Thor family
Thor Able I
American orbital launch vehicle. Thor with Able stage derived from Vanguard second stage.
Flights flown3
Success rate33.3%1/3
Payload to LEO120kg
Cost per kg to LEO$74,167$8.9M per launch
Maiden flight1958-04-24
Peak year19583 flights
Thor Able I is built by McDonnell Douglas of the United States. It first flew on 17 August 1958 and last flew on 8 November 1958.
Flight record
33.3% success rate1 of 3 flown · 2 failed
First flight1958-08-17
Latest flight1958-11-08
Failures2
Consecutive successes0
Fastest turnaround27d 22h
Payload
| Low Earth orbit | 120kg |
|---|---|
| Launch cost | $8.9M |
| Cost per kg to LEO | $74,167 |
Vehicle
| Stages | 2 |
|---|---|
| Length | 30m |
| Diameter | 2.44m |
| Launch mass | 51t |
| Liftoff thrust | 667kN |
| Maiden flight | 1958-04-24 |
| Reusable | No |
Pads used
Orbits delivered
Lunar Orbit3
Launch history
| Date | Mission | Pad | Orbit | Outcome |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1958-11-08 | Thor Able I | Pioneer 2 | Space Launch Complex 17A | Lunar Orbit | Failure |
| 1958-10-11 | Thor Able I | Pioneer 1 | Space Launch Complex 17A | Lunar Orbit | Success |
| 1958-08-17 | Thor Able I | Able I (Pioneer) | Space Launch Complex 17A | Lunar Orbit | Failure |
Specifications from Launch Library 2 by The Space Devs, launch records from Space Index. Derived figures are computed here; see sources and method.
Further reading: Wikipedia