A United Launch Alliance Atlas V is standing ready at the Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, set to blast off Thursday.
On board is the new GOES-S satellite for NASA and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.
#GOESS satellite will track storm systems, lightning, wildfires, dense fog and other hazards that will threaten the western US. pic.twitter.com/6WCQ0RU2lS
β Jon Shaban πͺπΊπ₯π€ (@Jon_Shaban) February 28, 2018
The spacecraft is the second in the series of weather satellites that will provide faster and more reliable information and data for tracking wildfires, hurricanes and storm systems threatening the western U.S., Hawaii, Alaska, Mexico, Central America and the Pacific Rim reaching to New Zealand.
"The GOES satellites have been providing our weather information for decades. And the GOES is a series of four spacecraft, the next state of the art satellites," said Jeff Coyne, who works for Lockheed Martin's GOES program.
The Atlas V is set to launch at 5:02 p.m. Thursday. The 45th Space Wing says there's an 80 percent chance of favorable weather at that time.
Spectrum News will broadcast the launch live on TV. You can also stream it on the Spectrum TV app or on our website.
Rollout of the #AtlasV #GOESS takes roughly 40 minutes, traveling at 1-2MPH and covering nearly 800 yards to complete its journey to Launch Complex 41. pic.twitter.com/QmFjm6ENGH
β Jon Shaban πͺπΊπ₯π€ (@Jon_Shaban) February 28, 2018
ATLAS V ROLLOUT: A @ULALaunch rocket was rolled out to a pad at @45thSpaceWing ahead of Thursday afternoon's launch. You can watch the launch live on TV, the Spectrum TV app or streaming on our website: https://t.co/eJsLn6Hj5n
β News 13 (@MyNews13) February 28, 2018
(π₯: @Jon_Shaban pic.twitter.com/cnf7PJzvGD