 AMSAT-OSCAR 10
(Phase 3B)
Spacecraft Summary
| OSCAR Designation: |
AMSAT-OSCAR 10 |
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Oscar Number: |
AO-10 |
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| International Designator: |
1983-058B |
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Norad Number: |
14129 |
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| Common Name: |
Phase 3B |
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Satellite Type: |
Microsatellite |
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| Launch Date: |
16 June, 1983 |
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Launch Location: |
French Guiana |
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| Launch Vehicle: |
Ariane 4 |
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Apogee: |
35465.00 |
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| Perigee: |
3982.00 |
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Inclination: |
27.46 |
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| Period: |
699.47 |
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Dimensions: |
60 x 40 x 20cm |
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| Weight: |
90.000 Kg |
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| | | | Organization: | AMSAT-NA/AMSAT-DL |
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Frequency Information
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| Mode V/U (J) Beacon: Non-Operational |
| Downlink |
145.8100 MHz Carrier |
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| Mode V/U (J) Linear Transponder (Inverting): Non-Operational |
| Uplink: |
435.1800 - 435.0300 MHz SSB/CW |
| Downlink |
145.8250 - 145.9750 MHz SSB/CW |
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Current Keplerian Elements
AO-10
1 14129U 83058B 10246.11282911 -.00000063 00000-0 10000-3 0 7643
2 14129 26.6201 76.7253 6047514 354.8414 1.0446 2.05869351176774
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Weekly Satellite Report
AO-10 has been locked into a Mode-B, 70-cm uplink and
2-meter downlink for several years.
W4SM has more information about the satellite at the following URL:
http://www.cstone.net/~w4sm/AO-10.html
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Detailed Description
AMSAT-OSCAR 10 was launched June 16, 1983. AMSAT-OSCAR 10 was the first amateur spacecraft to achieve orbit that contained it's own on-board propulsion system to adjust it's orbit. It was intended to be inserted into a Molniya orbit, however a collision with part of the launch vehicle after separation caused it to enter an orbit at a lower inclination.
On December 1986 the main computer failed due to radiation damage. Thus, the ability to control the spacecraft was lost. It is presently operational on mode B. However, due to the inability to orient the satellite, the batteries are not always fully charged. So operation is random as AO-10 goes in and out of the sunlight. Communications are encouraged when the transponder is operational and, of course, discouraged when the downlink frequency is FMing.
The following is an informative note from Peter, DB2OS: "The onboard computer of AMSAT-OSCAR 10 failed due to radiation damage of the memory chips. Since then we have had no more attitude control and due to seasonal changes of the alignment of the Sun in respect to the solar panels, there are times were no electrical power will be available and the spacecraft goes into hibernation until the sunangle is better again. The battery is indeed fully depleted and due to the harsh environment it may already have lost its capability to store electrical energy." If the electrical power from the solar array is getting marginal, the transponders starts FMing,which means that your carrier is moving back and forth in frequency depending on the current transponder load. During those "undervoltage conditions," it sometimes happens that the onboard computer (IHU) starts to execute random code from the memory, which might turn transponders or beacons randomly on/off. The beacon may even sound like OSCAR-13, but that's mainly because the 400 Bit/s BPSK is done by hardware; indeed it contains no useful information. Under normal circumstances the transponder is on and the general beacon is transmitting only an unmodulated carrier.
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Reference Documents:
- J.A. King, "Phase III: Toward the Ultimate Amateur Satellite," Part 1, QST, Jun 1977, pp 11-14.
- J.A. King, "Phase III: Toward the Ultimate Amateur Satellite," Part 2, QST, Jul 1977, pp 52-55.
- J.A. King, "Phase III: Toward the Ultimate Amateur Satellite," Part 3, QST, Aug 1977, pp 11-13.
- Amsat Satellite Report, No. 60, Aug 1 and No. 62, Sep 7, 1983.
- Jan King, et al, "OSCAR at 25: The Amateur Space Program Comes of Age," QST, Dec 1986, p 15.
- Martin Davidoff, Satellite Experimenter's Handbook, 2nd edition, The American Radio Relay League, Newington, CT., 1990.
- Keith Berglund, A Beginner's Guide to OSCAR-13, AMSAT
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