2008 in spaceflight

2008 in spaceflight

First successful flight of a SpaceX Falcon 1
Orbital launches
First	15 January
Last	25 December
Total	69
Successes	66
Failures	2
Partial failures	1
Catalogued	67
National firsts
Satellite	Venezuela  Vietnam
Space traveller	South Korea
Rockets
Maiden flights	Ariane 5ES Long March 3C PSLV-XL Safir Zenit-3SLB
Retirements	H-IIA 2024
Crewed flights
Orbital	7
Total travellers	37
v t e

The year 2008 contained several significant events in spaceflight, including the first flyby of Mercury by a spacecraft since 1975, the discovery of water ice on Mars by the Phoenix spacecraft, which landed in May, the first Chinese spacewalk in September, the launch of the first Indian Lunar probe in October, and the first successful flight of a privately developed orbital launch vehicle by SpaceX's Falcon 1.