Thor-Ablestar Launch Vehicle
Thor-Ablestar combined a Thor first stage with Aerojet's enlarged, restartable Ablestar upper stage. Developed from Able technology, the two-stage vehicle supported early U.S. navigation, electronic-reconnaissance, communications, and geodesy satellites beginning in 1960. Its restart capability enabled deployment of multiple payloads and more precise orbital insertion than the earlier Thor-Able configurations.
Identity
- Aliases
- Thor AblestarThor-Able-StarThor EpsilonThor-Epsilon
- Family Name
- Thor-Ablestar
- Full Name
- Thor-Ablestar Launch Vehicle
- Reusability
- expendable
- Slug
- thor-ablestar-launch-vehicle
- Status
- retired
- Type
- rocket
Details
- Description
- Thor-Ablestar combined a Thor first stage with Aerojet's enlarged, restartable Ablestar upper stage. Developed from Able technology, the two-stage vehicle supported early U.S. navigation, electronic-reconnaissance, communications, and geodesy satellites beginning in 1960. Its restart capability enabled deployment of multiple payloads and more precise orbital insertion than the earlier Thor-Able configurations.
- Diameter M
- 2.44
- Engines
- Count
- 1
- Name
- Rocketdyne LR79
- Placement
- core
- Count
- 1
- Name
- Aerojet AJ10-104
- Placement
- upper
- First Flight Year
- 1,960
- Height M
- 24.2
- Last Flight Year
- 1,965
- Liftoff Mass Kg
- 47,600
- Operator Id
- vh73kr4r60fn37z8e1xzt1f8vd89n75j
- Parent Vehicle Family Id
- nd7sak9850nkethtv2wrrczagd8afskd
- Stages Count
- 2
Links
Assets & Meta
- Creation Time
- 7/13/2026, 1:14:17 PM
- Updated Time
- 7/13/2026, 1:14:17 PM