How the GOES U satellite will forever change weather forecasts on Earth and in space

I remember learning about weather forecasting in college in the late 2000s. My classmates and I hand-drew maps showing current weather systems and then we looked at the satellite data to paint a picture of what would happen in the coming hours and days.

NOAA's weather satellites were good back then, but compared to what we have in orbit now, the difference is night and day. As a radio meteorologist, I have used the data they provide to deliver life-saving information and advanced warnings to billions of people across the United States and even the Caribbean when threatening weather developed.