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2008 Space Launch Log

Every major space launch to orbit during the year 2008 is listed here. Please send any corrections to SPACE.com.

Failures resulting in loss of mission are noted in red.

January 15: A Sea Launch Zenit 3SL booster to launch Thuraya 3 mobile communications satellite from the Odyssey Launch Platform on the equatorial waters of the Pacific Ocean. 6:49 a.m. EST (1149 GMT). Read more.

January 20: An Indian Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle launches the covert Israeli spy satellite TechSAR from Satish Dhawan Space Center in Sriharikota, India. 10:45 p.m. EST (0345 Jan. 21 GMT). Read more.

January 27: A Russian Proton rocket to launch the communication satellite Express AM33 from Kazakhstan's Baikonur Cosmodrome. 7:17 p.m. EST (0017 Jan. 28 GMT). Read more.

February 4: Iran launched a research rocket Explorer-1 spaceward from the country's first space center. Read more.

February 5: A Russian Soyuz rocket to launch the Russian-built Progress 28 cargo ship toward the International Space Station from Baikonur Cosmodrome, Kazakhstan. 8:02:50 a.m. EST (13:02:50 GMT) Read more.

February 7: NASA's space shuttle Atlantis to launch NASA's STS-122 mission to deliver the European Columbus laboratory to the International Space Station in a flight to begin at the Kennedy Space Center in Florida. 2:45 p.m. EST (1945 GMT). Read more. Click here for mission updates!

February 10: An International Launch Alliance Proton rocket to launch the Thor 5 communications satellite into orbit from Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan. 6:33 a.m. EST (1133 GMT). Read more.

February 23: A Japanese H-2A rocket launched the Wideband InterNetworking engineering test and Demonstration Satellite (WINDS) for the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) from the Tanegashima Space Center in Tanegashima, Japan. 3:55 a.m. EST (0855 GMT). Read more from Spaceflight Now.

March 8: An Arianespace Ariane 5 rocket launched the European Space Agency's first Automated Transfer Vehicle Jules Verne toward the International Space Station from the Guiana Space Center in Kourou, French Guiana. 11:03 p.m. EST (0403 GMT). Read More. Click here for mission updates!

March 11: NASA's space shuttle Endeavour to launch Japan's Kibo Experiment Logistics Module and Canada's Dextre robotic arm addition on the STS-123 mission to the International Space Station. 2:28 a.m. EDT (0628 GMT). Read More. Click here for mission updates!

March 13: A United Launch Alliance Atlas 5 rocket to launch a classified payload aboard the NROL-28 mission for the U.S. National Reconnaissance Office from Vandenberg Air Force Base in California. 6:02 a.m. EDT (1002 GMT). Read More from Spaceflight Now.

March 14: An International Launch Services Proton rocket to launch the AMC-14 communications satellite from Baoikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan. 7:18 p.m. EDT (2318 GMT). Read More from Spaceflight Now.

March 15: A United Launch Alliance Delta 2 booster to orbit the GPS 2R-19 global positioning system satellite for the U.S. Air Force in a space shot staged from Cape Canaveral Air Force Base in Cape Canaveral, Fla. 2:10 a.m. EDT (0610 GMT). Read More from Spaceflight Now.

March 19: A Sea Launch Zenit 3SL rocket orbits the DIRECTV 11 television broadcasting satellite from the Odyssey Launch Platform in the equatorial waters of the Pacific Ocean. 6:48 p.m. EDT (2248 GMT). Read More from Spaceflight Now.

March 27: A Russian-built Kosmos 3M rocket launches the German SAR-Lupe 4 radar spy satellites from Plesetsk Cosmodrome in Russia. 1:15 p.m. EDT (1715 GMT). Read More from Spaceflight Now.

April 8: A Russian Soyuz rocket launched the Soyuz TMA-12 spacecraft toward the International Space Station from Baikonur Cosmodrome, Kazakhstan with the Expedition 17 crew and South Korea's first astronaut aboard. 7:16 a.m. EDT (1116 GMT). Read More. Click here for Mission Updates.

April 14: A United Launch Alliance Atlas 5 rocket to launch the ICO G1 communications satellite from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Cape Canaveral, Florida. 4:12 p.m. EDT (2012 GMT). Read More from Spaceflight Now.

April 16: A Orbital Sciences Pegasus rocket to launch the Communication and Navigation Outage Forecasting System (C/NOFS) satellite for the U.S. military in a space shot to be staged from the Marshall Islands' Kwajalein Atoll in the Pacific Ocean. 1:01 p.m. EDT (1701 GMT). Read More from Spaceflight Now.

April 18: An Arianespace Ariane 5 rocket to orbit the VINASAT 1 communications satellite for Vietnam and Brazil's Star One C2 communications satellite from a spaceport at Kourou, French Guiana. 6:17 p.m. EDT (2217 GMT). Read More from Spaceflight Now.

April 26: A Russian-built Soyuz rocket to launch the European Galileo navigation satellite GIOVE-B from Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan. 6:16:02 p.m. EDT (2216:02 GMT). Read More from Spaceflight Now.

April 27: An Indian Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle launches the CartoSat 2A Earth observatory and a series of other satellites into orbit from Satish Dhawan Space Center in Sriharikota, India. 11:53:51 p.m. EDT (0353:51 April 28 GMT). Read More. Launch coverage from Spaceflight Now.

April 28: A Land Launch Zenit 3SLB rocket orbits the Amos 3 communications satellite for Israel's Spacecom Limited from Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan. 1:00 a.m. EDT (0500 GMT). Read More.

April 28: A Chinese Long March 3C rocket launched the Tianlian I relay satellite that will aid the country's first planned spacewalk. Read More.