The Complete 2010 Launch Forecast

LASTUPDATED July 2, 2010:Thanks to all of you who are writing in withcorrectionsto this launch forecast. Please remember to cite your source for anysuggestions you make. And as always, please remember that there is no greaterwork of fiction than a Web site's launch schedule. These dates are often basedon unofficial sources and change almost every day. Please DO NOT scheduletravel based on a date you see here:

2010

July 27: India's PolarSatellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV) to launch the Cartosat 2B Earth-observationsatellite from the Satish Dhawan Space Center in Sriharikota, India. 11:53 p.m.EDT (0353 GMT).

July 30: A United LaunchAlliance Atlas 5 rocket to launch the U.S. military's Advanced Extremely HighFrequency 1 (AEHF 1) communications satellite into orbit from Space LaunchComplex 41 at the Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida.

August: Japan's workhorseH-2A rocket to launch the new Michibiki satellite, formerly as the Quasi-ZenithSatellite, to boost Global Positioning Satellite services in Japan. 9:54-10:54a.m. EDT (1354-1454 GMT).

*NET LateAugust:A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket, the company's second such booster, to launch thefirst Dragon spacecraft on a 4 1/2-hour demonstration flight (Dragon C1)? to blastoff from Space Launch Complex 40 at the Cape Canaveral Air Force Station inFlorida.

October 8: A Russian-builtSoyuz rocket to launch three new crewmembers to the International Space Stationaboard a new digital Soyuz TMA-20 spacecraft blasting off from BaikonurCosmodrome, Kazakhstan to boost the outpost's Expedition 24 crew.

October: A Chinese Long March3A rocket to launch the new Chang'e 2 spacecraft ? the country's second lunarorbiter ? from Xichang Space Center in the Sichuan province.

*NET November1:The space shuttle Discovery will launch from NASA's Kennedy Space Center inFlorida on what is expected to be the final space shuttle flight in history todeliver a huge shelf of spare parts and a cargo module that has been refittedto serve as a permanent storage module on the International Space Station. 4:33p.m. EDT (2033 GMT).

November22:An Orbital Sciences-built Taurus rocket to blast off from Vandenberg Air ForceBase in California to launch the Glory Earth-watching satellite to monitorEarth's black carbon and aerosol levels in the atmosphere and otherclimate-related phenomena. 5:09 a.m. EST (1009 GMT).

December1: AUnited Launch Alliance Delta 4-Heavy rocket to liftoff from California'sVandenberg Air Force Station carrying the classified NROL-49 spy satellite forthe U.S. National Reconnaissance Office.

December10:A Russian-built Soyuz rocket to launch three new crewmembers to theInternational Space Station aboard a Soyuz TMA-21 spacecraft blasting off fromBaikonur Cosmodrome, Kazakhstan to boost the outpost's Expedition 25 crew.

Early2011:An Arianespace-managed Soyuz 2-1a rocket to launch its second mission fromGuiana Space Center in Kourou, French Guiana, this one to orbit the Pleiades 1Earth-observation satellite as well as four ELISA electronic intelligencesatellites and Chile's SSOT remote-sensing spacecraft.

*NET February26, 2011:NASA's space shuttle Endeavour is slated to launch the STS-134 mission to theInternational Space Station to deliver the Alpha Magnetic Spectrometer, abillion-dollar experiment, as well as vital supplies and spare parts.

 

Previous Launches
2009 | 2008 | 2007 |2006 |2005 | 2004 | 2003 | 2002 | 2001 | 2000 | 1999 |
Launch Database from Florida Today

 

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