Rocket & Space Shuttle Launches 2009

By James | Last updated August 23, 2023

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On this page, you will find details of all rocket and space shuttle launches for 2009 from the Kennedy Space Center including five shuttle launches as the Space Shuttle draws towards the end of its life.

See bottom of page for all past, present and future launch schedules.

Recent Launches

December 6, 2009 – United Launch Alliance Delta 4 Rocket, WGS 3

A United Launch Alliance Delta 4 heavy rocket launched the third of five Wideband Global SATCOM satellite (WGS) for the US military from launch pad SLC-37B.

Launch window was from 7:22 to 8:43 pm EDT.

Delayed from November 2008, September 15 and 30 and November 18, 2009. Delayed again on December 2 onwards because of bad weather.

November 23, 2009 – United Launch Alliance Delta 5 Rocket, Intelsat 14

A United Launch Alliance Delta 5 Rocket launched the Intelsat 14 commercial communications satellite.

Launch was at 1:55 am EDT from launch pad SLC-41. Pushed back to after shuttle launch following technical issues.

Launch delayed from October 14, and November 14, 2009.

November 16, 2009 – Space Shuttle Atlantis, STS-129 (ISS-ULF3)

The 31st mission to the International Space Station delivered the EXPRESS Logistics Carrier 1 (ELC1) and EXPRESS Logistics Carrier 2 (ELC2).

Launch was from launch pad LC-39A.

Originally planned for Endeavour. Delayed from October 15 and November 12, 2009.

October 28, 2009 – NASA Ares I-X First Test Flight

This was the first launch of the new NASA Ares I-X Constellation launch vehicle on a sub-orbital test flight. The Ares programme has been designed to eventually return astronauts to the moon and replace the space shuttle.

Launch was from launch pad LC-39B at 8:30 am EDT.

Delayed from July 11 and August 30, 2009 and moved forward from October 31, 2009.

September 25, 2009 – United Launch Alliance Delta 2 Rocket, STSS

The Delta 2 mission is a tracking technology demonstrator for the Missile Defense Agency as part of a ballistic missile defense system (Space Tracking and Surveillance System).

Launch was from launch pad SLC-17B at 8:20 am EDT (window extended to 9:00).

Delayed from November 25, 2007, April, July 16, November 13 and 20, 2008 and January 23, June 16, July 29, September 15, 19 and 20, 2009. Postponed from September 23 because of bad weather and then a small fuel leak.

September 8, 2009 – United Launch Alliance Atlas 5 Rocket, PAN (AV018)

The Atlas 5 mission is a classified satellite for the U.S. government. No further details are available.

Launch was from launch pad SLC-41 at 5:35 pm EDT. Delayed from July 17 and August 12, 2009.

August 28, 2009 – Space Shuttle Discovery, STS-128 (ISS-17A)

The 30th mission to the International Space Station delivered the Multi-Purpose Logistics Module (MPLM), Lightweight Multi-Purpose Experiment Support Structure Carrier (LMC), Three crew quarters, galley, second treadmill (TVIS2) and Crew Health Care System 2 (CHeCS 2).

The launch was delayed due to bad weather and then a faulty valve but eventually Discovery lifted off at 11:59pm EDT. Return landing was diverted to California because of bad weather.

Originally planned for Discovery, switched to Atlantis and then back to Discovery. Delayed from July 30 and August 6 and 7 and then 18. Moved up from August 24, 2009 and then back again. Launch on August 25 scrubbed due to bad weather and then on August 26 because of a problem with a main propulsion valve.

August 17, 2009 – United Launch Alliance Delta 2 Rocket, GPS 2R-21 (M8)

A United Launch Alliance Delta 2 has launched the eighth NAVSTAR GPS Block 2R military navigation satellite from launch pad SLC-17. This is the last ever launch of a Delta 2 rocket for the US Air Force.

Launch was scheduled from launch pad SLC-17A between 6:35 and 6:49 am EDT.

Delayed from September 11 and December 18, 2008. Moved up from August 21, 2009.

July 15, 2009 – Space Shuttle Endeavour, STS-127 (ISS-2J/A)

The 29th mission to the International Space Station will deliver the Kibo Japanese Experiment Module Exposed Facility (JEM EF), Kibo Japanese Experiment Logistics Module – Exposed Section (ELM-ES) and Spacelab Pallet – Deployable 2 (SLP-D2).

Endeavour was prepared as an emergency rescue craft for the Atlantis servicing mission to the Hubble Space Telescope but was not required.

Launch was originally set for June 13 but was scrubbed because of a gas leak from a hydrogen venting system on the external tank. The launch was rescheduled for June 17 but cancelled again after further leaks were detected. Endeavour launched at 6:03 pm EDT on July 15 from launch pad LC-39A.

Rescheduled from May 15, to June 13, 2009, because of the Atlantis mission on May 11/12. Delayed again from June 17 and then July 11 following lightning strikes near the launch pad. Delayed again on July 12 due to continual bad weather.

June 27, 2009 – United Launch Alliance Delta 4, GOES-O

GOES-O is a joint NASA/NOAA (National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration) mission to launch a Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellite (GOES) from launch pad SLC-37B.

Launch window was from 6:14 to 7:14 pm EDT. Delayed from June 26 because of bad weather.

Previously delayed from April, June 12, July 20, August 8, November 5 and December 2007, January 22, February 10, March and April 6 and 28, 2008. Further delayed from April/May 2009 for component redesign.

June 18, 2009 – United Launch Alliance Atlas 5 Rocket, LRO/LCROSS

The Atlas 5 mission has launched the Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter (LRO) and Lunar Crater Observation and Sensing Satellite (LCROSS) to confirm the presence or absence of water ice in a permanently shadowed crater at the Moon’s North and South Poles.

Launch was pushed back one day to avoid a potential clash with the revised launch of Space Shuttle Endeavour. Originally set for 5:12 pm EDT on June 18 from launch pad SLC-41, launch actually took place at 5:32 pm.

Delayed from October 28, November 24, early December, 2008, February 27, March 2, April 24, May 20 and 21, June 2 and 17, 2009.

May 11, 2009 – Space Shuttle Atlantis, STS-125, Hubble HST-SM4 mission

NASA planned a fifth and final mission to the Hubble Space Telescope, interrupting the missions to the International Space Station, in order to extend its useful working life to 2013.

During the 11 day mission, astronauts have replaced the telescope’s failing batteries and gyroscopes, installed two new instruments; the Cosmic Origins Spectrograph (replacing the Corrective Optics Space Telescope Axial Replacement, COSTAR) and Wide Field Camera 3 (replace the Wide Field Planetary Camera 2, WFPC2) and repaired the Space Telescope Imaging Spectrograph (STIS).

They have also installed a docking module so that at some point in the future, a propulsion module can be installed to allow the Hubble telescope to make a controlled re-entry when the telescope is decommissioned.

The shuttle does not carry sufficient fuel to reach the International Space Station in the event of a problem whilst servicing the Hubble telescope and therefore a second shuttle (Endeavour) was on standby as an emergency rescue vehicle.

Launch was set for May 12 from launch pad LC-39A but NASA then moved the launch a day earlier. Launch time was 2:01 pm EDT.

Landing was set for 10:00 am EDT on May 22, weather permitting but in the end Atlantis was forced to divert to Edwards Air Force Base in California on May 24.

Delayed from August 7, August 28 and October 8, 10 and 14 2008.

April 3, 2009 – United Launch Alliance Atlas 5 Rocket, WGS SV2

The Atlas 5 mission is to launch the second of five Wideband Global SATCOM spacecraft (WGS) for the US military from pad SLC-41.

Launch was at 8:31 pm EDT. Launch was delayed from March 14 to clear the way for the launch of the Space Shuttle Discovery on March 15 and then further delayed by a leaky valve. Delayed from August 2, August 4 and October 10, late November and December 4, 2008, March 9, 13, 14, 17 and 31, 2009.

March 24, 2009 – United Launch Alliance Delta 2 Rocket, GPS 2R-20 (M7)

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

Launch window was from 4:34 to 4:49 am EDT. Delayed from June 30, July 16, October 16 and November 7, 2008.

March 15, 2009 – Space Shuttle Discovery, STS-119 (ISS-15A)

The 28th mission to the International Space Station delivered the fourth starboard truss segment (ITS S6) and fourth set of solar arrays and batteries.

Launch time was set for 7:43 pm EDT from launch pad 39A. Delayed from November 6 and December 4, 2008 and February 12, 19 and 27. 2009.

March 6, 2009 – Boeing Delta 2 Rocket, Kepler

The Kepler mission is designed to survey our part of the Milky Way galaxy, looking at hundreds of Earth-size and smaller planets for possible habitable zones.

Launch time was 10:49 pm EDT from launch pad SLC-17B. Delayed from February 16 and brought forward from April 10.

January 17, 2009 – Boeing Delta 4-H Rocket, NROL-26

The United Launch Alliance Delta 4-Heavy rocket launched a classified spy satellite for the U.S. National Reconnaissance Office.

Delayed from 2005, 2006, 2007 and January 25, April, May 9, July 25, September 9 and 26, October 17 and December 16, 2008, January 13, 14 and 15 2009.

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