Thor-Delta
| Status | Retired |
|---|---|
| Rocket family | Delta |
| Country | United States |
| Manufacturer | Douglas Aircraft Company |
| Number of orbital launches | 12 |
| First launch | 1960-05-13 |
| Last launch | 1962-09-18 |
Launches by year:
Launches:
| Launch date | Launch site | Rocket / Variant | Payload | Notes | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1962-09-18 | Cape Canaveral | Thor-Delta Thor DM-19 Delta | TIROS 6 | success | |
| 1962-07-10 | Cape Canaveral | Thor-Delta Thor DM-19 Delta | Telstar 1 | success | |
| 1962-06-19 | Cape Canaveral | Thor-Delta Thor DM-19 Delta | TIROS 5 | success | |
| 1962-04-26 | Cape Canaveral | Thor-Delta Thor DM-19 Delta | Ariel 1 (UK 1) | success | |
| 1962-03-07 | Cape Canaveral | Thor-Delta Thor DM-19 Delta | OSO 1 | success | |
| 1962-02-08 | Cape Canaveral | Thor-Delta Thor DM-19 Delta | TIROS 4 | success | |
| 1961-08-16 | Cape Canaveral | Thor-Delta Thor DM-19 Delta | Explorer 12 (EPE A) | success | |
| 1961-07-12 | Cape Canaveral | Thor-Delta Thor DM-19 Delta | TIROS 3 | success | |
| 1961-03-25 | Cape Canaveral | Thor-Delta Thor DM-19 Delta | Explorer 10 (P 14) | success | |
| 1960-11-23 | Cape Canaveral | Thor-Delta Thor DM-19 Delta | TIROS 2 | success | |
| 1960-08-12 | Cape Canaveral | Thor-Delta Thor DM-19 Delta | Echo 1A | success | |
| 1960-05-13 | Cape Canaveral | Thor-Delta Thor DM-19 Delta | Echo 1 | failure | |
Second stage attitude control failure. Second stage lost attitude control during the coast phase between its own burn and separation from the third stage. | |||||
Variants:
(This section is under construction)Thor-Delta Thor DM-19 Delta
| First launch | 1960-05-13 |
|---|---|
| Stages | 3 |
| Upper stage | Altair |
| Mass | 54.05 t |
| Height | 31 m |
At the end of the 1950s, NASA commissioned a new interim rocket based on the Thor-Able. Intended to serve as a stopgap for launching scientific missions until a more capable rocket based on the Atlas missile – such as the Atlas-Centaur – became available. Used a modified version of the Thor DM-18A – with fins re-added, a new interstage and the attitude determination and guidance systems removed as these functions would be delegated to the upper stage. The upper stage itself, Delta, incorporated an AJ10-118 engine. An Altair 1A solid rocket motor, or X248-A5, provided the final kick to place payloads into orbit.