HAMSAT
Encyclopedia
| Organization | AMSAT-India, William Leijenaar |
|---|---|
| Mission Type | Communications Communications satellite A communications satellite is an artificial satellite stationed in space for the purpose of telecommunications... |
| Satellite of | Earth Earth Earth is the third planet from the Sun, and the densest and fifth-largest of the eight planets in the Solar System. It is also the largest of the Solar System's four terrestrial planets... |
| Launch | May 5, 2005 on PSLV Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle The Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle , commonly known by its abbreviation PSLV, is an expendable launch system developed and operated by the Indian Space Research Organisation . It was developed to allow India to launch its Indian Remote Sensing satellites into sun synchronous orbits, a service that... -C6 |
| Launch site | Sriharikota Sriharikota Sriharikota is a barrier island off the coast of the southern state of Andhra Pradesh in India. It houses India's only satellite launch centre in the Satish Dhawan Space Centre and is used by the Indian Space Research Organisation to launch satellites using multi-stage rockets such as the Polar... |
| Mission duration | ? |
| Mass Mass Mass can be defined as a quantitive measure of the resistance an object has to change in its velocity.In physics, mass commonly refers to any of the following three properties of matter, which have been shown experimentally to be equivalent:... |
42.5 kg (launch) |
| Orbital elements | |
| Semi-major axis Semi-major axis The major axis of an ellipse is its longest diameter, a line that runs through the centre and both foci, its ends being at the widest points of the shape... |
7004.27 km |
| Eccentricity Orbital eccentricity The orbital eccentricity of an astronomical body is the amount by which its orbit deviates from a perfect circle, where 0 is perfectly circular, and 1.0 is a parabola, and no longer a closed orbit... |
0.0027 |
| Inclination Inclination Inclination in general is the angle between a reference plane and another plane or axis of direction.-Orbits:The inclination is one of the six orbital parameters describing the shape and orientation of a celestial orbit... |
97.89 degrees |
| Orbital Period | 97.23 minutes |
| Right ascension Right ascension Right ascension is the astronomical term for one of the two coordinates of a point on the celestial sphere when using the equatorial coordinate system. The other coordinate is the declination.-Explanation:... of the ascending node |
65.14 degrees |
| Argument of perigee | 222.72 degrees |
HAMSAT also known as HAMSAT INDIA and VU2SAT is a microsatellite
Miniaturized satellite
Miniaturized satellites or small satellites are artificial satellites of unusually low weights and small sizes, usually under . While all such satellites can be referred to as small satellites, different classifications are used to categorize them based on mass .One reason for miniaturizing...
weighing 42.5 kilograms (93.7 lb), providing amateur radio
Amateur radio
Amateur radio is the use of designated radio frequency spectrum for purposes of private recreation, non-commercial exchange of messages, wireless experimentation, self-training, and emergency communication...
communications services for Indian and international amateur radio operator
Amateur radio operator
An amateur radio operator is an individual who typically uses equipment at an amateur radio station to engage in two-way personal communications with other similar individuals on radio frequencies assigned to the amateur radio service. Amateur radio operators have been granted an amateur radio...
s. This satellite carries the in-orbit designation of VO-52, and is an OSCAR
OSCAR
OSCAR is an acronym for Orbiting Satellite Carrying Amateur Radio. OSCAR series satellites use amateur radio frequencies to facilitate communication between amateur radio stations. These satellites can be used for free by licensed amateur radio operators for voice and data communications...
series satellite.
It was launched by PSLV-C6 on May 5, 2005. The main payload was an Indian Remote Sensing satellite
Indian Remote Sensing satellite
Indian Remote Sensing satellites are a series of Earth Observation satellites, built, launched and maintained by Indian Space Research Organisation...
, CARTOSAT-1
CARTOSAT-1
Cartosat-1 is a stereoscopic Earth observation satellite in a sun-synchronous orbit. The satellite was built, launched and maintained by the Indian Space Research Organisation. Weighing around 1560 kg at launch, its applications will mainly be towards cartography in India. It was launched by...
weighing 1560 kilograms (3,439.2 lb). HAMSAT was placed into a polar sun synchronous orbit.
It carries two transponder
Transponder
In telecommunication, the term transponder has the following meanings:...
s, one built by William Leijenaar (Call Sign: PE1RAH), a Dutch Radio Amateur and graduate engineering student from the Higher Technical Institute at Venlo
Venlo
Venlo is a municipality and a city in the southeastern Netherlands, next to the German border. It is situated in the province of Limburg.In 2001, the municipalities of Belfeld and Tegelen were merged into the municipality of Venlo. Tegelen was originally part of the Duchy of Jülich centuries ago,...
and the other by enthusiasts at ISRO (Indian Space Research Organisation).
The satellite joins many previous satellites in amateur radio service; mostly launched by AMSAT
AMSAT
AMSAT is a name for amateur radio satellite organizations worldwide, but in particular the Radio Amateur Satellite Corporation with headquarters at Silver Spring, Maryland, near Washington DC. AMSAT organizations design, build, arrange launches for, and then operate satellites carrying amateur...
.