On December 12, 1961, Amateur Radio entered the Space Age when OSCAR-1 was launched. Since then, amateurs from more than 22 different countries have launched over 70 satellites, exploring both digital and analog satellite technology. Many of the latest birds have been school experiments, training scientists and engineers. But, you don’t need to be a rocket scientist to participate-- Some satellites operate FM and can actually be worked using a dual-band handheld transceiver. An excellent place to start is AMSAT's Station and Operating Hints page. AMSAT, or the Radio Amateur Satellite Corporation, has played a key role in building, launching, and using amateur satellites.Occasionally, Radio Amateurs can talk with the astronauts on the International Space Station. For more information check out ARISS

Bob Allison, WB1GCM, ARRL Test Engineer, interviews some of the key people today in AMSAT. Recorded November 5th, 2011 at the AMSAT Symposium in San Jose, California. Video by ARRL  Laboratory Technical Consultant, Jerry Ramie, Ki6LGY.

For more information about the ARRL's working Oscar 1 prototype, see February, 2012 QST.

OSCAR-1 Launched 50 Years Ago
By Andreas Bilsing, DL2LUX. Translated and reprinted with the permission of Funkamateur

QRP to the ISS by Doug Cook, KD5PDN
QST February 2012
Contacting the International Space Station with a few watts and a shoestring budget antenna.

Those Keplerian Elements
Operating Manual 3rd Edition p. 13-19
What do those numbers mean?

• ARISS News and Information The latest Information about the International Space Station.
  
• Keplerian Elements from ARRL These numbers are used to predict the orbit of a satellite.
• AMSAT - The Radio Amateur Satellite Corporation They are responsible for many of the  satellites used by amateur radio operators.
• Welcome to Heavens-Above
  24 hour predictions for radio amateur satellites over your city
  (This site is not very intuitive, but it does work well - Ed.)
• Arrow II Satellite Antenna A hand held dual band 2M and 70 cm cross polarized Yagi. Product Review QST June 2000, p. 64
  
• Clint Bradford, K6LCS, describes how to work FM Amateur Satellites with your handheld transceiver.