KODAMA (DRTS), a data relay test satellite launched by the H-II A launch vehicle from the Tanegashima Space Center (TNSC), serves as a data relay station.
A data relay test satellite is a kind of communications satellite in a geostationary orbit that relays data among Low Earth Orbit (300-1,000 km altitude) spacecraft (such as satellites) and ground stations. This relay can dramatically extend the area where real-time communication between Low Earth Orbit spacecraft and ground stations are possible.