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
Mass| 120 kilograms (260 lb)
Associated rockets
Family| Thor
Derivative work| Thor-Ablestar
Delta
Comparable| Luna
Launch history
Launch sites| LC-17A, Canaveral
Total launches| 16
Success(es)| 10
Failure(s)| 6
First flight| 24 April 1958
Last flight| 1 April 1960
Type of passengers/cargo| Pioneer
Transit
Tiros
First stage – Thor
Powered by| 1 LR79-7
Maximum thrust| 758.71 kilonewtons (170,560 lbf)
Specific impulse| 282 seconds (2.77 km/s)
Burn time| 165 seconds
Propellant| RP-1/LOX
Second stage – Able
Powered by| 1 AJ-10
Maximum thrust| 34.69 kilonewtons (7,800 lbf)
Specific impulse| 270 seconds (2.6 km/s)
Burn time| 115 seconds
Propellant| HNO3/UDMH
Third stage (optional) – Altair
Powered by| 1 X-248
Maximum thrust| 12.45 kilonewtons (2,800 lbf)
Specific impulse| 256 seconds (2.51 km/s)
Burn time| 38 seconds
Propellant| Solid

[edit on Wikidata]

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]

## Launch statistics

[edit]

### Rocket configurations

[edit]

1958

1959

1960

* Thor DM-18 Able
* Thor DM-18 Able I
* Thor DM-18 Able II
* Thor DM-18 Able III
* Thor DM-18 Able IV

### Launch outcome

[edit]

1958

1959

1960

* Success
* Failure

### Orbit

[edit]

1958

1959

1960

* Suborbital
* High altitude
* HEO
* LEO
* Heliocentric
* SSO

### Function

[edit]

1958

1959

1960

* RTV test
* Lunar Orbit
* RVX test
* Radiation
* Navigation
* Scientific
* Weather

## Launch history

[edit]

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

|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|

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

[edit]

* 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

[edit]

1. ^ Krebs, Gunter. "Thor Able". Gunter's Space Page. Retrieved 2008-11-10.
2. ^ Wade, Mark. "Delta". Encyclopedia Astronautica. Archived from the original on 2013-08-17. Retrieved 2008-11-10.
3. ^ "Thor-DM18 Able". Gunter's Space Page. Retrieved 2021-08-03.
4. ^ "Thor-DM18 Able-1". Gunter's Space Page. Retrieved 2021-08-03.
5. ^ "Thor-DM18 Able-2". Gunter's Space Page. Retrieved 2021-08-03.
6. ^ "Thor-DM18 Able-3". Gunter's Space Page. Retrieved 2021-08-03.
7. ^ "Thor-DM18 Able-4". Gunter's Space Page. Retrieved 2021-08-03.