Date Line: December 1961: Is it a Bird ?, A Plane ?, Superman ?

NO !!!! It was an Amateur Radio Satellite.

Amateur radio satellites are designed, built and used by Ham radio operators.

The first of these satellites was built by a group of California based ham radio operators for only $63 as a Proof of Concept unit launched from Vandenburg AFB as a piggyback payload with a US Air Force Satellite. The satellite was formally named OSCAR-1 (Orbiting Satellite Carrying Amateur Radio). The satellite being a proof of concept device was battery powered and transmitted a beacon message in Morse Code. It simply sent “Hi-Hi” as it orbited the Earth. The satellite lasted for almost 22 continuous days and was heard around the globe by thousands of Ham radio operators with more than 28 different countries reporting.

The successful launch and operation of OSCAR-1 marked the beginning of an amateur radio in space program that continues to this day under the leadership and direction of the Radio Amateur Satellite Corporation known as “AMSAT” (www.amsat.org).

Today there are many amateur radio satellites in orbit supporting many types of communications both voice and digital. These satellites can be used free of charge by licensed ham radio operators.

Additional Information is readily available from Wikipedia. Search amateur_radio_satellite.

Happy Listening,

Jim Skinner, K6BPT