Please contact the contributing institution for more information regarding the copyright status of this object.
Description
Mechanical sample or prototype, circa 1963, of the OSCAR 3 satellite transmitter, produced by Project OSCAR (Orbiting Satellite Carrying Amateur Radio), an effort that launched the first amateur radio satelitte into Earth orbit. An initial group of four local ham radio operators grew to nearly 100. OSCAR 1 was built in a Los Altos backyard garage for $350. On December 12, 1961, the ten-pound satellite went into space on the back of Discoverer 36 and maintained orbit for 22 days before burning up; OSCAR 2 was sent up six months later. Many generations of OSCAR were developed after 1962 (Oscar 11 was planned in 1987). Much of the work was done in members' garages, with Foothill College serving as a meeting place, with a communications center in the Foothill Electronics Museum until 1988. A model of the first OSCAR was sent to the Smithsonian in 1964.
If you're wondering about permissions and what you can do with this item, a good starting point is the "rights information" on this page. See our terms of use for more tips.
Share your story
Has Calisphere helped you advance your research, complete a project, or find something meaningful? We'd love to hear about it; please send us a message.
