RALEIGH, N.C. — Whether you're watching on TV or getting the latest updates on your phone, weather forecasts are a large part of how we plan and manage our days. 

A brand new NASA satellite for the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, NOAA, will now join a fleet of other satellites that monitor weather both in space and on Earth.

NOAA GOES Program Specialist Dan Lindsey says the new GOES-18 satellite will help the mission get accurate and life-saving data on natural disasters, often before they strike. 

The position of the satellite will monitor weather systems and environmental hazards that impact the Western Hemisphere, like atmospheric rivers, wildfires, volcanic eruptions and even hurricanes.  

The satellite will also monitor weather well beyond Earth’s atmosphere in space. Space weather can have a big impact on us due to the expansive number of satellites in space and power grids back home.

To learn more about the GOES-18 satellite, you can visit NASA’s website.