The H3 Launch Vehicle has been developed as Japan's new flagship rocket. When it makes its first flight, a new flight status indication system called the “H3 Flight Status Indication System for Public”(H3 FIP) will be used to provide viewers of the livestream video of the flight with visual information about the rocket, including its location and flight speed. We interviewed NAMURA Eijiro, who was involved in the development of H3 FIP as a member of the H3 Project Team, and SASAKI Mayuko from the Management and Integration Department about the new system.

“H3 FIP is a system that will visually indicate the speed, altitude and orbit of the launch vehicle in real time based on telemetry sent from the rocket (for example, by radio waves). We used to use the same flight status indication system developed for flight operations to provide images for viewers, but with the H3 we have developed a new system specifically targeting audiences as well as operators.”

The biggest feature differentiating the newly developed system from the conventional one is the ability to show the rocket's trajectory in a way that is easy for a lay audience to understand, which is what the "for Public" in the name refers to. The system is thus intended for use not only by those engaging in flight operations but also for viewing by the general public. As such, according to SASAKI, the development team attributed great importance to its design.

"Compared with the conventional system, H3 FIP is big improvement in terms of design, although the basic information indicated is the same as that provided by the conventional system," says SASAKI. "We aimed to develop a system that all users would rate as simple and 'cool.' We entrusted the actual design work to 'design innovation firm' Takram, and they helped transform our ideas into a specific system through repetitive prototyping."

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