RTL3D

We are thrilled and honoured to announce that our team member, Mr. Uwais, a Ph.D. student in Kindai University, has receiveed the Student Presentation Award at the 104th Conference of the Society of Atmospheric Electricity of Japan (SAEJ).
This award was presented for the poster presentation entitled “Observation of Stepped Leaders from Cloud-to-Ground Lightning Flash Using High-Speed Camera and Electromagnetic Field Measurement Systems”

-----
I am grateful to SAEJ and to everyone who has supported my work. Receiving this award inspires and motivates me to continue my research in lightning physics and atmospheric electricity.
I hope this recognition will also contribute to the success of the SATREPS project, “Real-Time Lightning 3D Imaging and Forecasting Project for Sustainable and Reliable Supply of Energy and Storm Disaster Early Warning.”
Thank you again for this meaningful award and for the opportunity to be part of such an important project.

𝗦𝘂𝗰𝗰𝗲𝘀𝘀 𝗼𝗳 𝗥𝗼𝗰𝗸𝗲𝘁-𝗧𝗿𝗶𝗴𝗴𝗲𝗿𝗲𝗱 𝗟𝗶𝗴𝗵𝘁𝗻𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗶𝗻 𝗠𝗮𝗹𝗮𝘆𝘀𝗶𝗮

On 3 May 2026, our team successfully triggered lightning at the UTeM Rocket-Triggered Lightning (RTL) site.

This achievement marks a historic milestone as the first successful artificial triggered lightning activity in Malaysia. It is a groundbreaking step forward in bringing this advanced lightning research technology to our country.

This success reflects the dedication, teamwork, and perseverance of everyone involved. It also demonstrates that Malaysia is capable of developing and conducting high-impact research in the field of lightning science and engineering.

A proud moment for RTL-3D Kilat research team.

✨ 𝗥𝗧𝗟 𝗖𝗮𝗺𝗽𝗮𝗶𝗴𝗻 𝗶𝗻 𝗠𝗲𝗹𝗮𝗸𝗮, 𝗠𝗮𝗹𝗮𝘆𝘀𝗶𝗮 – 𝗣𝗮𝗿𝘁 𝟭 ✨

On April 27, 2026, researchers from Kindai University arrived at the RTL site, UiTM Jasin Campus, for the campaign. This is to attempt the first time RTL in Malaysia.

Today, we carried out preparations to test a new rocket developed by UiTM Shah Alam at the site. Overall, the preparation went well.

A big thank you to the participants from UiTM Jasin, UiTM Shah Alam, UTeM, and the students for their support and assistance throughout the preparation.

✨ 𝙃𝙞𝙜𝙝𝙡𝙞𝙜𝙝𝙩 𝙤𝙛 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙙𝙖𝙮:
We successfully launched our first rocket! This test launch was an important step to ensure that everything was properly set up and functioning well for RTL. It was an exciting moment and a great milestone before the real action begins. 🚀

More updates coming soon — stay tuned! 😊

𝗥𝗲𝗰𝗼𝗿𝗱-𝗯𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗸𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘀𝘂𝗰𝗰𝗲𝘀𝘀 𝗥𝗧𝗟 𝗶𝗻 𝗞𝗮𝗻𝗮𝘇𝗮𝘄𝗮! 𝗡𝗲𝘅𝘁 𝘀𝘁𝗼𝗽: 𝗠𝗮𝗹𝗮𝘆𝘀𝗶𝗮.
From December 2025 to March 2026, our project successfully conducted its third Rocket-Triggered Lightning (RTL) experiment in Kanazawa, Ishikawa Prefecture.

What is RTL? 🚀
It’s a fascinating technique where a small rocket pulls a thin grounded wire up toward a thundercloud to induce lightning strikes at a specific point. Japan has a long history with this technology, boasting over 200 successful trials since 1977.

A New Record! 🏆
This season, thanks to the incredible synergy between our Malaysian and Japanese researchers, we achieved a record-breaking 7 successful RTLs! This improved operational efficiency and teamwork have laid a solid foundation for our next big challenge.

The World’s Lowest-Latitude RTL Experiment 🌏
Now, the project is moving to Malaysia for the next phase. This will be the lowest-latitude RTL experiment ever attempted in the world.

We would like to express our deepest gratitude to everyone who supported us during the Kanazawa experiments.

Stay tuned as we take this mission to the tropics! ⛈️🇲🇾🇯🇵.∎

𝗥𝗼𝗰𝗸𝗲𝘁 𝗟𝗮𝘂𝗻𝗰𝗵𝗲𝗿𝘀 𝗶𝗻𝘀𝘁𝗮𝗹𝗹𝗲𝗱!
Prototype Rocket launchers were installed in the Rocket Triggered Lightning (RTL) sites in UTeM and UiTM Jasin. This is an important milestone for our RTL experiments. The launcher will help rockets pull grounded wire up toward thundercloud. It was made in Malaysia with the basis of the one used by Kindai, yet another outcome of the collaboration between Malaysia and Japan. ∎

𝗥𝗲𝗽𝗼𝗿𝘁 𝗼𝗳 𝗟𝗼𝗻𝗴-𝗧𝗲𝗿𝗺 𝗧𝗿𝗮𝗶𝗻𝗶𝗻𝗴𝘀
Prof. Morimoto and his two students conducted a periodical report to JICA. The two students, Mr. Anif and Mr. Uwais, are PhD students at Kindai University, with JICA’s Long-Term Training program. Both students have been undergoing their studies on track. ∎

Discussion with the Universiti Tenaga Nasional - UNITEN Information Resource Centre for them to be a platform for us to highlight our project findings with the public.

𝗦𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝘁𝗼 𝗿𝗲𝗽𝗮𝗶𝗿 𝗩𝗛𝗙
As operations continue, occasional technical challenges are part of the journey. Recently, one of our VHF receivers encountered a malfunction.
Fortunately, our lightning detection network across the Klang Valley and Melaka is designed with redundancy, allowing the system to continue operating reliably using data from the remaining sensors.
The affected receiver has been returned to the supplier for inspection and repair, and we hope to have it back in operation soon. Thank you for your continued support as we push forward with this project. ∎

✨ 𝗘𝗶𝗱 𝗠𝘂𝗯𝗮𝗿𝗮𝗸! ✨ 𝗦𝗲𝗹𝗮𝗺𝗮𝘁 𝗛𝗮𝗿𝗶 𝗥𝗮𝘆𝗮 𝗔𝗶𝗱𝗶𝗹𝗳𝗶𝘁𝗿𝗶 ✨