OSCAR II (a.k.a. OSCAR 2) is the second amateur radio satellite launched by Project OSCAR into Low Earth orbit. OSCAR II was launched June 2, 1962, by a Thor-DM21 Agena B launcher from Vandenberg Air Force Base, Lompoc, California. The satellite, a rectangular box (30 cm × 25 cm × 12 cm (11.8 in × 9.8 in × 4.7 in)) weighing 10 kg (22 lb), was launched as a secondary payload (ballast) for Corona 43, the fifth launch of a KH-4 satellite.
![]() OSCAR 2 | |
Mission type | Communications |
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Operator | Project OSCAR / DoD |
Harvard designation | 1962 Chi 1 |
COSPAR ID | 1962-022B |
SATCAT no. | 305 |
Mission duration | 22 days |
Spacecraft properties | |
Launch mass | 10.0 kilograms (22.0 lb) |
Dimensions | 15.2 by 25.4 by 33 centimeters (6.0 in × 10.0 in × 13.0 in) |
Start of mission | |
Launch date | 2 June 1962, 00:43 UTC |
Rocket | Thor DM-21 Agena-B |
Launch site | Vandenberg LC-75-3-4 |
End of mission | |
Decay date | 21 June 1962 (21 June 1962) |
Orbital parameters | |
Reference system | Geocentric |
Regime | Low Earth |
Eccentricity | 0.01399 |
Perigee altitude | 207 kilometers (129 mi) |
Apogee altitude | 394 kilometers (245 mi) |
Inclination | 101.00 degrees |
Period | 90.5 minutes |
OSCAR |
The satellite employed a monopole transmitting antenna 60 cm (24 in) long extended from the center of the convex surface, but had no attitude control system. OSCAR II lasted 18 days, ceasing operation on June 20, 1962, and re-entered June 21, 1962.[1][2]
OSCAR 2 incorporated certain design changes from the earlier OSCAR 1.[2]
Project OSCAR Inc. started in 1960 with the radio amateurs from the TRW Radio Club of Redondo Beach, California, many of whom worked at TRW and defense industries, to investigate the possibility of putting an amateur satellite in orbit. OSCAR stands for Orbiting Satellite Carrying Amateur Radio. Project OSCAR was responsible for the construction of the first amateur radio satellite, OSCAR-1, successfully launched from Vandenberg AFB in California. OSCAR-1 orbited the earth for 22 days, transmitting the "HI" greeting in Morse code (four dots, then two dots .... ..). Project Oscar was responsible for launching three other amateur radio satellites during the 1960s: OSCAR 1, OSCAR 3, and OSCAR 4.
In 1969, AMSAT-NA was founded by radio amateurs working at NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center and the Baltimore-Washington DC region, to continue the efforts begun by Project OSCAR. Its first project was to coordinate the launch of Australis-OSCAR 5, constructed by students at the University of Melbourne.[3]
Over fifty years later, Project OSCAR's mission is "To initiate and support activities that promote the Satellite Amateur Radio Hobby". Its primary goal is to reach out and provide logistical support, training and in some cases equipment to amateur radio associations, schools and the public at large.
This article incorporates public domain material from websites or documents of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration.
← 1961 · Orbital launches in 1962 · 1963 → | |
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Discoverer 37 | SOLRAD 4 · LOFTI 2A · SECOR · Injun 2 · Surcal 1 | Ranger 3 | TIROS-4 | Mercury-Atlas 6 | FTV-2301 | Discoverer 38 | OSO-1 | Samos 6 | Kosmos 1 | Kosmos 2 | Midas 5 · Westford Drag | FTV-1142 | Ranger 4 | Kosmos 3 | Solrad 4B | Kosmos 4 | Ariel 1 | FTV-2401 | FTV-1125 | ANNA 1A | FTV-1126 | FTV-3501 | Mercury-Atlas 7 (Balloon Subsatellite 1) | FTV-3501 | Kosmos 5 | FTV-1128 | Zenit-2 No.3 | FTV-1127 · OSCAR 2 | FTV-2402 | FTV-2312 | TIROS-5 | FTV-1129 | FTV-1151 | Kosmos 6 | Telstar 1 | FTV-2403 | FTV-1130 | Mariner 1 | FTV-1131 | Kosmos 7 | FTV-1152 | FTV-2404 | Vostok 3 | Vostok 4 | Kosmos 8 | FTV-2502 | Venera 2MV-1 No.1 | Mariner 2 | FTV-1153 | Venera 2MV-1 No.2 | FTV-1132 | Venera 2MV-2 No.1 | FTV-1133 · ERS-2 | TIROS-6 | Kosmos 9 | Alouette 1 · TAVE | FTV-1154 | Explorer 14 | Mercury-Atlas 8 | FTV-1134 | Kosmos 10 | Ranger 5 | Kosmos 11 | Mars 2MV-4 No.1 | 1MS No.2 | STARAD | Explorer 15 | ANNA 1B | Mars 1 | Mars 2MV-3 No.1 | FTV-1136 | FTV-2405 · ERS-1 | FTV-1135 | FTV-1155 | NRL PL120 · Injun 3 · NRL PL121 · Surcal 2 · Calsphere 1 | Relay 1 | FTV-1136 | Explorer 16 | Midas 6 · ERS-3 · ERS-4 | Transit 5A-1 | Kosmos 12 | |
Payloads are separated by bullets ( · ), launches by pipes ( | ). Crewed flights are indicated in underline. Uncatalogued launch failures are listed in italics. Payloads deployed from other spacecraft are denoted in brackets. |
OSCAR satellites | ||
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Satellites |
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