AO-10
PHASE 3B · amateur radio satellite, NORAD 14129
Not heard todayAO-10 frequencies
| Uplink | Downlink | Beacon | Mode |
|---|---|---|---|
| — | — | 145.987 MHz | CW |
| — | — | 145.810 MHz | CW |
Nominal frequencies, without Doppler. The live map shifts them for your station during a pass. Frequencies: SatNOGS DB (modified: working amateur transmitters only, in MHz), CC BY-SA 4.0.
About AO-10
AO-10 (Phase 3B) was launched on 16 June 1983 on an Ariane 1 rocket from Kourou. A collision with the rocket stage after separation left it short of its planned orbit, but it still reached a highly elliptical orbit climbing to more than 35,000 km. For several years its linear transponder allowed intercontinental contacts for hours at a time.
In 1986 radiation damaged the satellite's computer memory and control of AO-10 was lost. For many years afterwards the U/v linear transponder still came on when the solar panels pointed well at the Sun: uplink 435.030–435.180 MHz, downlink 145.975–145.825 MHz, inverting. Signals were weak and faded with the satellite's spin, but long-distance contacts were still possible. Reports have become rare.
Status
Listed as working, but nobody reported hearing AO-10 on AMSAT in the last 30 days.
From reports filed on AMSAT, last 30 days.
Orbit
| Type | Highly elliptical |
|---|---|
| Altitude | 4140–35308 km |
| Inclination | 26.0° |
| Period | 699.5 min |
| TLE epoch | 2026-10-26 22:20 UTC |
Orbital elements: CelesTrak, checked every 3 hours.
Questions about AO-10
- What is the AO-10 beacon frequency?
- The beacon is on 145.987 MHz and 145.810 MHz.
- Is AO-10 active?
- Listed as working, but nobody reported hearing AO-10 on AMSAT in the last 30 days.
- When does AO-10 pass over my location?
- Open AO-10 on the live map and enter your Maidenhead locator or use GPS: the tracker lists the passes of the next 24 hours with AOS, maximum elevation and LOS, and shifts the frequencies for Doppler.