SpaceX is slated to deliver into Earth orbit today the first telecommunications satellite of the Central Asian country of Turkmenistan.

The Falcon 9 rocket will blast-off from Launch Complex 40 at the Cape Canaveral Air Force Station 6:14 p.m. local time. A 90 minute window has been allotted for the launch.

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Local weather reports reveal a 60 percent chance of favorable weather for the launch but thick clouds can pose some disturbance.

Developed and built in France by Thales Alenia Space, the satellite weighs around 9,000 pounds and will bring TV, internet and data services for national and commercial use.

The country was a former part of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics located along the Caspian Sea. Turkmenistan is currently home to more than five million residents that currently rely on Russian satellites.

SpaceX released said the Turkmen satellite will allow Turkmenistan to operate its first national satellite telecommunications system thereby boosting secure communications across the nation.

Apart from providing for the satellite and the launch contract, Thales Alenia Space also trained local engineers for basic space related activities and technology necessary to run their first satellite from a new mission control station near Ashgabat, according to mission program manager, Guy Burle, of Thales Alenia.

The satellite is now sitting on top a Falcon 9 rocket. It stands 16 feet tall and is officially called the TurkmenAlem52E/MonacoSat.

The satellite's orbital slot will be located over Monaco. The satellite's footprint will cover some 22,000 miles across the equator at a longitude of 52 degrees east. The coverage area of the satellite spans Europe, Central Asia and most of Africa.

Originally planned last November, the launch was delayed due to SpaceX's detecting a problem with the rocket's helium pressurization system.

SpaceX's last launch was just two weeks ago in wich the Falcon 9 rocket blasted-off with the Dragon capsule carrying cargo for the International Space Station under a contract for NASA.

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