Happy Birthday OSCAR 7

OSCAR 7 was launched on November 15, 1974 and is still going strong 35 years later.

Launched November 15, 1974 by a Delta rocket from Vandenberg Air Force Base, AMSAT-OSCAR 7 provided many years of service until it went silent from battery failure in mid 1981.

It wasn't until June 21, 2002, some 21 years, later that its signals were heard once again by Pat Gowen, G3IOR.
It is thought that over the years the battery had gone open circuit and this permitted the satellite to function directly from the solar panels.

Since then OSCAR 7 has provided Radio Amateurs with many DX contacts and it is testimony to the high standard of Amateur satellites that it is still operating after all these years.

YouTube DX Contact, 7,694Km, via Oscar 7 June 2009
http://www.southgatearc.org/news/june2009/
oscar7_video.htm

OSCAR-7 Information
http://www.amsat.org/amsat/sats/n7hpr/ao7.html

OSCAR-7 Log
http://www.planetemily.com/ao7/ao7log.php

Online Satellite Pass Predictions (select AO-7)
http://www.amsat.org/amsat-new/tools/predict/

Join the AMSAT Bulletin Board AMSAT-BB at
http://www.amsat.org/amsat-new/tools/maillist/