# UoSAT-12

> amateur radio satellite

**Wikidata**: [Q1530723](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q1530723)  
**Wikipedia**: [English](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/UoSAT-12)  
**Source**: https://4ort.xyz/entity/uosat-12

## Summary
UoSAT-12 is an amateur radio satellite built and operated by the University of Surrey and manufactured by Surrey Satellite Technology. It was launched on 1999-04-21 aboard a Dnepr rocket from Baikonur Cosmodrome Site 109 and is based on the SSTL-400 spacecraft bus.

## Key Facts
- UoSAT-12 is an amateur radio satellite operated by the University of Surrey.  
- Launch date: 1999-04-21.  
- Launch vehicle: Dnepr (a converted Satan ICBM used as a satellite launch vehicle).  
- Launch site / start point: Baikonur Cosmodrome Site 109.  
- Spacecraft bus: SSTL-400.  
- Manufacturer: Surrey Satellite Technology.  
- COSPAR ID: 1999-021A.  
- Satellite catalog number (SCN): 25693.  
- Aliases: UOSAT 12; UO 36; UoSAT-OSCAR 36; WavSat 2.  
- Instance / class: amateur radio satellite.

## FAQs
### Q: What is UoSAT-12?
A: UoSAT-12 is an amateur radio satellite designed and manufactured by Surrey Satellite Technology and operated by the University of Surrey. It serves as a radio communications satellite in the amateur radio satellite class.

### Q: When and how was UoSAT-12 launched?
A: UoSAT-12 was launched on 1999-04-21 aboard a Dnepr launch vehicle from Baikonur Cosmodrome Site 109.

### Q: Who built and operates UoSAT-12?
A: The satellite was manufactured by Surrey Satellite Technology and is operated by the University of Surrey.

### Q: What spacecraft bus does UoSAT-12 use?
A: UoSAT-12 is based on the SSTL-400 spacecraft bus.

## Why It Matters
UoSAT-12 represents a focused example of university-driven small-satellite work and the use of modular spacecraft buses for specific mission classes. As an amateur radio satellite operated by the University of Surrey and built by Surrey Satellite Technology, it illustrates the collaboration between academic institutions and commercial small-satellite manufacturers to deliver operational spacecraft. Its launch on a Dnepr vehicle from Baikonur in 1999 placed it into orbit as part of the late-1990s wave of microsatellites enabling hobbyist and research radio communications. The SSTL-400 bus indicates the use of a standardized platform that supports mission-specific payloads, a practice that helps reduce development time and cost for educational and amateur missions. For the amateur radio community and satellite engineering education, UoSAT-12 is a concrete example of a university-led, manufacturer-built satellite fulfilling an amateur communications role.

## Notable For
- Being an amateur radio satellite operated by the University of Surrey.  
- Use of the SSTL-400 spacecraft bus manufactured by Surrey Satellite Technology.  
- Launch on 1999-04-21 from Baikonur Cosmodrome Site 109 aboard a Dnepr vehicle.  
- Known under multiple aliases: UOSAT 12, UO 36, UoSAT-OSCAR 36, and WavSat 2.  
- Registered COSPAR ID 1999-021A and satellite catalog number 25693.

## Body

### Overview
- Name: UoSAT-12.  
- Primary classification: amateur radio satellite.  
- Operator: University of Surrey.  
- Manufacturer: Surrey Satellite Technology.  
- Spacecraft bus: SSTL-400.

### Launch and Orbital Registration
- Launch date: 1999-04-21.  
- Launch vehicle: Dnepr (a converted Satan ICBM used as a satellite launch vehicle).  
- Launch site / start point: Baikonur Cosmodrome Site 109.  
- COSPAR ID: 1999-021A.  
- Satellite catalog number (SCN): 25693.

### Identifiers and Aliases
- Aliases recorded: UOSAT 12; UO 36; UoSAT-OSCAR 36; WavSat 2.  
- Freebase ID: /m/0dbph2.  
- Wolfram Language entity code: Entity["Satellite", "25693"].  
- Wikipedia title: UoSAT-12.  
- Wikipedia language editions listed: de, en, es, fr, pl, pt.

### Ownership and Manufacture
- Operator: University of Surrey (public research university located in Guildford, Surrey).  
- Manufacturer and platform provider: Surrey Satellite Technology (provided the SSTL-400 bus).

### Mission Class and Role
- Instance of: amateur radio satellite — a type of satellite that transmits amateur radio.  
- The satellite is associated with amateur radio communications by classification and naming.

### Notation of Launch Vehicle Class
- Launch vehicle class: Dnepr — described as a converted Satan ICBM used as a satellite launch vehicle.

## References

1. Jonathan's Space Report
2. Freebase Data Dumps. 2013
3. [Source](https://space.skyrocket.de/doc_sdat/uosat-12.htm)