Rocket & Space Shuttle Launches 2008

On this page, you will find details of rocket and space shuttle launches for 2008. Launch details for other years can be found for 2006, 2007 and 2009. The upcoming launch schedule for 2009 and beyond can be found here.

November 14, 2008 - Space Shuttle Endeavour, STS-126 (ISS ULF2)

The 27th mission to the International Space Station will deliver the Multi-Purpose Logistics Module (MPLM).

Launch time was 7:55 pm EDT from launch pad LC-39A and landing time had been set for around 2:10 pm on November 29 but bad weather forced a landing at Edwards Airforce Base in California. Delayed from September 18, October 16, November 10 and 12.

June 16, 2008 - United Launch Alliance Delta 2 Rocket, GLAST

GLAST (Gamma-ray Large Area Space Telescope) is designed to detect gamma rays that are thousands to hundreds of billions of times more intense than the light visible to the human eye.

Launch time was 12:05 pm EDT from launch pad is SLC-17B. Delayed from October 7 and December 14 2007, January 31, February 5, May 16 and June 3, 2008.

May 31, 2008 - Space Shuttle Discovery, STS-124 (ISS 1J)

The 26th mission to the International Space Station delivered the Kibo Japanese Experiment Module Pressurized Module (JEM-PM) and Japanese Remote Manipulator System (JEM RMS).

Launch time was 5:02 pm from launch pad LC-39A and it successfully landed back at the Kennedy Space Center on June 14 at 11:16 am. Delayed from April 24 and May 25.

April 14, 2008 - United Launch Alliance Atlas 5 Rocket, ICO G1 (AV-014)

The Atlas 5 (AV-014) mission finally launched a mobile communications satellite for ICO North America from launch pad SLC-41 at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station.

The launch had been delayed from May 31, August 28 2007, late 2007, January 7 and March 21, 2008.

March 15, 2008 - United Launch Alliance Delta 2 Rocket, GPS 2R-19

The United Launch Alliance Delta 2 launched the sixth NAVSTAR GPS Block 2R military navigation satellite from launch pad SLC-17.

Launch time was at 2:10 am EDT.

March 11, 2008 - Space Shuttle Endeavour, STS-123 (ISS 1J/A)

Launch delayed from November 29 and December 8, 2007 and then February 14, 2008. The 25th mission to the International Space Station delivered the Kibo Japanese Experiment Logistics Module, Pressurized Section (ELM-PS) and Spacelab Pallet - Deployable 1 (SLP-D1) with Canadian Special Purpose Dexterous Manipulator, Dextre. First nighttime launch for nearly two years.

February 7, 2008 - Space Shuttle Atlantis, STS-122 (ISS 1E)

The 24th mission to the International Space Station delivered the European Space Agency's Columbus European Laboratory Module and the Multi-Purpose Experiment Support Structure - Non-Deployable (MPESS-ND).

The launch was delayed from September 27, October 17, December 6 and 9 and early January following fuel engine cutoff sensor problems. This mission was originally planned for Discovery.