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Thor Rocket Family

Thor began as a Douglas-built U.S. Air Force intermediate-range ballistic missile and became one of the foundational American space-launch boosters. Thor first stages flew with Able, Agena, Ablestar, Burner, and Delta upper stages; stretched and augmented Thor descendants formed the early Delta lineage and supported civil, military, weather, navigation, and deep-space missions for decades.

Identity

Aliases
PGM-17 ThorThor IRBM-derived launch family
Family Name
Thor
Full Name
Thor Rocket Family
Reusability
expendable
Slug
thor-rocket-family
Status
retired
Type
rocket

Details

Description
Thor began as a Douglas-built U.S. Air Force intermediate-range ballistic missile and became one of the foundational American space-launch boosters. Thor first stages flew with Able, Agena, Ablestar, Burner, and Delta upper stages; stretched and augmented Thor descendants formed the early Delta lineage and supported civil, military, weather, navigation, and deep-space missions for decades.
Diameter M
2.44
Engines
  • Count
    1
    Name
    Rocketdyne LR79
    Placement
    core
First Flight Year
1,957
Height M
19.8
Last Flight Year
1,980
Liftoff Mass Kg
49,900
Manufacturer Id
jd7edvgyrh3f25nh2bmbtse3t185kvfa
Stages Count
1

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Creation Time
7/13/2026, 12:53:04 PM
Updated Time
7/13/2026, 12:53:04 PM