This page gives Orbital and Frequency information for the AMSAT OSCAR40 (Phase 3D) spacecraft. AMSAT OSCAR 40 / AO-40  is an International Amateur Radio spacecraft. This is largest and most complex amateur radio satellite ever built.

Orbital Information

AO-40's planned orbit is highly elliptical (approximately 47000 km x  4000 km) with the orbital plane inclined 63.4 degrees to the equator. Apogee will be in the Northern hemisphere approximately 45 degrees (along the orbital track) from the equator.

AO-40 was inserted into a Geosynchronous Transfer Orbit (GTO) by Ariane 5 Flight 135 launched from the European Space Agency (ESA) facility in Kourou, French Guiana on 2000-NOV-16 0107:00 UTC.

Estimated orbital data is available in State Vector, Two-Line Element (TLE), and AMSAT Keplerian Element format.

Downlink Frequencies

All downlink passbands are inverted from the uplink passbands

Beacon Frequencies

All beacons can be modulated with 400 bits per second Binary Phase Shift Keying (BPSK).

AMSAT OSCAR 40 is the amateur radio "Super Satellite"

The spacecraft will operate from a highly eccentric Molniya orbit

The Earth surface footprint will vary from 19% coverage at low altitude to 44% at high altitude

Uplink and downlink frequency passbands are in the tables below

The transponder "IF Matrix" can mix and match uplink and downlink bands (as long as they're not the same

Phase 3D has both Analog and Digital capability