Thor-Able
| Status | retired |
|---|---|
| Country | United States |
| Manufacturer | Douglas |
| Number of launches | 7 |
| First launch | 1958-08-17 |
| Last launch | 1960-04-01 |
Launches by year:
Launches:
| Launch date | Launch site | Rocket / Variant | Payload | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960-04-01 | Cape Canaveral | Thor-Able Thor DM-18 Able II | TIROS 1 | success |
| 1960-03-11 | Cape Canaveral | Thor-Able Thor DM-18 Able IV | Pioneer 5 | success |
| 1959-09-17 | Cape Canaveral | Thor-Able Thor DM-18 Able II | Transit 1A | failure |
| 1959-08-07 | Cape Canaveral | Thor-Able Thor DM-18 Able III | Explorer 6 (S-2) | success |
| 1958-11-08 | Cape Canaveral | Thor-Able Thor DM-18 Able I | Pioneer 2 | failure |
| 1958-10-11 | Cape Canaveral | Thor-Able Thor DM-18 Able I | Pioneer 1 | pfailure |
| 1958-08-17 | Cape Canaveral | Thor-Able Thor DM-18 Able I | Pioneer 0 | failure |
Variants:
(This section is under construction)Thor-Able Thor DM-18 Able I
| First launch | 1958-08-17 |
|---|---|
| Stages | 3 |
| Boosters | 0 |
| Upper stage | Altair |
Thor-Able was created by mating an unarmed Thor missile with the second stage of Vanguard, the rocket developed by the Naval Research Laboratory in an attempt to orbit the first US satellite. The Vanguard second stage, powered by an Aerojet AJ10-40 engine, was renamed Able. Thor DM-18 Able I differed from the earlier Thor-Able through the addition of a small solid-fuelled third stage, the Altair, or X-248. This was to give early Pioneer probes sufficient energy to reach the Moon
Thor-Able Thor DM-18 Able III
| First launch | 1959-08-07 |
|---|
Thor-Able Thor DM-18 Able II
| First launch | 1959-09-17 |
|---|
Used an upgraded version of Able – with an AJ10-42 engine
Thor-Able Thor DM-18 Able IV
| First launch | 1960-03-11 |
|---|---|
| Mass | 52 t |
| Height | 27.2 m |