AMSAT-OSCAR 16

AMSAT-OSCAR 16 (AO-16), also known as PACSAT, is an amateur radio satellite part of the OSCAR series, developed by AMSAT. Launched on January 22, 1990, from Kourou, French Guiana, aboard an Ariane 4 rocket, it operates in a Sun-synchronous low Earth orbit. PACSAT was designed as a dedicated store-and-forward file server for space-based digital communications, building on the success of UoSAT-OSCAR-11. It uses 1200 bit/s Mode JD radio links to interact with ground stations, providing services like file downloads, personal mail, and news bulletins. The system allows users to broadcast information across its footprint or direct it to specific ground stations. The satellite features 10 megabytes of static RAM for message storage and uses a multi-tasking operating system to manage concurrent operations such as mailbox software and AX.25 protocol handling. It communicates via a single downlink channel on 70 cm (437 MHz) and four uplink channels, which can be accessed using 1200 bit/s Manchester encoded FSK. Currently, the primary transmitter on 437.026 MHz is degraded, so the secondary transmitter at 437.051 MHz is used. Uplinks require 2-meter FM voice transmitters, while downlinks need a 70 cm SSB receiver or HF SSB with a converter. Modems compatible with Fuji-OSCAR-20 can be used for Pacsat operations. Experimenter Days were held to encourage low-power (few watts) connections using AO-16 as a digipeater. The satellite also collected Whole Orbit Data (WOD), which was accessible via its mailbox system for telemetry analysis. PACSAT's design and functionality have made it a significant tool for amateur radio ...