The satellite will have to go through 3 months of tests before it's operational. When it's ready, however, it should not only help predict the path of hurricanes, but visualize storm damage and track the scale of power outages. It may just save lives by giving people more time to prepare and pinpointing the worst-hit areas. It should also bolster monitoring for long-term climate patterns like El Niño. All told, JPSS-1 could help scientists better understand weather and the environment as a whole.