The Joint Polar Satellite System-1 was supposed to be carried into orbit in the wee hours of Tuesday morning, but the United Launch Alliance Delta II rocket's blastoff was delayed after a vehicle alarm sounded just prior to countdown.
The launch has since been rescheduled for Wednesday morning at 4:47 a.m. ET. The rocket will liftoff from Space Launch Complex-2 at California's Vandenberg Air Force Base.
JPSS-1 is the first of four next-generation weather satellites to be launched on behalf of the National Ocean and Atmospheric Administration.
The polar-orbiting satellite will cross the equator 14 times everyday and complete two scans of the entirety of Earth every 24 hours. Its instruments, which were designed by NASA, will record surface temperatures on land and sea, as well as measure clouds and rainfall totals. It will also analyze vegetation, snow and ice cover, spot wild fires, and measure ozone and water vapor concentrations.
Its data will help scientists make faster, more accurate weather forecasts and deliver extreme weather warnings.
"During its planned 10-years in orbit, JPSS-1 also will aid in assessing hazards such as droughts, forest fires, poor air quality and harmful coastal waters," NASA announced in a news release.
The second weather satellite, JPSS-2, will be launched in 2021. JPSS-3 will enter into orbit in 2026 and JPSS-4 will blastoff in 2031.
Tomorrow's launch will be broadcast live on NASA TV.
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