This page provides tables of information for amateur radio satellites. Also known as Orbiting Satellite Carrying Amateur Radio (OSCAR) satellites, the spacecraft and/or the amateur radio transceivers are designed and built by Ham radio operators. OSCAR designators (numbers) are assigned sequentially by AMSAT. Amateur satellites that are not built by AMSAT are assigned OSCAR designators only if a request is made by the satellite's owner.
The tables below contain the following quick reference information for amateur radio satellites: General Catalog Data , and Frequency Information for Analog satellites, Digital satellites, and Manned Satellites. Complete information for the amateur radio satellites is available on the AMSAT Web page and the AMSAT Satellite Summary page.
Frequency information is also available for the AMSAT Phase 3D Spacecraft.
Analog satellites contain transponders or repeaters that can relay voice communications. Digital satellites are capable of transmitting, receiving, or relaying digital information. Satellites with both analog and digital transponders are listed in both tables. Many manned satellites carry amateur radio transceivers for scheduled contacts with schools and random contacts with amateur radio operators.
The Catalog data provides general information about the satellite. This information is very useful when finding Keplerian elements for the satellite. The three common ways of identifying a satellite are by its: (1) Name or ID, (2) 5-digit Catalog Number, or (3) International Designator. The satellite ID is listed below in the table in both abbreviated and full form since it is identified by both somewhat interchangeably. The 5-digit catalog is assigned by NORAD/Space Command sequentially; each satellite has a unique number. The International Designator provides the launch year, followed by the sequential launch number for that year, and a piece identification. The primary piece from a launch (first spacecraft) is traditionally piece "A" and so forth. All payloads are assigned piece identifiers before spent upper stages and other launch debris are assigned identifiers. The piece identifier may be as long as three letters.
AMATEUR SATELLITE CATALOG INFORMATION | |||||
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Satellite ID | Full Name | Catalog # | Int. Des. | Launched | Orbit Type |
AO-10 | AMSAT OSCAR 10 | 14129 | 83-058B | 16-JUN-83 | Highly Elliptical |
AO-16 | AMSAT OSCAR 16 | 20439 | 90-005D | 22-JAN-90 | LEO, Circular (Sun-Synchronous) |
AO-27 | AMRAD OSCAR 27 | 22825 | 93-061C | 26-SEP-93 | LEO, Circular (Sun-Synchronous) |
DO-17 | DOVE OSCAR 17 | 20440 | 90-005E | 22-JAN-90 | LEO, Circular (Sun-Synchronous) |
FO-20 | Fuji OSCAR 20 | 20480 | 90-013C | 07-FEB-90 | LEO |
FO-29 | Fuji OSCAR 29 | 24278 | 96-046B | 17-AUG-96 | LEO |
IO-26 | ITAMSAT OSCAR 26 | 22826 | 93-061D | 26-SEP-93 | LEO, Circular (Sun-Synchronous) |
KO-23 | KITSAT OSCAR 23 | 22077 | 92-052B | 10-AUG-92 | LEO, Circular |
KO-25 | KITSAT OSCAR 25 | 22830 | 93-061H | 26-SEP-93 | LEO, Circular (Sun-Synchronous) |
LO-19 | LUSAT OSCAR 19 | 20442 | 90-005G | 22-JAN-90 | LEO, Circular (Sun-Synchronous) |
MIR | Mir Space Station | 16609 | 86-017A | 18-FEB-86 | LEO, Circular |
PO-28 | POSAT OSCAR 28 | 22829 | 93-061G | 26-SEP-93 | LEO, Circular (Sun-Synchronous) |
RS-12/13 | Radio Sputnik 12 | 21089 | 91-007A | 05-FEB-91 | LEO, Circular (Polar) |
RS-15 | Radio Sputnik 15 | 23439 | 94-085A | 26-DEC-94 | LEO |
RS-16 | Radio Sputnik 16 | 24744 | 97-010A | 04-MAR-97 | LEO, Circular |
RS-17 | Radio Sputnik 17 | 24958 | 97-058C | 03-NOV-97 | LEO, Circular |
UO-11 | UoSAT OSCAR 11 | 14781 | 84-021B | 01-MAR-84 | LEO, Circular (Sun-Synchronous) |
UO-22 | UoSAT OSCAR 22 | 21575 | 91-050B | 17-JUL-91 | LEO, Circular (Sun-Synchronous) |
WO-18 | WEBERSAT OSCAR 11 | 20441 | 90-005F | 22-JAN-90 | LEO, Circular (Sun-Synchronous) |
Most amateur satellites are in Low Earth Orbit (LEO) that are circular or nearly circular. To date, all high-altitude amateur satellites have been in highly elliptical orbits, with a portion of the orbit at low altitude.
Satellites with analog transponders are listed below. The Mode is an AMSAT convention used to describe the frequency band combination of the transponder's uplink and downlink. For instance, Mode A is a 2 meter uplink and a 10 meter downlink. Most analog satellites have linear transponders. Linear transponders cover a discrete passband of frequencies for the uplink and downlink. Inverting transponders will invert both the sideband and track frequency in opposing directions (an increase in uplink frequency results in a corresponding decrease in downlink frequency. (Since CW is just a carrier, there is no sideband to invert, but frequency does track in the opposite direction.) Non-inverting transponders maintain the same sideband for uplink and downlink and track frequency in the same direction.
The convention for using an inverting transponder is to transmit on Lower Sideband (LSB) and receive on Upper Sideband (USB); for non-inverting transponders, use USB for both the uplink and the downlink.
ANALOG SATELLITE FREQUENCIES | ||||||
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Satellite ID | Mode | Uplink Freq. | Uplink Mode | Downlink Freq. | Downlink Mode | Transponder |
AO-10 | B | - | - | 145.810, 145.897 | USB/CW | Beacons |
AO-10 | B | 435.030 - 435.180 | LSB/CW | 145.975 - 145.825 | USB/CW | Inverting, Linear |
AO-27 | J | 145.850 | FM | 436.792 | FM | Part-Time Repeater |
FO-20 | JA | - | - | 435.795 | USB/CW | Beacon |
FO-20 | JA | 145.900 - 146.000 | LSB/CW | 435.800 - 435.900 | USB/CW | Inverting, Linear |
FO-29 | JA | - | - | 435.795 | USB/CW | Beacon |
FO-29 | JA | 145.900 - 146.000 | LSB/CW | 435.800 - 435.900 | USB/CW | Inverting, Linear |
RS-12 | KT | - | - | 29.357, 145.830 | USB/CW | Beacons |
RS-12 | A | 145.910 - 145.950 | USB/CW | 29.410 - 29.450 | USB/CW | Non-inverting, Linear |
RS-15 | A | - | - | 29.352 | USB/CW | Beacon |
RS-15 | A | 145.858 - 145.898 | USB/CW | 29.354 - 29.394 | USB/CW | Non-inverting, Linear |
RS-16 | A | - | - | 29.408, 29.451 | USB/CW | Beacons |
RS-16 | U | - | - | 435.504, 435.548 | USB/CW | Beacons |
RS-16 | A | 145.915 - 145.948 | USB/CW | 29.415 - 29.448 | USB/CW | Non-inverting, Linear |
RS-17 | A | N/A | N/A | 145.825 | FM MCW | Beacon |
Digital satellites receive and transmit computer-generated messages over the radio similar to modem communication over a telephone line. The amateur digital satellites have store and forward messaging capability and/or digital repeaters (called digipeaters). Most amateur digital satellites require a specialized Terminal Node Controller (TNC) to correctly modulate the digital signal. An excellent source of information on satellite TNCs (and digital communications in general) is the Tucson Amateur Packet Radio (TAPR) Web page.
Note that the digital satellites each have their own unique call sign required to establish communications.
DIGITAL SATELLITE FREQUENCIES | ||||||
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Satellite ID | Callsign | Uplink Freq. | Uplink Mode | Downlink Freq. | Downlink Mode | Type |
AO-16 | PACSAT | 145.900, .920, .940, .960 | FM | 437.0513 | SSB | 1200 Baud PSK |
DO-17 | DOVE | - | - | 145.825 | FM | 1200 Baud AFSK |
F0-29 | 8J1JCS | 145.850, .870, .890, .910 | FM | 435.910 | FM | 1200 Baud PSK, 9600 Baud FSK |
IO-26 | ITMSAT | 145.875, .900, .925, .950 | FM | 435.822 | SSB | 1200 Baud PSK |
KO-23 | HL01 | 145.850, .900 | FM | 435.175 | FM | 9600 Baud FSK |
KO-25 | HL02 | 145.870 | FM | 436.500 | FM | 9600 Baud FSK |
LO-19 | LUSAT | 145.840, .860, .880, .900 | FM | 437.1528 | SSB | 1200 Baud PSK AX.25 |
PO-28 | POSAT | 145.975 | FM | 435.2777 | FM | 9600 Baud FSK |
UO-11 | - | - | - | 145.825 | FM | 1200 Baud PSK |
UO-22 | UOSAT5 | 145.900, .975 | FM | 435.120 | FM | 9600 Baud FSK |
WO-18 | WEBERSAT | - | - | 437.104 | SSB | 1200 Baud PSK AX.25 |
Manned spacecraft carry amateur satellite equipment for several purposes including: education, recreation, and backup communications. Scheduled contacts are made with schools for educational purposes. Astronauts and Cosmonauts use the equipment to relieve the boredom of a long spaceflight. The U.S. Space Shuttle and the Russian Mir Space Station often communicate using the amateur radio equipment during the approach phase of a docking.
The Russian Mir Space Station has 2 meter and 70 centimeter FM equipment for both voice and packet radio communications. Communication may be with one of the crew or to another ground-based amateur radio operator the through the 70 centimeter SAFEX repeater. (The crew has also been known to use the SAFEX equipment.) The U.S. Space Shuttle has 2 meter FM equipment for both voice and packet radio communications
MANNED SATELLITE FREQUENCIES | ||||||
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Satellite ID | Callsign | Uplink Freq. | Uplink Mode | Downlink Freq. | Downlink Mode | Type |
Mir | DP0MIR | 435.850 | FM | 145.800 | FM | Voice |
Shuttle | W5RRR | 144.490 | FM | 145.550 | FM | 1200 Baud Packet |
Shuttle | Various | 144.91, .93, .95, .97, .99 | FM | 145.550 | FM | Voice (Except Europe) |
Shuttle | Various | 144.700, .750, .800 | FM | 145.550 | FM | Voice (Europe Only) |
Shuttle | Various | 144.450, 144.470 | FM | 145.840 | FM | Voice (Mir Docking Missions Only) |