List of Thor-Able launches

Short description: none

List of Thor-Able launches

Launch of the Transit 1A satellite
on a Thor-Able II

Function| Expendable launch system
Sounding rocket
Manufacturer| Douglas/Aerojet
Country of origin| United States
Size
Height| 26.9 metres (88 ft) – 27.8 metres (91 ft)
Diameter| 2.44 metres (8 ft 0 in)
Mass| 51,608 kilograms (113,776 lb)
Stages| 2–3
Capacity
Payload to 640km LEO| 120 kilograms (260 lb)
Associated rockets
Family| Thor
Derivatives| Thor-Ablestar
Delta
Comparable| Luna
Launch history
Launch sites| LC-17A, Canaveral
Total launches| 16
Successes| 10
Failures| 6
First flight| 24 April 1958
Last flight| 1 April 1960
Notable payloads| Pioneer
Transit
Tiros
First stage – Thor
Engines| 1 LR79-7
Thrust| 758.71 kilonewtons (170,560 lbf)
Specific impulse| 282 seconds (2.77 km/s)
Burn time| 165 seconds
Fuel| RP-1/LOX
Second stage – Able
Engines| 1 AJ-10
Thrust| 34.69 kilonewtons (7,800 lbf)
Specific impulse| 270 seconds (2.6 km/s)
Burn time| 115 seconds
Fuel| HNO3/UDMH
Third stage (optional) – Altair
Engines| 1 X-248
Thrust| 12.45 kilonewtons (2,800 lbf)
Specific impulse| 256 seconds (2.51 km/s)
Burn time| 38 seconds
Fuel| Solid

The Thor-Able (Thor DM-18-Able) was an American expendable launch system and sounding rocket used for a series of re-entry vehicle tests and satellite launches between 1958 and 1960. It was a two-stage rocket, consisting of a Thor IRBM as a first stage and a Vanguard-derived Able second stage. On some flights, an Altair solid rocket motor was added as a third stage. It was a member of the Thor family and an early predecessor of the Delta.[1][2]

## Contents

* 1 Launch statistics
* 1.1 Rocket configurations
* 1.2 Launch outcome
* 1.3 Orbit
* 1.4 Function
* 2 Launch history
* 3 See also
* 4 References

## Launch statistics

### Rocket configurations

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### Launch outcome

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### Orbit

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### Function

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## Launch history

The date in this table comes from[3][4][5][6][7] Date/Time
(GMT)  | Rocket  | S/N | Launch site  | Payload  | Function  | Orbit  | Outcome  | Remarks

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1958-04-24
00:10  | Thor DM-18 Able | Thor 116  | CCAFS LC-17A  |  | RTV test  | Suborbital  | Failure  | Maiden flight of Thor-Able. Turbopump failure T+146 seconds.
1958-07-10
15:06  | Thor DM-18 Able  | Thor 118  | CCAFS LC-17A  |  | RTV test  | Suborbital  | Success  |
1958-07-23
22:13  | Thor DM-18 Able  | Thor 119  | CCAFS LC-17A  |  | RTV test  | Suborbital  | Success  | Biological nose cone containing a mouse. The nose cone sank into the ocean and was not recovered.
1958-08-17
12:18  | Thor DM-18 Able-I | Thor 127  | CCAFS LC-17A  | Pioneer 0 | Lunar orbiter  | High Altitude | Failure  |

Maiden flight of Thor-Able I. First use of a Thor-based vehicle for an orbital launch. Turbopump failure, T+73,6 seconds.

1958-10-11
08:42:13  | Thor DM-18 Able-I  | Thor 130  | CCAFS LC-17A  | Pioneer 1 | Lunar orbiter  | High Altitude | Failure  |

Third stage underperformed

1958-11-08
08:42:13  | Thor DM-18 Able-I  | Thor 129  | CCAFS LC-17A  | Pioneer 2 | Lunar orbiter  | High Altitude | Failure  |

Third stage failed to ignite

1959-01-23  | Thor DM-18 Able-II  | Thor 128  | CCAFS LC-17A  |  | RVX test  | Suborbital  | Failure  | Thor portion of flight successful. Staging failed due to an electrical malfunction. Vehicle fell into the Atlantic Ocean.
1959-02-28
07:58  | Thor DM-18 Able-II  | Thor 131  | CCAFS LC-17A  |  | RVX test  | Suborbital  | Success  |
1959-03-21
06:19  | Thor DM-18 Able-II  | Thor 132  | CCAFS LC-17A  |  | RVX test  | Suborbital  | Success  |
1959-04-08
06:35  | Thor DM-18 Able-II  | Thor 133  | CCAFS LC-17A  |  | RVX test  | Suborbital  | Success  |
1959-05-21
06:40  | Thor DM-18 Able-II  | Thor 135  | CCAFS LC-17A  |  | RVX test  | Suborbital  | Success  |
1959-06-11
06:44  | Thor DM-18 Able-II  | Thor 137  | CCAFS LC-17A  |  | RVX test  | Suborbital  | Success  |
1959-08-07
14:24:20  | Thor DM-18 Able-III  | Thor 134  | CCAFS LC-17A  | Explorer 6 | Radiation  | HEO  | Success  |
1959-09-17
14:34  | Thor DM-18 Able-II  | Thor 136  | CCAFS LC-17A  | Transit 1A  | Navigation  | LEO | Failure  |

Third stage malfunctioned

1960-03-11
13:00  | Thor DM-18 Able-IV  | Thor 219  | CCAFS LC 17A  | Pioneer 5 | Scientific  | Heliocentric  | Success  |

Only flight of Thor-Able IV

1960-04-01
11:40:09  | Thor DM-18 Able-II  | Thor 148  | CCAFS LC-17A  | TIROS-1 | Weather  | SSO  | Success  |

Final flight of Thor-Able

## See also

* List of Thor and Delta launches
* List of Thor and Delta launches (1957-1959)
* List of Thor and Delta launches (1960-1969)
* List of Thor DM-18 Agena-A launches
* Thor (rocket family)
* Thor DM-19 Delta

## References

1. ↑ Krebs, Gunter. "Thor Able". Gunter's Space Page. http://space.skyrocket.de/doc_lau/thor_able.htm.
2. ↑ Wade, Mark. "Delta". Encyclopedia Astronautica. http://www.astronautix.com/lvs/delta.htm.
3. ↑ "Thor-DM18 Able" (in en). https://space.skyrocket.de/doc_lau_det/thor-dm18_able.htm.
4. ↑ "Thor-DM18 Able-1" (in en). https://space.skyrocket.de/doc_lau_det/thor-dm18_able-1.htm.
5. ↑ "Thor-DM18 Able-2" (in en). https://space.skyrocket.de/doc_lau_det/thor-dm18_able-2.htm.
6. ↑ "Thor-DM18 Able-3" (in en). https://space.skyrocket.de/doc_lau_det/thor-dm18_able-3.htm.
7. ↑ "Thor-DM18 Able-4" (in en). https://space.skyrocket.de/doc_lau_det/thor-dm18_able-4.htm.

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