Thor Able II

In-active

McDonnell Douglas (MDC)

Jan. 23, 1959

Description

American orbital launch vehicle. Thor with Able stage derived from Vanguard second stage.

Specifications
  • Stages
    2
  • Length
    27.3 m
  • Diameter
    2.44 m
  • Fairing Diameter
    2.44 m
  • Launch Mass
    52.0 T
  • Thrust
    668.0 kN
Family
  • Name
    Thor Able II
  • Family
  • Variant
    Able II
  • Alias
  • Full Name
    Thor Able II
Payload Capacity
  • Launch Cost
  • Low Earth Orbit
  • Geostationary Transfer Orbit
  • Direct Geostationary
  • Sun-Synchronous Capacity

McDonnell Douglas

Commercial
None
MDC

None

Thor Able II | Tiros 1

McDonnell Douglas | United States of America
Cape Canaveral SFS, FL, USA
April 1, 1960, 11:40 a.m.
Status: Launch Successful
Mission:

TIROS-1 was the first successful low-Earth orbital weather satellite, and the first of a series of Television Infrared Observation Satellites.

Low Earth Orbit
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Thor Able II | Transit 1A

McDonnell Douglas | United States of America
Cape Canaveral SFS, FL, USA
Sept. 17, 1959, 2:34 p.m.
Status: Launch Failure
Mission:

The Transit satellite system was the first satellite navigation system to be used operationally. The system was used to provide accurate location for the US Navy ships. Transit 1A failed to make orbit.

Low Earth Orbit
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Falcon 9
Success
2 days, 5 hours ago
Starlink Group 11-30
Space Launch Complex 4E - Vandenberg SFB, CA, USA

A batch of 28 satellites for the Starlink mega-constellation - SpaceX's project for space-based Internet communication system.


Falcon 9
Success
3 days, 6 hours ago
Starlink Group 6-79
Space Launch Complex 40 - Cape Canaveral SFS, FL, USA

A batch of 29 satellites for the Starlink mega-constellation - SpaceX's project for space-based Internet communication system.


Long March 3
Success
4 days, 3 hours ago
TJSW-21
Launch Complex 2 (LC-2) - Xichang Satellite Launch Center, People's Republic of China

Chinese classified satellite claimed to be for communication technology test purposes. Actual mission not known.


Falcon 9
Success
4 days, 11 hours ago
Starlink Group 6-78
Launch Complex 39A - Kennedy Space Center, FL, USA

A batch of 29 satellites for the Starlink mega-constellation - SpaceX's project for space-based Internet communication system.


Electron
Success
5 days, 1 hour ago
Follow My Speed (BlackSky Gen-3 3)
Rocket Lab Launch Complex 1A - Rocket Lab Launch Complex 1, Mahia Peninsula, New Zealand

Note: Payload and customer identities were not publicly annouced, identification is per USSF orbital data. 3rd of the BlackSky Gen-3 high resoluti…