Thor-Agena B Launch Vehicle
Thor-Agena B paired a standard short-tank Thor with the larger restartable Agena B. NASA used this configuration for Alouette 1, Echo 2, Nimbus 1, and the Alouette 2/Explorer 31 dual launch, while the Air Force used it extensively for Discoverer and related missions. Agena B's enlarged tanks and restart capability increased payload and orbital-insertion flexibility over Agena A.
Identity
- Aliases
- Thor Agena BThor/Agena B
- Family Name
- Thor-Agena B
- Full Name
- Thor-Agena B Launch Vehicle
- Reusability
- expendable
- Slug
- thor-agena-b-launch-vehicle
- Status
- retired
- Type
- rocket
Details
- Description
- Thor-Agena B paired a standard short-tank Thor with the larger restartable Agena B. NASA used this configuration for Alouette 1, Echo 2, Nimbus 1, and the Alouette 2/Explorer 31 dual launch, while the Air Force used it extensively for Discoverer and related missions. Agena B's enlarged tanks and restart capability increased payload and orbital-insertion flexibility over Agena A.
- Diameter M
- 2.4
- Engines
- Count
- 1
- Name
- Rocketdyne LR79-NA-13
- Placement
- core
- Count
- 1
- Name
- Bell XLR81-BA-11
- Placement
- upper
- First Flight Year
- 1,960
- Height M
- 23
- Last Flight Year
- 1,966
- Liftoff Mass Kg
- 55,978
- Operator Id
- vh73kr4r60fn37z8e1xzt1f8vd89n75j
- Parent Vehicle Family Id
- nd7qq3pymda8pncjem105cawph8aeyrs
- Payload Capacity Kg
- Leo
- 1,380
- Stages Count
- 2
Links
Assets & Meta
- Creation Time
- 7/13/2026, 1:21:18 PM
- Updated Time
- 7/13/2026, 1:21:18 PM