OSCAR 44

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

OSCAR 44

PCSat-1 satellite.
Mission type	Communications
Operator	USNA
COSPAR ID	2001-043C[1]
SATCAT no.	26931
Website	PCSat
Mission duration	23 years, 7 months, 8 days (in orbit)
Spacecraft properties
Launch mass	10 kg (22 lb)
Start of mission
Launch date	30 September 2001, 02:40 UTC
Rocket	Athena 1 LM-001
Launch site	Kodiak LP-1
Orbital parameters
Reference system	Geocentric
Regime	Low Earth
Semi-major axis	7,167.0 km (4,453.4 mi)[2]
Perigee altitude	792.3 km (492.3 mi)[2]
Apogee altitude	801.7 km (498.2 mi)[2]
Inclination	67.0511°[2]
Period	100.7 minutes[2]
Epoch	13 February 2020[2]
Transponders
Band	FM
Frequency	Downlink: 145.825 MHz Uplink: 145.825 MHz
OSCAR ← OSCAR 43 OSCAR 45 →

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

• Spaceflight portal

• OSCAR

External links

• OSCAR 44 informations in German
• PCSat - ARPS