Comments on: .... .. -.. . -. .. .-- .- -.- .- (HI DE NIWAKA)

.... .. -.. . -. .. .-- .- -.- .- (HI DE NIWAKA)

elpapacito — Fri, 05 Oct 2012 11:15:19 -0800

.... .. -.. . -. .. .-- .- -.- .- (HI DE NIWAKA) If you see something flashing in the sky and it flashes with that morse sequence, it's not an UFO. It's the small (10cm cube) cubesat FITSAT-1 greeting us from the space with powerful LED morse flashes.

By: elpapacito

elpapacito — Fri, 05 Oct 2012 11:18:14 -0800

Older pertaining article

By: BungaDunga

BungaDunga — Fri, 05 Oct 2012 11:31:52 -0800

If you could get an array of these things to orbit in formation, fun times could be had.

By: xedrik

xedrik — Fri, 05 Oct 2012 12:15:13 -0800

I can't help but hear "HI DE NIWAKAAAAA!" as in the opening to The Lion King.

By: zippy

zippy — Fri, 05 Oct 2012 12:24:35 -0800

I for one welcome our blinking µBorg overlords.

By: BlueHorse

BlueHorse — Fri, 05 Oct 2012 13:01:08 -0800

I'm glad I saw this article before I saw something like that in the sky. Dunno if I'd have thought UFO, but I'd probably have thought something, something Air Force Base, whoops! Not good.

By: Sys Rq

Sys Rq — Fri, 05 Oct 2012 14:02:26 -0800

B E S U R E T O D R I N K Y O U R O V A L T I N E

By: junco

junco — Fri, 05 Oct 2012 15:59:17 -0800

Looks like we won't have a pass here for a week or so, but I'll be listening (and looking!) for it. Thanks!

By: Snerd

Snerd — Fri, 05 Oct 2012 19:14:30 -0800

Can anyone link to a schedule for FITSAT-1? I'm not finding one. Assuming it's tracking with the International Space Station since it was just deployed from ISS, is the position info for ISS here a good source? Or maybe locating ISS at heavens-above.com? (first configure a current observing site)? I hope someone who knows how to track satelllites can offer help. I want to see it!

By: artof.mulata

artof.mulata — Fri, 05 Oct 2012 20:46:25 -0800

THIS IS THE COOLEST THING I'VE SEEN ON METAFILTER IN AGES-STOP-GIVE THESE GUYS MORE FUNDING/WEED-STOP

By: BiggerJ

BiggerJ — Fri, 05 Oct 2012 21:02:35 -0800

Goodnight room. Coodnight cube. Goodnight message flashed by the cube.

By: hattifattener

hattifattener — Sun, 07 Oct 2012 01:11:39 -0800

Very cool. I love that the cubesat program (and similar programs) exists. I was wondering how they did attitude control and the article says they just put a big ol' magnet in there to align the cubesat with the Earth's field. How does that work? Doesn't there need to be a dissipative element?