of Tokyo
    University of Tokyo
    The , abbreviated as , is a major research university located in Tokyo, Japan. The University has 10 faculties with a total of around 30,000 students, 2,100 of whom are foreign. Its five campuses are in Hongō, Komaba, Kashiwa, Shirokane and Nakano...

    . Unknown launch date.
  • ZSAT - A microsatellite initiated and funded by the U.S. Department of Science and Technology
    Department of Science and Technology
    Department of Science and Technology could refer to:* Department of Science and Technology * Department of Science and Technology...

    . Unknown launch date.
  • ALMASat - A microsatellite built by the University of Bologna
    University of Bologna
    The University of Bologna is the oldest continually operating degree-granting university in Europe, the word 'university' being first used by this institution at its foundation. The true date of its founding is uncertain, but believed by most accounts to have been 1088...

     in Forlì
    Forlì
    Forlì is a comune and city in Emilia-Romagna, Italy, famed as the birthplace of the great painter Melozzo da Forlì, of the humanist historian Flavio Biondo, of the famous physicians Geronimo Mercuriali and Giovanni Battista Morgagni....

    . Unknown launch date.
  • AMSAT-Phase 3E - A satellite
    Satellite
    In the context of spaceflight, a satellite is an object which has been placed into orbit by human endeavor. Such objects are sometimes called artificial satellites to distinguish them from natural satellites such as the Moon....

     built by AMSAT
    AMSAT
    AMSAT is a name for amateur radio satellite organizations worldwide, but in particular the Radio Amateur Satellite Corporation with headquarters at Silver Spring, Maryland, near Washington DC. AMSAT organizations design, build, arrange launches for, and then operate satellites carrying amateur...

    . Scheduled to launch on March 12 2007
  • KiwiSAT
    KiwiSat
    KiwiSAT, an Amateur Radio project by AMSAT-ZL, is to be New Zealand's first satellite. It is being designed and built by New Zealand Radio Amateurs supported by Massey University and various corporate sponsors....

     - A microsatellite built by AMSAT-ZL. Scheduled to launch from mid to late 2009
  • ESEO
    ESEO
    ESEO or eseo could refer to:*European Student Earth Orbiter in the Student Space Exploration & Technology Initiative.*École Supérieure d'Electronique de l'Ouest, a French Grande École....

     - A microsatellite built by SSETI. Scheduled to launch October 30 2008.
  • AMSAT-Eagle - A satellite
    Satellite
    In the context of spaceflight, a satellite is an object which has been placed into orbit by human endeavor. Such objects are sometimes called artificial satellites to distinguish them from natural satellites such as the Moon....

     built by AMSAT
    AMSAT
    AMSAT is a name for amateur radio satellite organizations worldwide, but in particular the Radio Amateur Satellite Corporation with headquarters at Silver Spring, Maryland, near Washington DC. AMSAT organizations design, build, arrange launches for, and then operate satellites carrying amateur...

    . Scheduled to launch March 1 2009.
  • Delfi-n3Xt
    Delfi-n3Xt
    Delfi-n3Xt is a CubeSat satellite currently being designed by students at the Delft University of Technology in the Netherlands....

     - The second nano-satellite from Delft University of Technology
    Delft University of Technology
    The Delft University of Technology in Delft, the Netherlands, is the nation's largest technical university, with over 15,000 students, 2,700 scientists and 1,800 people in the support and management staff...

    . Scheduled to launch in the second half of 2010.

Related names


SuitSat
SuitSat
SuitSat is a retired Russian Orlan spacesuit with a radio transmitter mounted on its helmet. SuitSat-1 was deployed in an ephemeral orbit around the Earth on February 3, 2006...

, an obsolete Russian space suit with a transmitter aboard, is officially known as OSCAR 54. In a twist of fate, "Oscar" was the name given to an obsolete space suit by its young owner in the book Have Space Suit—Will Travel, by Robert A. Heinlein
Robert A. Heinlein
Robert Anson Heinlein was an American science fiction writer. Often called "the dean of science fiction writers", he was one of the most popular, influential, and controversial authors of the genre. He set a high standard for science and engineering plausibility and helped to raise the genre's...

. This book was originally published a year after the launch of the first artificial satellite (Sputnik).

External links