CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla., March 2 (UPI) -- The countdown is under way at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida for the launch of the latest in a series of U.S. meteorological satellites.
The Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellite-P -- nicknamed GOES-P -- is set for liftoff atop a Delta IV rocket Thursday during a 6:17 p.m.-7:17 p.m. EST launch window.
The spacecraft is designed to observe storm development and weather conditions on Earth, officials said. It will also detect ocean and land temperatures, monitor space weather, relay communications and provide search-and-rescue support.
GOES-P was built by Boeing Space and Intelligence Systems for the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration under NASA's technical and project management, officials said. The launch is being managed by the United Launch Alliance under a Federal Aviation Administration license.
