Niwaka

{{Short description|Japanese CubeSat satellite}}

{{Use British English|date=January 2021}}

{{Use dmy dates|date=January 2021}}

{{Confused|Niwaka (company)}}

{{Infobox spaceflight

| name = Niwaka

| names_list = FITSAT-1

| image = F-1 and other CubeSats at TKSC.jpg

| image_caption = FITSAT-1 satellite in the middle

| image_size = 290px

| mission_type = Technology demonstration

| operator = Fukuoka Institute of Technology

| COSPAR_ID = 2012-038C (1998-067CP)

| SATCAT = 38853

| mission_duration = 273 days (achieved)
100 days (planned)

| spacecraft_type = CubeSat

| manufacturer =

| launch_mass = {{cvt|1.33|kg}}

| dimensions = 10 cm x 10 cm x 10 cm (1U)

| power =

| launch_date = 21 July 2012, 02:06:18 UTC

| launch_rocket = H-IIB F3

| launch_site = Tanegashima, Yoshinobu LC-Y2

| launch_contractor = Mitsubishi Heavy Industries

| deployment_from = ISS Kibō
Delivered by Kounotori 3

| deployment_date = 4 October 2012,
15:44:15.297 UTC

| decay_date = 4 July 2013

| orbit_reference = Geocentric orbit

| orbit_regime = Low Earth orbit

| orbit_periapsis = {{cvt|413|km}}

| orbit_apoapsis = {{cvt|418|km}}

| orbit_inclination = 51.65°

| orbit_period = 93.00 minutes

| apsis = gee

}}

Niwaka or FITSAT-1 is a 1U CubeSat satellite deployed from the International Space Station (ISS) on 4 October 2012. The Niwaka satellite includes high power LEDs which are driven by 200 watts pulses, allowing Morse code style communication from the sky to the ground.[http://www.gizmag.com/fitsat-1-morse-code-satellite/23482/ FITSAT-1 satellite scheduled to write Morse code in the sky] FITSAT-1 (Niwaka) communicates with ground by means of 5.8 GHz high-speed (115200 bit/s) transmitter. It also has a 437 MHz (amateur band) beacon and transmitter with data rate 1200 bit/s for telemetry downlink.

The name Niwaka derives from "Hakata Niwaka", which is traditional impromptu comical talking with masks. It is also the old name of the city Fukuoka, site of the Fukuoka Institute of Technology in Japan which created the satellite.[http://www.fit.ac.jp/~tanaka/fitsat.shtml FITSAT]

WE WISH, RAIKO, FITSAT-1, F-1, and TechEdSat-1 travelled to orbit aboard Kounotori 3 (HTV-3).[http://space.skyrocket.de/doc_sdat/we-wish.htm WE WISH]

It reentered in the atmosphere of Earth on 4 July 2013.[http://www.fit.ac.jp/~tanaka/fitsat.shtml FITSAT-1 (NIWAKA)]