An unmanned Atlas rocket was scheduled to blast off at 5:42 p.m., but a technical anomaly postponed the launch to the end of the window -- 6:42 p.m.
The satellite aims for a 22,300-mile-high orbit, where it will churn out the sharpest and fastest pictures yet of hurricanes, tornadoes and other U.S. weather.
NOAA expects it to revolutionize forecasting. It's part of a new $11 billion system that ultimately will include four satellites.
Two dozen meteorologists from across the country were on hand for the big event, including WFTV digital meteorologist Irene Sans. The weather, appropriately enough, couldn't have been better for launching.
GOES-R eventually will become known as GOES-16. It will join three other weather satellites already in orbit.
The launch was previously scheduled for mid-October, but it was delayed by Hurricane Matthew.
Watch the launch of the nation’s next-generation weather satellite, #GOESR! Once in orbit, the satellite will use its sensors to continuously track weather conditions, keep a watch on storms and even produce real-time maps of lightning activity. Liftoff is scheduled for 5:42 p.m. EST.
Posted by NASA - National Aeronautics and Space Administration on Saturday, November 19, 2016
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