Rocket & Space Shuttle Launches 2010

On this page, you will find details of all rocket and space shuttle launches so far for 2010 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 8, 2010 – Falcon 9 Demonstrator

A SpaceX Falcon 9 made its second flight carrying the first active Dragon capsule. This vehicle is being developed to deliver supplies to the International Space Station.

Launch window was from 9:03 am to 12:22 pm EDT from launch pad SLC-40.

Delayed from July 21, August, September 9, October 23 and November 8 and 19.

November 21, 2010 – United Launch Alliance Delta 4 Rocket, NROL-32

The Delta 4 mission launched a classified payload for the U.S. National Reconnaissance Office.

Launch was from launch pad SLC-37B.

Delayed from October 19 and November 5, 15 and 19.

August 14, 2010 – United Launch Alliance Atlas 5 Rocket, AEHF1

The Atlas 5 mission was to launch the first Advanced Extremely High Frequency (AEHF) satellite to provide highly-secure communications for the U.S. military.

Launch was from launch pad SLC-41. Launch window was between 7:07 am and 9:06 am EDT.

Delayed from July 30 and August 10 and 12, 2010.

June 4, 2010 – Falcon 9 Demonstrator

A SpaceX Falcon 9 made its first flight carrying a stripped-down version of the company’s own Dragon capsule. This vehicle is being developed to deliver supplies to the International Space Station after the retirement of the space shuttle fleet.

Launch window was from 1:00 pm to 5:00 pm from launch pad SLC-40.

Delayed from November 29, 2009, February 2, March 22, April 12, May 8, 23 and 28, June 2 2010.

May 27, 2010 – United Launch Alliance Delta 4 Rocket, GPS 2F-1

A United Launch Alliance Delta 4 launched the first GPS Block 2F military navigation satellite from launch pad SLC-37B.

Launch window was from 11:00 pm EST. A series of technical glitches saw the launch abandoned in the final minutes of countdown over several days.

Delayed from late 2009 and February, May 13, 17, 20, 21, 23 and 24, 2010.

May 14, 2010 – Space Shuttle Atlantis, STS-132 (ISS-20A)

The 34th mission to the International Space Station delivered the Russian Mini-Research Module 1.

Launch was at 2:20 pm EDT from launch pad LC-39A and Atlantis landed back at the Kennedy Space Center on May 26.

Delayed from April 8, 2010. Officially this is Atlantis’s last flight.

April 22, 2010 – United Launch Alliance Atlas 5 Rocket, OTV X-37B

A United Launch Alliance Atlas 5 Rocket launched the Pentagon’s unmanned X-37B Orbital Test Vehicle (OTV) space plane prototype. After a successful mission, the orbiter is expected to make an automated landing at the Vandenberg Air Force Base in California.

Launch window was from 6:44 pm to 9:07 pm EST from launch pad SLC-41.

Delayed from December 2008, February 26, 2009 and April 19/20, 2010 because of delays in the landing of the Space Shuttle Discovery.

April 5, 2010 – Space Shuttle Discovery, STS-131 (ISS-ULF4)

The 33rd mission to the International Space Station delivered the Multi-Purpose Logistics Module.

Launch time was set for 6:21 am EDT from launch pad LC-39A.

Originally planned for Endeavour and then Atlantis. Delayed from February 11, 2010 and then pushed back from March 18 because of cold weather delaying move to VAB and launch pad.

March 4, 2010 – United Launch Alliance Delta IV Rocket, GOES-P

A United Launch Alliance Delta IV launched the next meteorological NASA/NOAA (National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration) Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellite (GOES) satellite from launch pad SLC-37B. Launch window was from 6:19 pm to 7:19 pm EST and launch took place at 6:57 pm.

Moved up from March 4 to February 25 and then back to March 1, 2010. Further delayed after technical issues.

February 11, 2010 – United Launch Alliance Atlas 5 Rocket, SDO

The Atlas 5 mission is to launch NASA’s Solar Dynamics Observatory (SDO) as part of the space agency’s Living With a Star (LWS) Program.

Launch was from launch pad SLC-41 at 10:23 am EDT.

Delayed from December 2008. Moved up from January 26, 2010 to take the Mars Science Laboratory launch slot and then pushed back from October 14, 2009 to December 4, 2009. Bad weather caused the preceeding shuttle Endeavour launch scheduled for February 7, 2010 to be pushed back which then had a knock-on effect to the Atlas launch. Launch on February 10 was scrubbed because of high winds.

February 8, 2010 – Space Shuttle Endeavour, STS-130 (ISS-19A)

The 32nd mission to the International Space Station will deliver the Multi-Purpose Logistics Module (MPLM) and Lightweight Multi-Purpose Experiment Support Structure Carrier (LMC).

Endeavour successfully launched at 4:14 am EDT from launch pad LC-39A and landed back in Florida on Sunday, February 21.

Originally planned for Discovery. Delayed from December 10, 2008. Low clouds caused delay from February 7, 2010.

This was the last ever scheduled night launch of a space shuttle.