On December 12, 2011 at 01:21 UTC the H-2A (202) rocket-carrier was launched by Mitsubishi Heavy Industries from Tanegashima Space Center in the southwestern Kagoshima Prefecture, Japan. The rocket orbited the IGS Radar-3 satellite. The radar satellite launch was believed to be an attempt by the Japanese government to hone its intelligence-gathering capabilities. It will also play a role in collecting data on natural disasters.
