CAPE CANAVERAL, Florida – A United Launch Alliance (ULA) Delta IV Medium+ (5,4) configuration rocket carrying a U.S. military communications satellite is scheduled to lift off on Wednesday, December 7, 2016 from Space Launch Complex-37 at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida. The 50-minute launch window opens at 6:53 p.m Eastern Standard Time.

According to the latest weather forecast from the United States Air Force 45th Weather Squadron, there is an 80% chance overall of acceptable weather conditions for the Delta IV launch.

Dubbed WGS-8. the Delta IV’s payload is the eighth Wideband Global SATCOM mission for the U.S. Air Force.

WGS satellites are part of a high-capacity satellite communications system which provides enhanced communications capabilities to U.S. troops in the field.  With powerful anti-jamming capablilities, WGS enables more robust and flexible execution of Command and Control, Communications Computers, Intelligence, Surveillance, and Reconnaissance, as well as battle management and combat support information functions. The WGS constellation augments the existing service available through the UHF Follow-on satellite by providing enhanced information broadcast capabilities.