OSCAR 44
PCSat-1 satellite.
Mission typeCommunications
OperatorUSNA
COSPAR ID2001-043C[1]
SATCAT no.26931
WebsitePCSat
Spacecraft properties
Launch mass10 kg (22 lb)
Start of mission
Launch date30 September 2001, 02:40 UTC
RocketAthena 1 LM-001
Launch siteKodiak LP-1
Orbital parameters
Reference systemGeocentric
RegimeLow Earth
Semi-major axis7,167.0 km (4,453.4 mi)[2]
Perigee altitude792.3 km (492.3 mi)[2]
Apogee altitude801.7 km (498.2 mi)[2]
Inclination67.0511°[2]
Period100.7 minutes[2]
Epoch13 February 2020[2]
Transponders
BandFM
FrequencyDownlink: 145.825 MHz
Uplink: 145.825 MHz
 

OSCAR 44 (also called Navy-OSCAR 44, PCSat-1, Prototype Communications SATellite and NO-44) is an American amateur radio satellite for packet radio. It was built by Bob Bruninga at the U.S. Naval Academy.

Bob Bruninga WB4APR (center) with USNA-1 / PCSat, September 2001

The satellite was launched on September 30, 2001 by the Kodiak Launch Complex, Alaska, using an Athena 1 rocket along with the Starshine 3, PICOSat and SAPPHIRE satellites. After the successful launch, the satellite was assigned OSCAR number 44.

The satellite has a digipeater for APRS in the 2-meter band. OSCAR 44 usually works with a negative power balance, which means that it is supplied with voltage by the photovoltaic cells each time it enters sunlight and remains active for another 45 minutes when it leaves sunlight using the battery charged by the photovoltaic cells.[3]

See also

References

  1. ↑ NASA Goddard Space Flight Center. "PCSAT". Retrieved February 13, 2020.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 6 n2yo.com. "PCSAT". Retrieved February 13, 2020.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  3. ↑ Radio Amateur Satellite Corporation. "NO-44 (PCsat)". amsat.org. Retrieved 13 February 2020.


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