RS40S
UMKA 1 · amateur radio satellite, NORAD 57172
Heard todayRS40S frequencies
| Uplink | Downlink | Beacon | Mode |
|---|---|---|---|
| — | 2402.400 MHz | — | BPSK |
| — | 437.625 MHz | — | SSTV |
| — | 437.625 MHz | — | GMSK USP 4k8 |
| — | 437.625 MHz | — | CW |
| — | 437.625 MHz | — | GMSK USP 9k6 |
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 RS40S
RS40S, called UmKA-1, is a 3U CubeSat telescope built by pupils of School No. 29 in Podolsk near Moscow on the OrbiCraft-Pro platform of the Russian company Sputnix. It was launched on 27 June 2023 on a Soyuz-2.1b rocket with a Fregat upper stage from Vostochny, with dozens of other Russian school and university CubeSats. Its payload is a small optical telescope with an astronomical camera, used to photograph stars, constellations and other objects from orbit.
Telemetry comes down on 437.625 MHz in GMSK with the USP protocol used by many Russian CubeSats; pictures from the telescope are sent on an S-band downlink near 2402 MHz. The satellite is named after Umka, the polar bear cub of a 1969 Soviet cartoon, and from time to time it plays "The Polar Bear's Lullaby" from that film on 437.625 MHz. Radio amateurs also report SSTV transmissions from it on the AMSAT status page.
In 2023 the team asked for reception reports by e-mail to umka1@school29.com (subject "Receive UMKA"), with your callsign, the time and your equipment; QSL cards can be requested through the form on r4uab.ru.
Status
Active: amateurs reported hearing RS40S on AMSAT 2 h ago.
From reports filed on AMSAT, last 30 days.
Orbit
| Type | Low Earth orbit |
|---|---|
| Altitude | 491–508 km |
| Inclination | 97.5° |
| Period | 94.6 min |
| TLE epoch | 2026-10-28 14:28 UTC |
Orbital elements: CelesTrak, checked every 3 hours.
Questions about RS40S
- What is the RS40S downlink frequency?
- RS40S transmits on 2402.400 MHz (BPSK), 437.625 MHz (SSTV), 437.625 MHz (GMSK USP 4k8), 437.625 MHz (CW) and 437.625 MHz (GMSK USP 9k6).
- Is RS40S active?
- Active: amateurs reported hearing RS40S on AMSAT 2 h ago.
- When does RS40S pass over my location?
- Open RS40S 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.