Thor DM-21 Ablestar
In-activeUnited States Air Force (USAF)
April 13, 1960
Description
The Thor-Ablestar, or Thor Able-Star, also known as Thor-Epsilon 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.
Specifications
-
Stages
2 -
Length
29.0 m -
Diameter
1.44 m -
Fairing Diameter
― -
Launch Mass
51 T -
Thrust
760 kN
Family
-
Name
Thor DM-21 Ablestar -
Family
― -
Variant
DM-21 -
Alias
― -
Full Name
Thor DM-21 Ablestar
Payload Capacity
-
Launch Cost
― -
Low Earth Orbit
150 kg -
Geostationary Transfer
Orbit
― -
Direct Geostationary
― -
Sun-Synchronous Capacity
―
United States Air Force
Government
Commander-in-Chief: President of the US
USAF 1947The United States Air Force (USAF) is the air service branch of the United States Armed Forces, and is one of the eight uniformed services of the United States. Originally created on 1 August 1907, as a part of the United States Army Signal Corps, the USAF was established as a separate branch of the United States Armed Forces in 1947 with the enactment of the National Security Act of 1947.
Thor DM-21 Ablestar | Transit-O 5
United States Air Force | United States of AmericaVandenberg SFB, CA, USA
Aug. 13, 1965, 10:11 p.m.
Status: Launch Successful
Mission:
The Transit-O series of satellites that closely followed the design of Transit 5C-1 were also called “Oscars” (Oscar is the phonetic alphabet for “O”, i. e., operational). They were also called NNS (Navy Navigation Satellite) or shortened NavSat.
Polar OrbitThor DM-21 Ablestar | Transit-O 4
United States Air Force | United States of AmericaVandenberg SFB, CA, USA
June 24, 1965, 10:35 p.m.
Status: Launch Successful
Mission:
The Transit-O series of satellites that closely followed the design of Transit 5C-1 were also called “Oscars” (Oscar is the phonetic alphabet for “O”, i. e., operational). They were also called NNS (Navy Navigation Satellite) or shortened NavSat.
Polar OrbitThor DM-21 Ablestar | Transit-O 3
United States Air Force | United States of AmericaVandenberg SFB, CA, USA
March 11, 1965, 1:39 p.m.
Status: Launch Successful
Mission:
The Transit-O series of satellites that closely followed the design of Transit 5C-1 were also called “Oscars” (Oscar is the phonetic alphabet for “O”, i. e., operational). They were also called NNS (Navy Navigation Satellite) or shortened NavSat.
Polar OrbitThor DM-21 Ablestar | Transit-O 2 & 5E-5
United States Air Force | United States of AmericaVandenberg SFB, CA, USA
Dec. 13, 1964, 12:08 a.m.
Status: Launch Successful
Mission:
The Transit-O series of satellites that closely followed the design of Transit 5C-1 were also called “Oscars” (Oscar is the phonetic alphabet for “O”, i. e., operational). They were also called NNS (Navy Navigation Satellite) or shortened NavSat.
Polar OrbitThor DM-21 Ablestar | Transit-O 1
United States Air Force | United States of AmericaVandenberg SFB, CA, USA
Oct. 6, 1964, 5:04 p.m.
Status: Launch Successful
Mission:
The Transit-O series of satellites that closely followed the design of Transit 5C-1 were also called “Oscars” (Oscar is the phonetic alphabet for “O”, i. e., operational). They were also called NNS (Navy Navigation Satellite) or shortened NavSat.
Polar OrbitThor DM-21 Ablestar | Transit-5BN 3
United States Air Force | United States of AmericaVandenberg SFB, CA, USA
April 21, 1964, 6:50 p.m.
Thor DM-21 Ablestar | Transit-5BN 2
United States Air Force | United States of AmericaVandenberg SFB, CA, USA
Dec. 5, 1963, 9:51 p.m.
Thor DM-21 Ablestar | Transit 5BN-1
United States Air Force | United States of AmericaVandenberg SFB, CA, USA
Sept. 28, 1963, 8:22 p.m.
Thor DM-21 Ablestar | ANNA 1B
United States Air Force | United States of AmericaCape Canaveral, FL, USA
Oct. 31, 1962, 8:08 a.m.
Thor DM-21 Ablestar | ANNA 1A
United States Air Force | United States of AmericaCape Canaveral, FL, USA
May 10, 1962, 12:06 p.m.
Thor DM-21 Ablestar | 5 Payloads Rideshare
United States Air Force | United States of AmericaCape Canaveral, FL, USA
Jan. 24, 1962, 9:30 a.m.
Thor DM-21 Ablestar | Transit 4B & TRAAC
United States Air Force | United States of AmericaCape Canaveral, FL, USA
Nov. 15, 1961, 10:26 p.m.
Thor DM-21 Ablestar | Transit 4A & Injun-1 & Solrad 3
United States Air Force | United States of AmericaCape Canaveral, FL, USA
June 29, 1961, 4:23 a.m.
Thor DM-21 Ablestar | Transit 3B & LOFTI-1
United States Air Force | United States of AmericaCape Canaveral, FL, USA
Feb. 22, 1961, 3:45 a.m.
Thor DM-21 Ablestar | Transit 3A
United States Air Force | United States of AmericaCape Canaveral, FL, USA
Nov. 30, 1960, 7:50 p.m.
Thor DM-21 Ablestar | Courier 1B
United States Air Force | United States of AmericaCape Canaveral, FL, USA
Oct. 4, 1960, 5:50 p.m.
Thor DM-21 Ablestar | Courier 1A
United States Air Force | United States of AmericaCape Canaveral, FL, USA
Aug. 18, 1960, 7:58 p.m.
Thor DM-21 Ablestar | Transit 2A
United States Air Force | United States of AmericaCape Canaveral, FL, USA
June 22, 1960, 5:54 a.m.
Status: Launch Successful
Mission:
The Transit system was the first satellite navigation system to be used operationally. The system was primarily used by the U.S. Navy to provide accurate location information to its Polaris ballistic missile submarines, and it was also used as a navigation system by the Navy's surface ships, as well as for hydrographic survey and geodetic surveying.
Polar OrbitThor DM-21 Ablestar | Transit 1B
United States Air Force | United States of AmericaCape Canaveral, FL, USA
April 13, 1960, 12:02 p.m.
Status: Launch Successful
Mission:
The Transit system was the first satellite navigation system to be used operationally. The system was primarily used by the U.S. Navy to provide accurate location information to its Polaris ballistic missile submarines, and it was also used as a navigation system by the Navy's surface ships, as well as for hydrographic survey and geodetic surveying.
Polar OrbitFalcon 9
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Soyuz 2.1b/Fregat-M
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Starlink Group 8-7
Space Launch Complex 4E - Vandenberg SFB, CA, USAA batch of 20 satellites for the Starlink mega-constellation - SpaceX's project for space-based Internet communication system.
Falcon 9
Starlink Group 6-58
Space Launch Complex 40 - Cape Canaveral, FL, USAA batch of 23 satellites for the Starlink mega-constellation - SpaceX's project for space-based Internet communication system.
Long March 4C
Shiyan 23
Launch Area 4 (SLS-2 / 603) - Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center, People's Republic of ChinaSatellite officially named for "space environment detection" purposes, exact details unknown.
