AMSAT Germany (AMSAT-DL) is an alliance of engineers, technicians, scientists, students, radio amateurs and space travel enthusiasts. Over the past 30 years AMSAT (AMateur SATellite corporation) has developed methods to realize inexpensive space flight missions. Six successful satellite missions have already been carried out. The satellites are developed, built, launched and operated by us. Research and industry profit from application and qualification of new technologies onboard AMSAT-DL satellites. The GO-Mars P5A Mission is the first private mission to Mars world-wide. The project leader is the physicist, Professor Dr. Karl Meinzer. He has been the system architect and project leader for all previous satellites built on a predominantly honorary basis under the guidance of AMSAT-DL. After the most recent satellite mission around Earth, the foundation for the next ambitious goal has been laid, an interplanetary flight to Mars. We wish to show that interplanetary missions are feasible even on a small budget and that anyone can participate in them.

Launch of the AMSAT P3D satellite on an Ariane-5 rocket in Kourou.

The Missions

1974    AMSAT-OSCAR 07 AO-07 put AMSAT-DL into space in 1974. We provided a variety of hardware components and supported the integration process. The satellite is still periodically active today.	1980    AMSAT-Phase 3A (P3A) The Phase-3A satellite came about, just as all successor satellites in the AMSAT Phase-3 series, under the direction of AMSAT-DL. Unfortunately P3A was lost due to failure of the launch vehicle.
1981    UoSAT-OSCAR 09 AMSAT-DL provided the battery charge regulator for the English satellite UO-9. It converted solar energy from the solar cells to charge the batteries and for operation of the satellite.	1983    AMSAT-OSCAR 10 (P3B) AO-10 was completed in only three years of construction and was in operation for over 20 years. As with all P3 satellites, intercontinental radio contacts were possible through it.
1988    AMSAT-OSCAR 13 (P3C) AO-13 successfully continued the series of P3 communications satellites. A special data transponder was also aboard for the first time. AO-13 vaporized at the end of 1996 upon reentry into the Earth's atmosphere.	1992    AMSAT-OSCAR 21 (RS-14) The RUDAK-II payload provided by AMSAT-DL onboard AO-21 utilized two computer systems for communications, one of them in RISC DSP technology.
2000    AMSAT-OSCAR 40 (P3D) AO-40, shown here during the launch preparations in Kourou, forms the basis for a Mars probe thanks to its large 2-meter design. AO-40 is still in Earth orbit.	2003    20-m Antenna in Bochum New technology enabled AMSAT-DL to begin reactivation of the 20m parabolic reflector antenna under the Radom in Bochum, Germany. The antenna received signals from numerous space probes and since 2006 has been operational as a command station for the AMSAT Mars mission.
2007    AMSAT-Phase 3E (P3E) P3E is intended to provide radio communications and serve as a test satellite for the Mars mission. It is currently in the AMSAT-DL laboratory in Marburg being prepared for launch.	2009    AMSAT-Phase 5A (P5A/Go-Mars) The first suitable launch window is in 2009 for the P5A Mars mission currently under development. The probe is intended to circle Mars and transmit to Earth data useable by everyone and to drop off a payload.
Remark: Satellite projects of AMSAT are divided into five phases. Phase 3 describes Earth satellites in a highly elliptical orbit, while systems traveling to other heavenly bodies are categorized as Phase 5. When an AMSAT satellite begins operation in space, it is assigned a sequential OSCAR number. (OSCAR = Orbiting Satellite Carrying Amateur Radio)

Responsible:	AMSAT-DL e.V. Ernst-Giller-Straße 20 D-35039 Marburg
Since we have been a non-profit organization since 1973, we can issue a donation receipt upon request.
Links/References:	AMSAT-Deutschland e.V. GO-Mars P5A-Mission ARIANE-Rocket/Arianespace IUZ, Observatory Bochum