A very important environmental satellite is on target to launch bright and early Thursday morning.

NOAA's Joint Polar Satellite System mission is sending to space the second in its series of next generation polar orbiting satellites, JPSS-2.

Once in orbit, it will join its sister satellite, which is already taking observations, monitoring the environment and helping meteorologists improve the local forecasts. It does this by providing a "CT Scan" of the weather globally that will assist with creating more timely and accurate weather forecast days ahead of extreme weather events.

The satellite can help monitor things that affect the world on a daily basis.

"We're able to see not only who has their lights on, for example if the power's out over a larger area, we can see the impacts from a disaster, or we can see the clouds near airports and make sure that those morning flights are going to be running on time," says Jordan Gerth, a satellite scientist with the National Weather Service.

Lift off is planned is planned for 1:25 a.m. Pacific Time from Vandenberg Space Force Base in California.