 Line drawing of OSCAR 3 | |
| Mission type | Communications |
|---|---|
| Operator | Project OSCAR |
| COSPAR ID | 1965-016F |
| SATCAT no. | 1293 |
| Mission duration | 16 days |
| Spacecraft properties | |
| Launch mass | 15 kilograms (33 lb) |
| Dimensions | 7 in × 12 in × 7 in (18 cm × 30 cm × 18 cm) |
| Start of mission | |
| Launch date | 9 March 1965, 18:29:47 UTC |
| Rocket | Thor SLV-2 Agena-D |
| Launch site | LC-75-1-2 |
| End of mission | |
| Disposal | Decommissioned |
| Last contact | March 25, 1965 |
| Orbital parameters | |
| Reference system | Geocentric |
| Regime | Low Earth |
| Eccentricity | 0.002 |
| Perigee altitude | 884 kilometers (549 mi) |
| Apogee altitude | 917 kilometers (570 mi)pe |
| Inclination | 70.1 degrees |
| Period | 103.1 minutes |
| Epoch | 9 March 1965 |
OSCAR 3 (a.k.a. OSCAR III) is the third amateur radio satellite launched by Project OSCAR into Low Earth Orbit. OSCAR 3 was launched March 9, 1965 by a Thor-DM21 Agena D launcher from Vandenberg Air Force Base, Lompoc, California. The satellite, massing 15 kg (33 lb), was launched piggyback with seven United States Air Force satellites. Though the satellite's active life was limited to sixteen days due to battery failure, OSCAR 3 relayed 176 messages from 98 stations in North America and Europe during its 274 orbit life-time -- the first amateur satellite to relay signals from Earth. As of 2023[update], it is still in orbit.