CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. — This weekend, the most technologically advanced weather satellite will launch from Kennedy Space Center in Cape Canaveral.
The satellite will be carried by Atlas V and it is set to launch at 5:42 p.m.
It is already a risky launch, carrying a lot of technology and instruments valued at more than $1.4 billion.
The satellite has already experience some weather hazards.
Initially, it was set to launch on November 4, but after Hurricane Matthew graced Florida’s Space Coast at the beginning of October, rushing winds of 115 mph, the infrastructure had to be well revised and assured that no major damages were left by the storm.
The GOES-R spacecraft was not harmed during Hurricane Matthew, as it was safely stored inside Astrotech Space Operations in Titusville.
NOAA, United Launch Alliance and NASA joined forces with Lockheed Martin to build, design and test the Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellite R-Series impressive satellite. It was built at the Lockheed Martin facilities in Denver, Colorado.
The new weather eye is packed with great technology that will greatly improve forecast by providing more updates and clearer images, scientists said.
[ READ MORE ABOUT GOES-R WEATHER FORECAST BENEFITS ]
Lockheed Martin also designed and built the Solar Ultraviolet Imager (SUVI) and the Geostationary Lightning Mapper (GLM), which are instruments that will fly aboard each spacecraft.
Channel 9's digital meteorologist Irene Sans is covering this historic event, and will be at Kennedy Space Center this week participating in a workshop for broadcast meteorologists. If you have questions, make sure to write them on her Facebook page or Twitter.
Top scientists from NOAA and NASA will be at Kennedy Space Center and your question could also be answered by one of them.