AMSAT-OSCAR
16
Satellite Summary
Name: AMSAT-OSCAR 16 aka PACSAT
NASA Catalog Number: 20439
Callsigns: Broadcast: PACSAT-11; BBS: PACSAT-12
Launched: January 22, 1990
Launch vehicle: Ariane 4
Launch location: Kourou, French Guiana
Weight: 13.34 kg.
Orbit: Sun-Synchronous near-Polar LEO (Low Earth Orbit)
Inclination: 98 degrees
Size: 226 x 226 x 223 mm
Period: 100.6 minutes
Features:
-
1200 bps AX.25 protocol store-and-forward PACSAT
Protocol Suite communications system.
-
Dedicated Store-and-Forward File Server
-
Whole Orbit Data (WDO) Collection
-
Digital Repeater (Digipeater)
-
Very Similar in construction and operation to LO-19,
IO-26,
and MO-30.
Digital Transponder - Mode JD
-
1200 bps Manchester FSK Uplinks:
-
145.900 MHz
-
145.920 MHz
-
145.940 MHz
-
145.960 MHz
-
1200 bps BPSK Downlinks:
-
437.051 MHz
-
437.026 MHz
-
2401.143 MHz
Status: Operational in digipeater mode only
Description
For a description of AO-16, read John Magliacane's, KD2BD, Spotlight
On: The Microsats originally published in The
AMSAT Journal.
Telemetry decoding programs are available from the AMSAT anonymous ftp
server. Here is a listing of Microsat
Programs.
Harold Price, NK6K, has compiled a history
of the Microsat program, complete with photographs.
References
-
D. Conners, "The PACSAT Project," ARRL Amateur Radio Second Computer
Networking Conference, pp. 1-3, March 19, 1983.
-
T. Clark, "AMSAT's Microsat/Pacsat Program," Proceedings of the AMSAT-NA
Sixth Space Symposium, Atlanta, GA, pp. 41-47, Nov 1988, ARRL.
-
L. Johnson and C. Green, "Microsat Project - Flight CPU Hardware,"
Proceedings
of the AMSAT-NA Sixth Space Symposium, Atlanta, GA, pp. 104-106, Nov
1988, ARRL.
-
H. Price and R. McGwier, "PACSAT Software," Proceedings of the AMSAT-NA
Sixth Space Symposium, Atlanta, GA, pp. 145-149, Nov 1988, ARRL.
-
T. Clark, C. Duncan, J. King, B. McGwier, "The First Flock of Microsats,"
The AMSAT Journal, May 1989, pp 3-10.
-
D. Loughmiller and B. McGwier, "Microsat: The Next Generation of OSCAR
Satellites," Part 1, QST, May 1989, pp 37-40; Part 2, QST,
Jun 1989, pp 53-54.
-
Doug Loughmiller, "Successful OSCAR Launch Ushers in the 90's,"
QST,
Apr 1990, p. 52.
-
Six for the Price of One - Part I," The AMSAT Journal, Vol. 13,
No. 1, Mar 1990, p. 1; Part II: The AMSAT Journal, Vol. 13, No.
2, May 1990, p. 1.
-
John A. Magliacane, "Spotlight On: The Microsats,"
The AMSAT Journal, Vol. 15, No. 4, Sep/Oct 1992
-
Martin Davidoff, The
Satellite Experimenter's Handbook, 2nd edition, The American Radio
Relay League, Newington, CT., 1990.
-
Mike Crisler, PACSAT
Beginner's Guide, AMSAT.
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Last update May 31, 2003 - N7HPR