List of Thor-Ablestar launches

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The Thor-Ablestar, or Thor-Able-Star, also known as Thor-Epsilon [1] was an early American expendable launch system consisting of a PGM-17 Thor missile, with an Ablestar upper stage. It was a member of the Thor family of rockets, and was derived from the Thor-Able.

Contents

Two versions were built; the Thor-Ablestar 1 (Thor-DM21 Able-Star), with a DM-21 Thor and an AJ-10-104 second stage engine, and the Thor-Ablestar 2 (Thor-DSV2A Able-Star), which had a DSV-2A Thor first stage, and an uprated AJ-10-104D engine on the second stage. Thor-Ablestar 1 launches occurred from LC-17 at Cape Canaveral, and Thor-Ablestar 2 rockets were launched from LC-75-1 at Vandenberg Space Force Base (now designated SLC-2).

Nineteen Thor-Ablestar were launched between 1960 and 1965, of which four failed, and a fifth resulted in a partial failure, as only one of two payloads separated from the upper stage. [2]

Launch history


Date/Time

(UTC)

 S/N VersionLaunch SitePayloadFunctionOutcomePhoto
1960-04-13

12:02:36

Thor 257

Ablestar 002

Thor-DM21 Able-Star CCAFS LC-17B Transit 1B NavigationSuccess, maiden flight of Thor-Ablestar Thor Able Star Transit 1B 1960 Apr 13.jpg
1960-06-22

05:54

Thor 281

Ablestar 003

Thor-DM21 Able-StarCCAFS LC-17B Transit 2A, GRAB-1 (Solrad 1)Navigation, ELINTSuccess Thor Able Star with Transit 2A and GRAB 1.jpg
1960-08-18

19:58

Thor 262

Ablestar 004

Thor-DM21 Able-StarCCAFS LC-17B Courier 1A CommunicationsFailure (Premature first stage cutoff. RSO T+150 seconds.)
1960-10-04

17:50

Thor 293

Ablestar 005

Thor-DM21 Able-StarCCAFS LC-17B Courier 1B CommunicationsSuccess Thor Able Star with Courier 1B, Oct 4 1960.JPG
1960-11-30

19:50

Thor 283

Ablestar 006

Thor-DM21 Able-StarCCAFS LC-17B Transit 3A, GRAB-2 (Solrad-2)Navigation, ELINTFailure (Premature Thor cutoff. RSO. Debris fell in Cuba.) Thor Able Star with Transit 3A Nov 30 1960 launch.jpg
1961-02-22

03:45

Thor 313

Ablestar 007

Thor-DM21 Able-StarCCAFS LC-17B Transit 3B, LOFTI-1 Navigation, TechnologySuccess
1961-06-29

04:22

Thor 315

Ablestar 008

Thor-DM21 Able-StarCCAFS LC-17B Transit 4A, Injun 1, GRAB-3 (Solrad 3)Navigation, Ionospheric, ELINTSuccess Cape Canaveral, Florida...The actual firing of the THOR-ABLE STAR ROCKET that projected the TRANSIT IV-A satellite... - NARA - 542145.tif
1961-11-15

22:26

Thor 305

Ablestar 009

Thor-DM21 Able-StarCCAFS LC-17B Transit 4B, TRAAC NavigationSuccess, Transit Research and Attitude Control
1962-01-24

09:30

Thor 311

Ablestar 010

Thor-DM21 Able-StarCCAFS LC-17B LOFTI-2, SECOR, GRAB-4 (Solrad 4), Injun 2, SURCAL 1 Technology, Geodesy, ELINT, Ionospheric, CalibrationFailure (second stage insufficient thrust)
1962-05-10

12:06

Thor 314

Ablestar 011

Thor-DM21 Able-StarCCAFS LC-17B ANNA 1A GeodesyFailure (second stage failed to ignite)
1962-10-31

08:08

Thor 319

Ablestar 012

Thor-DM21 Able-Star CCAFS LC-17A ANNA 1B GeodesySuccess, final flight of Thor DM-21 Ablestar
1963-09-28Thor 375Thor-DSV2A Able-Star VAFB LC-75-1-1 Transit 5BN-1 / Transit 5E-1NavigationSuccess Thor Able Star with Transit 5BN-1 (Sep. 28 1963).gif
1963-05-12Thor 385Thor-DSV2A Able-StarVAFB LC-75-1-1Transit 5BN-2 / Transit 5E-3NavigationSuccess
1964-04-21

18:50

Thor 379

Ablestar 014

Thor-DSV2A Able-StarVAFB LC-75-1-1 Transit 5BN-3, Transit 5E-4 NavigationFailure Thor Able Star with Transit 5BN-3 and Transit 5E-4 (Apr 21 1964).gif
1964-10-06

17:04:21

Thor 423

Ablestar 016

Thor-DSV2A Able-StarVAFB LC-75-1-2 OPS 5796 (Transit O-1),

Dragsphere 1, Dragsphere 2

NavigationSuccess Thor Able Star with NNS O-1 Oct 6 1964.jpg
1964-12-13

00:08:10

Thor 427

Ablestar 017

Thor-DSV2A Able-StarVAFB LC-75-1-2 OPS 6582 (Transit O-2) (Transit 5B-5), Transit 5E-5 NavigationSuccess Thor Able Star with NNS O-2 Dec 13 1964.jpg
1965-03-11

13:39

Thor 440

Ablestar 018

Thor-DSV2A Able-StarVAFB LC-75-1-1 OPS 7087 (Transit O-3), SECOR 2 Navigation, GeodesySuccess Thor Able Star with NSS O-3 Mar 11 1965.jpg
1965-06-24

22:35

Thor 447

Ablestar 019

Thor-DSV2A Able-StarVAFB LC-75-1-1 OPS 8480 (Transit O-4)NavigationSuccess
1965-08-13

22:11

Thor 455

Ablestar 020

Thor-DSV2A Able-StarVAFB LC-75-1-1 OPS 8464 (Transit O-5), Dodecapole 2, Tempsat 1, Surcal 5, Long Rod 1, Calsphere 2 Navigation, CalibrationSuccess, final flight of Thor-Ablestar Thor Able Star with NSS O-5 Aug 13 1965.JPG

See also

References

  1. ↑ Krebs, Gunter. "Thor Able-Star". Gunter's Space Page. Retrieved 30 November 2008.
  2. ↑ Wade, Mark. "Delta". Encyclopedia Astronautica. Archived from the original on 17 August 2013. Retrieved 30 November 2008.
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