OSCAR 2 is the second amateur radio satellite launched by Project OSCAR into Low Earth orbit. OSCAR 2 was launched June 2, 1962, by a Thor-DM21 Agena B launcher from Vandenberg Air Force Base, Lompoc, California. The satellite, a rectangular box (30 cm × 25 cm × 12 cm (11.8 in × 9.8 in × 4.7 in)) weighing 10 kg (22 lb), was launched as a secondary payload (ballast) for Corona 43, the fifth launch of a KH-4 satellite.
 OSCAR 2 | |
| Mission type | Communications |
|---|---|
| Operator | Project OSCAR / DoD |
| Harvard designation | 1962 Chi 1 |
| COSPAR ID | 1962-022B |
| SATCAT no. | 305 |
| Mission duration | 22 days |
| Spacecraft properties | |
| Launch mass | 10.0 kilograms (22.0 lb) |
| Dimensions | 15.2 by 25.4 by 33 centimeters (6.0 in × 10.0 in × 13.0 in) |
| Start of mission | |
| Launch date | 2 June 1962, 00:43 UTC |
| Rocket | Thor DM-21 Agena-B |
| Launch site | Vandenberg LC-75-3-4 |
| End of mission | |
| Decay date | 21 June 1962 |
| Orbital parameters | |
| Reference system | Geocentric |
| Regime | Low Earth |
| Eccentricity | 0.01399 |
| Perigee altitude | 207 kilometers (129 mi) |
| Apogee altitude | 394 kilometers (245 mi) |
| Inclination | 101.00 degrees |
| Period | 90.5 minutes |
The satellite employed a monopole transmitting antenna 60 cm (24 in) long extended from the center of the convex surface, but had no attitude control system. OSCAR 2 lasted 18 days, ceasing operation on June 20, 1962, and re-entered June 21, 1962.[1][2]
OSCAR 2 incorporated certain design changes from the earlier OSCAR 1.[2]
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This article incorporates public domain material from websites or documents of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration.