List of failed Thor and Delta launches

Short description: None

This is a list of failed launches of rockets in the Thor and Delta rocket family. The Thor and Delta family rockets have had 51 complete failures, 10 partial failures, and 1 partial success, for a total of 62 unsuccessful Thor and Delta family missions. Since it has had 768 launches, this gives it a reliability of 91.9%, which puts it within the average range for rockets that started around the space age.[1]

## Contents

* 1 Launch attempts
* 1.1 1957-1959
* 1.2 1960-1969
* 1.3 1970-1979
* 1.4 1980-1989
* 1.5 1990-1999
* 1.6 Since 2000
* 2 References

## Launch attempts

The data in this table comes from [2][3][4][5][6][7][8][9][10][11][12] in addition to the references listed within the table.

### 1957-1959

|

Date/Time
(UTC)  | Rocket  | S/N  | Launch Site  | Payload  | Function  | Orbit  | Outcome  | Remarks  |
1957-01-26  | Thor DM-18 | Thor 101  | Cape Canaveral Air Force Station LC-17B  |  | Missile test  | Suborbital  | Failure  | Maiden flight of Thor, first launch from LC-17. Contaminated LOX caused loss of thrust at liftoff. Vehicle fell back onto the pad and exploded.
1957-04-20
04:33  | Thor DM-18  | Thor 102  | CCAFS LC-17B  |  | Missile test  | Suborbital  | Failure  | RSO sent a mistaken destruct command at T+35 seconds due to an incorrect console readout.
1957-08-30  | Thor DM-18  | Thor 104  | CCAFS LC-17A  |  | Missile test  | Suborbital  | Failure  |
1957-10-03
17:14  | Thor DM-18  | Thor 107  | CCAFS LC-17A  |  | Missile test  | Suborbital  | Failure  | Stuck valve prevented the gas generator from starting. Missile fell back onto the pad and exploded.
1957-10-11
16:33  | Thor DM-18  | Thor 108  | CCAFS LC-17B  |  | Missile test  | Suborbital  | Partial success  | Turbopump failure at T+152 seconds. Flight considered a "partial success".

### 1960-1969

Date/Time
(UTC)  | Rocket  | S/N  | Launch Site  | Payload  | Function  | Orbit  | Outcome  | Remarks
1960-02-04
18:51:45  | Thor DM-18 Agena-A | Thor 218
Agena 1052 | VAFB LC-75-3-4  | Discoverer 9  | Reconnaissance  | LEO | Failure  | Premature Thor cutoff. Agena could not attain orbital velocity.
1960-02-19
20:15:14  | Thor DM-18 Agena-A  | Thor 223
Agena 1054  | VAFB LC-75-3-5  | Discoverer 10  | Reconnaissance  | LEO | Failure  | Thor flight control malfunction. RSO T+52 seconds.
1960-05-13
09:16:05  | Thor DM-19 Delta | Thor 144
Delta 1  | CCAFS LC-17A  | Echo 1  | Communication  | MEO | Failure  | Maiden flight of Thor-Delta, upper-stage attitude control system malfunctioned
1960-06-29
22:00:44  | Thor DM-18 Agena-A  | Thor 160
Agena 1053  | VAFB LC-75-3-4  | Discoverer 12  | Reconnaissance  | LEO | Failure  | Agena attitude control malfunction.
1960-08-18
19:58  | Thor DM-21 Ablestar  | Thor 262
Ablestar 004  | CCAFS LC-17B  | Courier 1A  | Communications  | LEO | Failure  | Premature first stage cutoff. RSO T+150 seconds.
1960-10-26
20:26  | Thor DM-21 Agena-B | Thor 253
Agena 1061  | VAFB LC-75-3-4  | Discoverer 16 | Reconnaissance  | LEO | Failure  | Maiden flight of Thor-Agena B. Agena staging failed. Vehicle fell into the Pacific Ocean.
1960-11-30
19:50  | Thor DM-21 Ablestar  | Thor 283
Ablestar 006  | CCAFS LC-17B  | Transit 3A
GRAB-2 (Solrad-2)  | Navigation
ELINT  | LEO  | Failure  | Premature Thor cutoff. RSO. Debris fell in Cuba.[13]
1961-03-30
20:34:43  | Thor DM-21 Agena-B  | Thor 300
Agena 1105  | VAFB LC-75-3-4  | Discoverer 22 | Reconnaissance  | LEO | Failure  | Agena control failure.
1961-06-08
21:16  | Thor DM-21 Agena-B  | Thor 302
Agena 1108  | VAFB LC-75-3-4  | Discoverer 24 | Reconnaissance  | LEO | Failure  | Agena power failure
1961-07-21
22:35  | Thor DM-21 Agena-B  | Thor 322
Agena 1110  | VAFB LC-75-3-4  | Discoverer 27 | Reconnaissance  | LEO | Failure  | Open circuit in guidance computer led to loss of control and vehicle breakup at T+60 seconds.
1961-08-04
00:01  | Thor DM-21 Agena-B  | Thor 309
Agena 1111  | VAFB LC-75-1-1  | Discoverer 28 | Reconnaissance  | LEO  | Failure  | Agena control system malfunctioned
1961-10-23
19:23  | Thor DM-21 Agena-B  | Thor 329
Agena 1116  | VAFB LC-75-3-5  | Discoverer 33 | Reconnaissance  | LEO | Failure  | Agena hydraulics failure
1961-11-05
20:00  | Thor DM-21 Agena-B  | Thor 330
Agena 1117  | VAFB LC-75-1-1  | Discoverer 34 | Reconnaissance  | LEO  | Failure  | Incorrect guidance program left the satellite in a useless orbit.
1962-01-13
21:41  | Thor DM-21 Agena-B  | Thor 327
Agena 1120  | VAFB LC-75-3-4  | Discoverer 37 | Reconnaissance  | LEO | Failure  | Agena restart burn failed.
1962-01-24
09:30  | Thor DM-21 Ablestar  | Thor 311
Ablestar 010  | CCAFS LC-17B  | LOFTI-2A
SECOR
GRAB-4 (Solrad 4)
Injun 2
SURCAL 1  | Technology
Geodesy
ELINT
Ionospheric
Calibration  | LEO  | Failure  | Second stage insufficient thrust
1962-02-21
18:44  | Thor DM-21 Agena-B  | Thor 332
Agena 2301  | VAFB LC-75-3-5  | FTV 2301  | ELINT  | LEO  | Partial failure  | Upper stage failed to restart for circularization burn
1962-05-10
12:06  | Thor DM-21 Ablestar  | Thor 314
Ablestar 011  | CCAFS LC-17B  | ANNA 1A  | Geodesy  | LEO | Failure  | Second stage failed to ignite
1962-06-04
09:44:17  | Thor DSV-2E  | Thor 199  | Johnston LE-1  | Bluegill  | Nuclear test  | Suborbital  | Failure  | Radar contact lost 5 minutes after launch. RSO destruct command sent.
1962-06-20
08:46:16  | Thor DSV-2E  | Thor 193  | Johnston LE-1  | STARFISH  | Nuclear test  | Suborbital  | Failure  | RVs caused turbine exhaust gas to enter the thrust section, overheating and weakening the engine mounts. Engine broke loose and ruptured the propellant tanks T+59 seconds. Warhead destroyed by RSO T+65 seconds.
1962-07-26
09:13:53  | Thor DSV-2E  | Thor 180  | Johnston LE-1  | Bluegill Prime  | Nuclear test  | Suborbital  | Failure  | Stuck LOX valve caused loss of thrust and fire on the launch stand. Range Safety Officer destroyed the missile and warhead. Launch area extensively contaminated with plutonium.
1962-10-16

09:14:38

| Thor DSV-2E  | Thor 156  | Johnston LE-2  | Bluegill Double Prime  | Nuclear test  | Suborbital  | Failure  | Flight control failure T+85 seconds. RSO T+156 seconds.
1963-02-28
21:48  | TAT SLV-2A Agena-D | Thor 354
Agena 1159  | VAFB LC-75-3-5  | OPS 0583  | Reconnaissance  | LEO | Failure  | Maiden flight of Thrust-Augmented Thor Agena. One SRB failed to ignite and subsequently separate from the vehicle, resulting in loss of control and self-destruct T+127 seconds.
1963-03-18
21:13  | TAT SLV-2A Agena-D  | Thor 360
Agena 1164  | VAFB LC-75-3-4  | OPS 0627  | Reconnaissance  | LEO | Failure  | Electrical short at staging causes loss of Agena control and no orbit.
1963-04-26
20:13  | Thor DM-21 Agena-D  | Thor 372
Agena 1411  | VAFB LC-75-1-1  | OPS 1008  | Reconnaissance  | LEO | Failure  | Attitude sensor alignment error results in no Agena orbit.
1963-11-09
20:27:54  | Thor SLV-2 Agena-D  | Thor 400
Agena 1171  | VAFB LC-75-1-2  | OPS 2268  | Reconnaissance  | LEO | Failure  | Loss of heat shield causes high thrust section temperatures. Control loss at T+113 seconds followed by propulsion system shutdown.
1964-03-19
11:13:41  | Delta B  | Thor 391
Delta 24  | CCAFS LC-17A  | BE-A  | Ionospheric  | LEO | Failure  | Third stage underperformed
1964-03-24
12:15  | Thor DSV-2G  | Thor 240  | CCAFS LC-17B  | ASSET-2  | REV test  | Suborbital  | Failure  | Atmospheric flight, second stage fired intermittently, destroyed by range safety
1964-03-24
22:22:48  | TAT SLV-2A Agena-D  | Thor 396
Agena 1175  | Arguello LC-1-1  | OPS 3467  | Reconnaissance  | LEO | Failure  | Agena power failure. No orbit.
1964-04-21
18:50  | Thor DSV-2A Ablestar  | Thor 379
Ablestar 014  | VAFB LC-75-1-1  | Transit 5BN-3
Transit 5E-4  | Navigation  | LEO | Failure  |
1964-05-28
07:32  | Thor DSV-2J  | Thor 227  | Johnston LE-2  |  | ASAT test  | Suborbital  | Failure  |
1964-08-28
07:56:57  | Thor SLV-2 Agena-B  | Thor 399
Agena 6201
TA-3  | VAFB LC-75-1-1  | Nimbus 1 | Weather  | LEO  | Partial failure  | Second-stage cutoff early during second burn
1964-10-04
03:45:00  | Delta C  | Thor 392
Delta 26  | CCAFS LC-17A  | Explorer 21 | Magnetospheric  | HEO  | Partial failure  | Reached lower than planned orbit
1965-01-19
05:03  | Thor MG-18 | Thor 224  | VAFB SLC-10W  | DMSP-3B-F1 | Military weather satellite  | planned: LEO / SSO | Partial failure  | Maiden flight of the Thor-Burner series. Satellite failed to separate from the upper stage, but the satellite was able to operate for 6 months.
1965-09-02
20:00  | Thor DM-21 Agena-D  | Thor 401
Agena 1602  | VAFB LC-75-3-5  | MPRV  | Upper atmosphere and space experiments  | planned: MEO | Failure  | High winds caused the vehicle to drift off course. RSO T+43 seconds. Debris fell on a trailer park.
1966-01-08
04:48  | Thor Burner 1 | Thor 251  | VAFB SLC-10W  | DMSP-3B-F5 | Military weather satellite  | planned: LEO / SSO | Failure  | FW-4S second-stage motor failed to ignite.
1966-05-03
19:25  | TAT SLV-2A Agena-D  | Thor 465
Agena 1625  | VAFB LC-75-3-5  | OPS 1508 (KH-4A #1032)  | Reconnaissance  | planned: LEO | Failure  | Agena failed to separate from the Thor at staging. Vehicle fell into the Pacific Ocean.
1967-05-09
21:50  | Thorad SLV-2G Agena-D | Thor 508
Agena 1634  | VAFB SLC-1E  | KH-4A (S/N 1041)/SRV S/N 731  | Reconnaissance  | planned: LEO | Partial failure  | Rocket failed to cut off, resulting in incorrect, but usable orbit
1968-05-18
08:23  | Thorad SLV-2G Agena-D  | Thor 520
Agena 6221  | VAFB SLC-2E  | Nimbus B/EGRS-10 | Weather Satellite / Geodesic research satellite  | planned: LEO / SSO | Failure  | Incorrectly installed yaw gyro led to loss of control. RSO T+101 seconds.
1968-09-19
00:09  | Delta M | Thor 529
Delta 59  | CCAFS SLC-17A  | Intelsat 3-1 | Communication Satellite  | planned: GTO | Failure  | Pitch gyroscope failure led to loss of control starting at T+20 seconds. RSO T+110 seconds.
1969-07-26
02:06  | Delta M | Thor 547
Delta 71  | CCAFS SLC-17A  | Intelsat 3-5 | Communication Satellite  | planned: GTO | Partial failure  | Stage 3 motor case ruptured, leaving spacecraft in unusable orbit
1969-08-27
21:59  | Delta L | Thor 540
Delta 73  | CCAFS LC-17A  | Pioneer E / TTS-3  | Interplanetary space research probe / Technology demonstration satellite  | planned: Heliocentric | Failure  | Defective valve in Stage 1 caused a hydraulic fluid leak and loss of engine gimbaling at T+220 seconds, making it impossible for the second stage to reach orbit. RSO T+480 seconds.

### 1970-1979

Date/Time

(UTC)

| Rocket  | S/N  | Launch Site  | Payload  | Function  | Orbit  | Outcome  | Remarks
1970-04-24  | Thor DSV-2J  | Thor 225  |  | Johnston LE-1  | Satellite Inspection test  | Suborbital  | Failure  | Thor rocket collided with the satellite.
1971-02-17
20:04  | Thorad SLV-2H Agena-D  | Thor 537
Agena 1659  | VAFB SLC-3W  | KH-4B (S/N 1113) | Reconnaissance  | LEO  | Failure  | Improper pre-flight procedure caused frozen lubricant to form a plug that resulted in complete turbopump failure 18 seconds after liftoff. The booster lost thrust and impacted the ground not far from the launch complex.
1971-10-21
11:32  | Delta N6  | Delta 86
Thor 572  | VAFB SLC-2E  | ITOS-B  | Weather Satellite  | planned: LEO / SSO | Failure  | 2nd stage oxidizer leak starting at T+20 seconds. The attitude control system ran out of propellant trying to correct the stage's flight path and the launch vehicle reentered the atmosphere and broke up above the Arctic Circle.
1973-07-16
17:10  | Delta 300 | Delta 96
Thor 578  | VAFB SLC-2W  | ITOS-E  | Weather Satellite  | planned: LEO / SSO | Failure  | Hydraulic pump malfunction led to failure of the 2nd stage attitude control system. The booster and payload reentered the atmosphere and broke up.
1974-01-19
01:38  | Delta 2313 | Delta 100
Thor 587  | CCAFS SLC-17B  | Skynet-2A  | Military communication satellite  | planned: GTO | Failure  | First flight of the Delta 2000 series. Stage 2 electronics package short circuited (induced by a piece of conductive contaminant shaken loose during launch), leading to loss of control.
1976-02-19
07:52  | Thor Burner 2A | Thor 182  | VAFB SLC-10W  | DMSP-5C-F3 | Military weather satellite  | planned: LEO / SSO | Failure  | Thor stage not loaded with enough kerosene fuel due to incorrect LR79 main engine data sheet entry. Satellite re-entered after one orbit.
1977-04-20
10:15  | Delta 2914 | Delta 130
Thor 617  | CCAFS SLC-17B  | ESA-GEOS-1  | Magnetosphere research satellite  | planned: GTO | Partial failure  | Premature separation of second and third stages led to failure of Stage 3 spin up.
1977-09-13
23:21  | Delta 3914 | Delta 134
Thor 619  | CCAFS SLC-17A  | OTS-1 | Experimental communication satellite  | planned: GTO | Failure  | Launch vehicle exploded at T+52 seconds due to a rupture of the SRM #1 casing.
1979-02-06
08:46  | N-I | N-5 (F)  | Tanegashima SLC-N  | ECS-A (Ayame 1)  | Experimental communication satellite  | planned: GTO | Failure  | Recontact between satellite and upper stage.

### 1980-1989

Date/Time

(UTC)

| Rocket  | S/N  | Launch Site  | Payload  | Function  | Orbit  | Outcome  | Remarks
1980-07-15
02:22  | Thor DSV-2U | Thor 304  | VAFB SLC-10W  | DMSP-5D-F5 | Military weather satellite  | planned: LEO / SSO | Failure  | Final flight of the Long Tank Thor. Failure attributed to faulty connection between second and third stages, resulting in third stage not receiving electrical power.
1986-05-03
22:18  | Delta 3914  | 178  | Cape Canaveral Air Force Station LC-17A  | GOES-G | Weather Satellite  | planned: GTO | Failure  | Electric failure in first stage caused the rocket to lose control and was destroyed 90 seconds into flight

### 1990-1999

Date / time (UTC)  | Rocket

Configuration

| Launch site  | Payload  | Payload mass  | Orbit  | Customer  | Outcome  | Remarks
5 August 1995
11:10  | Delta II 7925–9.5  | CCAFS, LC-17B  | Koreasat 1 | 711 kg  | GTO | KT Corporation | Partial failure  | Communications satellite, One SRB failed to separate, retarding the booster's orbital velocity. Spacecraft eventually reached correct orbit but with substantially shortened operational life.
January 17, 1997
16:28  | Delta II 7925–9.5  | CCAFS LC-17A  | GPS IIR-1 | 2,030 kg  | Planned:
MEO | US Air Force | Failure  | Exploded 13 seconds after launch due to SRB failure.[14] Navigation satellite
August 27, 1998
01:17  | Delta III 8930  | CCAFS SLC-17B  | Galaxy 10  | 700 kg  | GTO | PanAmSat / Intelsat | Failure  | Maiden flight of Delta III, Destroyed by range safety after control problems and depletion of hydraulic fluid, Communications satellite
May 5, 1999
01:00  | Delta III 8930  | CCAFS SLC-17B  | Orion 3  | 4,300 kg  | GTO | Loral  | Failure  | Second stage engine failure. Payload placed into LEO, Communications satellite

### Since 2000

Date / time (UTC)  | Rocket,
Configuration  | Launch site  | Payload  | Payload mass  | Orbit  | Customer  | Launch
outcome  | Remarks
August 23, 2000
11:05  | Delta III 8930  | CCAFS SLC-17B  | DM-F3  | 4383 kg  | GTO | US Air Force | Partial failure[15] | Reached lower than planned orbit, final flight of Delta III, Demosat
December 21, 2004
21:50  | Delta IV Heavy | CCAFS SLC-37B  | DemoSat[16] / 3CS-1 / 3CS-2  | >6020 kg  | GSO (planned)  |  | Partial failure[17] | Demonstration payload, Payloads did not reach correct orbits, First Delta IV Heavy launch

## References

1. ↑ Romanova, N.; Crosby, N.; Pilipenko, V. (2013-05-28). "Relationship of Worldwide Rocket Launch Crashes with Geophysical Parameters" (in en). International Journal of Geophysics 2013: e297310. doi:10.1155/2013/297310. ISSN 1687-885X.
2. ↑ "table1.32". 2004-11-18. https://history.nasa.gov/SP-4012/vol3/table1.32.htm.
3. ↑ "table1.33". https://history.nasa.gov/SP-4012/vol3/table1.33.htm.
4. ↑ "NASA - NSSDCA - Spacecraft - Details". https://nssdc.gsfc.nasa.gov/nmc/spacecraft/display.action?id=1978-039A.
5. ↑ "Vintage ISEE-3 satellite makes long-awaited flyby on Sunday" (in en-US). 2014-08-09. https://www.latimes.com/science/sciencenow/la-sci-sn-isee3-flyby-20140808-story.html.
6. ↑ "NASA - NSSDCA - Spacecraft - Details". https://nssdc.gsfc.nasa.gov/nmc/spacecraft/display.action?id=1989-089A.
7. ↑ "NSSDC Master Catalog Spacecraft Query Form". 1997-04-13. http://nssdc.gsfc.nasa.gov/nmc/sc-query.html.
8. ↑ "History of the Delta Launch Vehicle". https://kevinforsyth.net/delta/.
9. ↑ "CNN - Unmanned rocket explodes after liftoff - Jan. 17, 1997". http://www.cnn.com/TECH/9701/17/rocket.explosion/index.html.
10. ↑ "Delta". 2010-01-07. http://astronautix.com/lvs/delta.htm.
11. ↑ "Delta 6000". 2009-09-12. http://www.astronautix.com/lvs/dela6000.htm.
12. ↑ "Delta 7000". 2009-09-11. http://www.astronautix.com/lvs/dela7000.htm.
13. ↑ "Paul Maley's Satellite Page". 2005-02-27. http://www.eclipsetours.com/sat/debris.html.
14. ↑ "Unmanned rocket explodes after liftoff". 17 January 1997. http://www.cnn.com/TECH/9701/17/rocket.explosion/index.html.
15. ↑ "Delta 3 rocket falls short but still a success, Boeing says". Spaceflight Now. August 24, 2000. http://www.spaceflightnow.com/delta/d280/000824loworbit.html.
16. ↑ "The DemoSat payload (Boeing Fact Sheet)". Spaceflight Now. 2004-12-01. http://spaceflightnow.com/delta/d310/041201demosat.html.
17. ↑ Ray, Justin (December 22, 2004). "Delta 4-Heavy hits snag on test flight". Spaceflight Now. http://www.spaceflightnow.com/delta/d310/.

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