Thor DM-21 Ablestar

In-active

United 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
    51.0 T
  • Thrust
    760.0 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
    150.0 kg
  • Geostationary Transfer Orbit
    ―
  • Direct Geostationary
    ―
  • Sun-Synchronous Capacity
    ―

United States Air Force

Government
Commander-in-Chief: President of the US
USAF 1947

The 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.

Previous Flights

flew on 19 previous launch(es).

Thor DM-21 Ablestar | Transit-O 5

United States Air Force | United States of America
Vandenberg 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 Orbit
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Thor DM-21 Ablestar | Transit-O 4

United States Air Force | United States of America
Vandenberg 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 Orbit
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Thor DM-21 Ablestar | Transit-O 3

United States Air Force | United States of America
Vandenberg 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 Orbit
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Thor DM-21 Ablestar | Transit-O 2 & 5E-5

United States Air Force | United States of America
Vandenberg 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.

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Thor DM-21 Ablestar | Transit-O 1

United States Air Force | United States of America
Vandenberg 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 Orbit
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Thor DM-21 Ablestar | Transit-5BN 3

United States Air Force | United States of America
Vandenberg SFB, CA, USA
April 21, 1964, 6:50 p.m.
Status: Launch Failure
Mission:

Transit navigation satellite equipped with nuclear power.

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Thor DM-21 Ablestar | Transit-5BN 2

United States Air Force | United States of America
Vandenberg SFB, CA, USA
Dec. 5, 1963, 9:51 p.m.
Status: Launch Successful
Mission:

Transit navigation satellite equipped with nuclear power.

Polar Orbit
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Thor DM-21 Ablestar | Transit 5BN-1

United States Air Force | United States of America
Vandenberg SFB, CA, USA
Sept. 28, 1963, 8:22 p.m.
Status: Launch Successful
Mission:

Transit navigation satellite equipped with nuclear power.

Polar Orbit
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Thor DM-21 Ablestar | ANNA 1B

United States Air Force | United States of America
Cape Canaveral SFS, FL, USA
Oct. 31, 1962, 8:08 a.m.
Status: Launch Successful
Mission:

ANNA 1B (Army, Navy, NASA, Air Force) was the second dedicated satellite for geodesy. It featured Xenon flashing lights and radio transponders (SECOR) for tracking the satellite.

Low Earth Orbit
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Thor DM-21 Ablestar | ANNA 1A

United States Air Force | United States of America
Cape Canaveral SFS, FL, USA
May 10, 1962, 12:06 p.m.
Status: Launch Failure
Mission:

ANNA 1A (Army, Navy, NASA, Air Force) was the first dedicated satellite for geodesy. It featured Xenon flashing lights and radio transponders (SECOR) for tracking the satellite.

Low Earth Orbit
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Thor DM-21 Ablestar | 5 Payloads Rideshare

United States Air Force | United States of America
Cape Canaveral SFS, FL, USA
Jan. 24, 1962, 9:30 a.m.
Status: Launch Failure
Mission:

Rideshare launch carrying LOFTI 2, SECOR, Poppy 1, Injun 2 and Surcal 1.

Low Earth Orbit
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Thor DM-21 Ablestar | Transit 4B & TRAAC

United States Air Force | United States of America
Cape Canaveral SFS, FL, USA
Nov. 15, 1961, 10:26 p.m.
Status: Launch Successful
Unknown Mission

There are no mission or payload details available for this launch.

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Thor DM-21 Ablestar | Transit 4A & Injun-1 & Solrad 3

United States Air Force | United States of America
Cape Canaveral SFS, FL, USA
June 29, 1961, 4:23 a.m.
Status: Launch Successful
Unknown Mission

There are no mission or payload details available for this launch.

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Thor DM-21 Ablestar | Transit 3B & LOFTI-1

United States Air Force | United States of America
Cape Canaveral SFS, FL, USA
Feb. 22, 1961, 3:45 a.m.
Status: Launch was a Partial Failure
Unknown Mission

There are no mission or payload details available for this launch.

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Thor DM-21 Ablestar | Transit 3A

United States Air Force | United States of America
Cape Canaveral SFS, FL, USA
Nov. 30, 1960, 7:50 p.m.
Status: Launch Failure
Mission:

Transit 3A was a US Navy navigation satellite that was destroyed by range safety when the launch vehicle shut down too early.

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Thor DM-21 Ablestar | Courier 1B

United States Air Force | United States of America
Cape Canaveral SFS, FL, USA
Oct. 4, 1960, 5:50 p.m.
Status: Launch Successful
Mission:

An active repeater communications satellite. The vehicle succesfully launched and successfully operated for a few weeks proving the experimental system.

Low Earth Orbit
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Thor DM-21 Ablestar | Courier 1A

United States Air Force | United States of America
Cape Canaveral SFS, FL, USA
Aug. 18, 1960, 7:58 p.m.
Status: Launch Failure
Mission:

An active repeater communications satellite. The vehicle failed during liftoff.

Low Earth Orbit
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Thor DM-21 Ablestar | Transit 2A

United States Air Force | United States of America
Cape Canaveral SFS, 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.

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Thor DM-21 Ablestar | Transit 1B

United States Air Force | United States of America
Cape Canaveral SFS, 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.

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