Thor-Able II Launch Vehicle
Thor-Able II was the two-stage Thor-Able configuration used to launch TIROS 1 on 1 April 1960. Pairing a Thor booster with the liquid-propellant Able upper stage, it placed the first successful experimental weather satellite into orbit and demonstrated the value of space-based global cloud observation.
Identity
- Aliases
- Thor Able IIStandard Thor-Able
- Family Name
- Thor-Able II
- Full Name
- Thor-Able II Launch Vehicle
- Reusability
- expendable
- Slug
- thor-able-ii-launch-vehicle
- Status
- retired
- Type
- rocket
Details
- Description
- Thor-Able II was the two-stage Thor-Able configuration used to launch TIROS 1 on 1 April 1960. Pairing a Thor booster with the liquid-propellant Able upper stage, it placed the first successful experimental weather satellite into orbit and demonstrated the value of space-based global cloud observation.
- Diameter M
- 2.44
- Engines
- Count
- 1
- Name
- Rocketdyne LR79
- Placement
- core
- Count
- 1
- Name
- Aerojet AJ10-101
- Placement
- upper
- First Flight Year
- 1,960
- Last Flight Year
- 1,960
- Operator Id
- vh76vnx3yy1vy23j7zc3wk80wx7nhx5f
- Parent Vehicle Family Id
- nd7ngphv8e47jz05bdw73xvp2n8aet9v
- Stages Count
- 2
Links
Assets & Meta
- Creation Time
- 7/13/2026, 12:56:05 PM
- Updated Time
- 7/13/2026, 12:56:05 PM