PACSAT (OSCAR 16, AO 16)
Official name OSCAR 16 (PACSAT)
Alternative name Pacsat
Cospar ID 1990-005D
Norad ID 20439
Launch date 1990-01-22
Launch site FRGUI
Launch vehicle Ariane-40 H10
Country/Organization USA
Type application Amateur radio communication
Operator AMSAT NA
RCS size MEDIUM
Decay date ON ORBIT
Period (min) 100.43
Inclination (deg) 98.89
Perigee (km) 772
Apogee (km) 786
Eccentricity 0.00898587933247754
Mean motion (revs. per day) 14.3383451160012
Semi-Major axis (km) 7157.135
Raan (deg) 166.5638
Arg of perigee (deg) 289.9697
Shape Hex Poly
Mass (kg) 10.9
Height (m) 0.23
Width (m) 0.23
Depth (m) 0.23
Span (m^2) 0.23
Configuration AMSAT-NA Microsat
Power Solar cells, batteries

PACSAT (Packet Radio Satellite) was an AMSAT microsatellite launched on the first ARIANE ASAP flight V35 with SPOT 2, on the 22 January 1990 into an 780 km sun-synchronous, 98 degree inclined orbit.

It is dedicated to amateur digital Store and Forward packet data communications at 1200 bps. It is box shaped with dimensions of 213 × 230 × 230 mm, with four solar panels and weighs 13.34 kg. Uplink frequencies are 145.90, 145.92, 145.94, and 145.86 MHz FM 1200 bps Manchester FSK, and downlink frequencies are 437.0513 MHz SSB, 1200 bps RC-BPSK 1200 Baud PSK. A beacon is also carried at 2401.1428 MHz. It was reported to be operational in March 1999.

Satellite COSPAR Date LS Launch Vehicle Remarks
OSCAR 16 (PACSAT) 1990-005D 1990-01-22 FRGUI Ariane-40 H10 with SPOT 2, UoSAT 3, UoSAT 4, Webersat, DOVE, LUSAT