2008 in spaceflight

This article or section documents scheduled or expected spaceflights. Details may change as the launch dates approach or more information becomes available.

Contents 1 Launches 2 Deep Space Rendezvous in 2008 3 EVAs 4 Orbital launch summary 4.1 By country 4.2 By rocket 4.3 By orbit 5 See also 6 References 6.1 Footnotes

Launches

This is a list of spaceflights launched, or scheduled to be launched in 2008, including the next scheduled launch.

← Jan • Feb • Mar • Apr • May • Jun • Jul • Aug • Sep • Oct • Nov • Dec →

Launch date and time	Rocket	Launch site	Launch contractor	Payload	Operator	Orbit	Mission function	Re-entry or destruction	Outcome	Remarks
11 January, 05:32 GMT[1]	Black Brant IX	LC-36, White Sands	NASA	LIDOS	NASA/JHU	Sub-orbital	Ultraviolet astronomy	11 January, 05:42 GMT	Successful	Apogee: 315 km (196 mi)
15 January, 11:49 GMT[2]	Zenit-3SL	Ocean Odyssey	Sea Launch	Thuraya 3	Thuraya	GEO	Comsat	Still in orbit	Successful so far
17 January[3]	Jericho III	Palmachim	IAF		IAF	Sub-orbital	Missile test	17 January 2008	Successful
18 January, 07:30 GMT[4]	Black Brant XII	Andøya	NASA	SCIFER-2	NASA/Cornell/Dartmouth	Sub-orbital	Ionospheric research	18 January 2008	Successful	Apogee: 1,460 km (907 mi)
21 January, 03:45 GMT[2]	PSLV-CA	FLP, Sriharikota	ISRO	Polaris (TechSAR)	IAI	LEO	Radar imaging	Still in orbit	Successful so far
25 January[5]	Shaheen-I	Sonmiani	PAF		PAF	Sub-orbital	Missile test	25 January 2008	Successful
28 January, 00:18 GMT[2]	Proton-M	LC-200/39, Baikonur	RKA	Ekspress AM-33	RSCC	GSO	Comsat	Still in orbit	Successful so far
31 January, 19:14 GMT[6]	/VS-30-Orion	Andøya	/DLR/ARR	HotPay-2	University of Leeds	Sub-orbital	Ionospheric research	31 January 2008	Successful	Apogee: 380.6 km (236 mi)
January[7]	SM-3	White Sands	US Navy/MDA	ABM	US Navy/MDA	Sub-orbital	ABM test	Within 15 minutes of launch	Successful
4 February[8]	Safir	Semnan	IARI	Kavoshgar-1	ISA	Sub-orbital		4 February	Successful
5 February, 13:02:54 GMT[2]	Soyuz-U	LC-1/5, Baikonur	RKA	Progress M-63	RKA	LEO, docked to ISS	Resupply ISS	7 April 2008, 11:50 GMT[9]	Successful
6 February, 09:14:40 GMT[10]	S-310	Uchinoura	JAXA		JAXA	Sub-orbital	Ionosphere research	6 February	Successful
7 February, 11:30 GMT[11]	VSB-30	Esrange	/DLR/ESA	/TEXUS-44	DLR/ESA	Sub-orbital	Microgravity research	7 February	Successful	Apogee: 264 km (164 mi)
7 February, 19:45:30 GMT[2]	Space Shuttle Atlantis	LC-39A, Kennedy	USA	STS-122, 7 astronauts	NASA	LEO, docked to ISS	Manned orbital flight	20 February 2008, 14:07:10 GMT[12]	Successful	ISS assembly flight
				Columbus	ESA	LEO, attached to ISS	ISS component	Still in orbit	Successful so far
11 February, 11:34 GMT[2]	Proton-M	LC-200/39, Baikonur	ILS	Thor-5	Telenor	Geosynchronous	Comsat	Still in orbit	Successful so far
21 February, 03:26 GMT[13]	SM-3	USS Lake Erie	US Navy/MDA	ASAT	US Navy/MDA	Sub-orbital	ASAT satellite intercept	21 February, 03:29 GMT[13]	Successful	Destroyed USA-193 satellite[14][15]
21 February, 06:15 GMT[11]	VSB-30	Esrange	/DLR/ESA	/TEXUS-45	DLR/ESA	Sub-orbital	Microgravity research	21 February	Successful
23 February, 08:55 GMT[2]	H-IIA 2024	Pad Y, Tanegashima	MHI	WINDS (Kizuna)	JAXA/NICT	GEO	Comsat/Technology development	Still in orbit	Successful so far
26 February, 07:28 GMT[16]	K-15	INS Kalinga	Indian Navy		Indian Navy	Sub-orbital	SLBM test	26 February 2008	Successful
9 March, 04:03:07 GMT[2]	Ariane 5-ES	ELA-3, CSG (Kourou)	Arianespace	ATV-001 Jules Verne	ESA	LEO, docked to ISS	Test spacecraft, resupply ISS	29 September 2008	Successful	Maiden flight of Ariane 5-ES and ATV
11 March, 06:28:14 GMT[2]	Space Shuttle Endeavour	LC-39A, Kennedy	USA	STS-123, 7 Astronauts	NASA	LEO, docked to ISS	Manned orbital flight	00:39:08 GMT, 27 March 2008[17]	Successful	ISS assembly flight
				/Spacelab MD002 Pallet[18]	ESA/NASA	LEO, attached to ISS and Endeavour	Transport pallet for Dextre		Successful	Final flight of Spacelab programme[18]
				JEM ELM-PF	JAXA	LEO, attached to ISS	ISS component	Still in orbit	Successful so far	First of three components for the JEM
				Dextre (SPDM)	MDA	LEO, attached to ISS	ISS component	Still in orbit	Successful so far
13 March, 10:02 GMT[2]	Atlas V (411)	SLC-3E, Vandenberg AFB	ULA	USA-200 (NRO L-28/Trumpet)[19]	NRO	Molniya[19]	ELINT[19]	Still in orbit	Successful so far	First Atlas V launch from Vandenberg AFB
14 March, 23:18:55 GMT[2][20]	Proton-M/Briz-M	LC-200/39, Baikonur	/ILS	AMC-14	SES Americom	Intended: Geosynchronous Actual: MEO	Comsat	Still in orbit	Partial failure, still in operation	Upper stage malfunction during second burn[21][22][23] Recovery attempted but abandoned due to legal issues.[24][25] Later sold and recovery efforts restarted.[26]
15 March, 06:10 GMT[27]	Delta II (7925-9.5)	LC-17A, Cape Canaveral	ULA	USA-201 (GPS IIR-19/M6)[28]	US Air Force	MEO	Navigation	Still in orbit	Successful so far	80th consecutive successful Delta II launch.[27]
19 March, 22:47:59 GMT[29][30]	Zenit 3SL	Ocean Odyssey	Sea Launch	DirecTV-11	DirecTV	GEO	Comsat	Still in orbit	Successful so far
23 March, 04:45 GMT[31]	Agni 1	LC-4, Wheeler Island[31]	Indian Army		SFC/DRDO	Sub-orbital	Missile test	23 March 2008	Successful[31]
27 March, 17:15 GMT[32]	Kosmos-3M	LC-132/1,Plesetsk	COSMOS International	SAR-Lupe 4	KSA, Bundeswehr	Polar LEO	Military reconnaissance	Still in orbit	Successful so far
28 March	VSB-30	Andoya	ARR	Mini-DUSTY 14	ARR	Sub-orbital	Ionospheric research	28 March	Successful
2 April, 08:01 GMT[33]	Minuteman III	LF-09, Vandenberg AFB	US Air Force	GT-196GM	US Air Force	Sub-orbital	ICBM test	2 April 2008	Successful	Range: 6,759 kilometres (4,200 mi)[33]
8 April, 11:16:39 GMT[9][34]	Soyuz-FG	LC-1/5, Baikonur	RKA	Soyuz TMA-12, 3 cosmonauts	RKA	LEO, docked to ISS	Manned orbital flight	Still in orbit	Successful so far	ISS Expedition 17[34] First South Korean in space[9] First second-generation cosmonaut[35] Docked on 10 April at 12:57 GMT[34]
14 April, 16:58 GMT[36]	Black Brant IX	LC-36, White Sands	NASA	SEE	NASA/UoC LASP	Sub-orbital	Ultraviolet astronomy[37]	14 April, 17:08 GMT[36]	Successful
14 April, 20:12:00 GMT[38]	Atlas V (421)	LC-41, Cape Canaveral	ULA	ICO G1	ICO Satellite Management	Geosynchronous	Mobile communications	Still in orbit	Successful so far	Heaviest single commercial satellite to be placed in GSO. Heaviest satellite to be launched by an Atlas rocket.[38]
15 April	Blue Sparrow	/F-15 Eagle, Israel	IAF		IAF	Sub-orbital	Test flight	15 April	Successful	Maiden flight of Blue Sparrow
16 April, 17:01 GMT[39]	Pegasus-XL	L-1011, Kwajalein Atoll	Orbital	C/NOFS	STP/NASA	LEO	Scientific electrodynamics satellite	Still in orbit	Successful so far
18 April, 22:17 GMT[40]	Ariane 5-ECA	ELA-3, CSG (Kourou)	Arianespace	Vinasat-1	VNPT	GSO	Comsat	Still in orbit	Successful so far	First Vietnamese satellite
				Star One C2	Star One	GSO	Comsat	Still in orbit	Successful so far
19 April[41][42]	Shaheen-II	Sonmiani	Army of Pakistan[43]		Army of Pakistan[43]	Sub-orbital	IRBM test	19 April	Successful
21 April[44]	Shaheen-II	Sonmiani	Army of Pakistan		Army of Pakistan	Sub-orbital	IRBM test	21 April	Successful
25 April, 15:35 GMT[45]	Long March 3C	LC-2, Xichang	CNSA	Tianlian-1	CASC	GEO	Comsat	Still in orbit	Successful so far	Maiden flight of Long March 3C
26 April, 22:16:02 GMT[46]	Soyuz-FG/Fregat	LC-31/6, Baikonur	/Starsem	GIOVE-B	ESA	MEO	Experimental navigation satellite	Still in orbit	Successful so far
28 April, 03:53:51 GMT[47][48]	PSLV-C	SLP, Sriharikota	ISRO	Cartosat-2A[49]	ISRO	LEO	Remote Sensing	Still in orbit	Successful so far
				TWSAT[49]	ISRO	LEO	Remote sensing	Still in orbit	Successful so far
				CanX-2[50]	UTIAS	LEO	Technology development[50]	Still in orbit	Successful so far	NSL-4[51]
				Cute-1.7+APD II[52]	Tokyo Institute of Technology	LEO	Technology development	Still in orbit	Successful so far	NSL-4[51]
				Delfi-C3[53]	Delft University	LEO	Technology development	Still in orbit	Successful so far	NSL-4[51]
				AAUSAT-II[54]	Aalborg University	LEO	Radiation research[54]	Still in orbit	Successful so far	NSL-4[51]
				COMPASS-1[55]	Aachen University	LEO	Remote sensing Technology demonstration	Still in orbit	Successful so far	NSL-4[51]
				SEEDS-2[56]	Nihon University	LEO	Technology development	Still in orbit	Successful so far	NSL-4[51]
				CanX-6[57]	UTIAS/COM DEV	LEO	Technology demonstration	Still in orbit	Successful so far	NSL-5[51]
				RUBIN-8[58]	OHB System	LEO	Technology demonstration	Still in orbit	Successful so far	Attached to upper stage
28 April, 05:00 GMT[59]	Zenit-3SLB	LC-45/1, Baikonur	Land Launch	AMOS-3 (AMOS-60)	Space Communications Ltd	Geosynchronous	Comsat	Still in orbit	Successful so far	First Land Launch contracted launch, maiden flight of Zenit-3SLB. Placed in incorrect orbit due to carrier rocket underperformance."Израиль корит Роскосмос за невыполненные обязательства" (in Russian). Izvestia (2008-05-06). Retrieved on 2008-05-09.</ref> Corrected by satellite through use of spare fuel, without affecting operational life.
1 May, 05:30 GMT[60][61]	Black Brant IX	LC-36, White Sands	NASA		NASA/JHU	Sub-orbital	Ultraviolet astronomy	1 May, 05:40 GMT	Successful
6 May,[62] 18:00-20:00 GMT (TBC)	Mesquito	LC-2, Wallops Island	NASA		NASA	Sub-orbital	Test flight	6 May 2008	Successful	Maiden flight of Mesquito
7 May, 04:26 GMT[63][64]	Agni-III	LC-4, ITR	Indian Army		SFC/DRDO	Sub-orbital	Missile test	7 May 2008, ~04:41 GMT	Successful
7 May,[62] 18:00-20:00 GMT (TBC)	Mesquito	LC-2, Wallops Island	NASA		NASA	Sub-orbital	Test flight	7 May 2008	Failure	Loss of stabilisation after burnout, fins detached during descent.[62]
8 May	Trident II	USS Nebraska	US Navy		US Navy	Sub-orbital	SLBM test	8 May 2008	Successful
8 May	Trident II