OSCAR 3

OSCAR 3 was the first active amateur radio satellite because it was equipped with a linear transponder . It was also the first amateur radio satellite with solar cells .

The satellite was launched on March 9, 1965 as a secondary payload along with seven US Air Force satellites with a Thor - Agena rocket at Vandenberg Air Force Base . The transponder was in operation for 18 days, the two beacons transmitted for several months. The uplink and the downlink were both in the 2 m band .

OSCAR 3 followed the first active communication satellite Courier 1B (1960) and the first civil active communication satellite Telstar 1 (1962). The first two-way connection via amateur radio satellite came about the day after the start between a radio amateur in Germany (Alfons Häring, amateur radio call sign DL6EZA) and Switzerland (Hans-Rudolf Lauber HB9RG) in Morse telegraphy . The first radiotelephone connection also took place between these countries ( Karl Meinzer DJ4ZC and HB9RG).

Its COSPAR designation is 1965-016F.

literature

• Sam Harris: Oscar III makes successful journey. In: QST, May 1965, 104.
• William I. Orr: Oscar III orbits the Earth! In: QST, May 1965, 56-59.

Web links

• Website at AMSAT

Individual evidence

1. ^ National Space Science Data Center