Engineering:List of Thor and Delta launches (1957–59)

Between 1957 and 1959, there were 79 Thor missiles launched, of which 51 were successful, giving a 64.5% success rate.

Launch statistics

Rocket configurations

Launch sites

Launch outcomes

1957

There were 9 Thor missiles launched in 1957. 4 of the 9 launches were successful, giving a 44.4% success rate.

Date/Time (UTC)	Rocket	S/N	Launch Site	Payload	Function	Orbit	Outcome	Remarks
1957-01-26	Thor DM-18	Thor 101	Cape Canaveral Air Force Station LC-17B		Missile test	Suborbital	Failure	Maiden flight of Thor, first launch from LC-17. Contaminated LOX caused loss of thrust at liftoff. Vehicle fell back onto the pad and exploded.
1957-04-20 04:33	Thor DM-18	Thor 102	CCAFS LC-17B		Missile test	Suborbital	Failure	RSO sent a mistaken destruct command at T+35 seconds due to an incorrect console readout.
1957-08-30	Thor DM-18	Thor 104	CCAFS LC-17A		Missile test	Suborbital	Failure	First launch from LC-17A. Control malfunction led to missile breakup at T+92 seconds.
1957-09-20	Thor DM-18	Thor 105	CCAFS LC-17B		Missile test	Suborbital	Success
1957-10-03 17:14	Thor DM-18	Thor 107	CCAFS LC-17A		Missile test	Suborbital	Failure	Stuck valve prevented the gas generator from starting. Missile fell back onto the pad and exploded.
1957-10-11 16:33	Thor DM-18	Thor 108	CCAFS LC-17B		Missile test	Suborbital	Failure	Turbopump failure at T+152 seconds. Flight considered a "partial success".
1957-10-24 16:32	Thor DM-18	Thor 109	CCAFS LC-17A		Missile test	Suborbital	Success
1957-12-07 22:11	Thor DM-18	Thor 112	CCAFS LC-17B		Missile test	Suborbital	Success
1957-12-19 20:12	Thor DM-18	Thor 113	CCAFS LC-17A		Missile test	Suborbital	Success

1958

There were 20 Thor missiles launched in 1958. 8 of the 20 launches were successful, giving a 40% success rate.

Date/Time (GMT)	Rocket	S/N	Launch Site	Payload	Function	Orbit	Outcome	Remarks
1958-01-28 20:16	Thor DM-18	Thor 114	CCAFS LC-17A		Missile test	Suborbital	Failure	Electrical malfunction led to control failure. RSO T+152 seconds.
1958-02-28 13:08	Thor DM-18	Thor 120	CCAFS LC-17B		Missile test	Suborbital	Failure	Premature engine shutdown at T+109 seconds.
1958-04-19 13:30	Thor DM-18	Thor 121	CCAFS LC-17B		Missile test	Suborbital	Failure	Missile lost thrust and fell back onto the pad, exploding. Suspected fuel line obstruction.
1958-04-24 00:10	Thor DM-18 Able	Thor 116	CCAFS LC-17A		RTV test	Suborbital	Failure	Maiden flight of Thor-Able. Turbopump failure T+146 seconds.
1958-06-04 21:17	Thor DM-18	Thor 115	CCAFS LC-18B		Missile test	Suborbital	Success	First launch from LC-18B
1958-06-13 15:06	Thor DM-18	Thor 122	CCAFS LC-17B		Missile test	Suborbital	Success
1958-07-10 15:06	Thor DM-18 Able	Thor 118	CCAFS LC-17A		RTV test	Suborbital	Success
1958-07-13 06:36	Thor DM-18	Thor 123	CCAFS LC-17B		Missile test	Suborbital	Success	Performance was normal through the boost phase, but the BECO and warhead separation signals were never received.
1958-07-23 22:13	Thor DM-18 Able	Thor 119	CCAFS LC-17A		RTV test	Suborbital	Success	Biological nose cone containing a mouse. The nose cone sank into the ocean and was not recovered.
1958-07-26 06:40	Thor DM-18	Thor 126	CCAFS LC-17B		Missile test	Suborbital	Failure	LOX valve malfunction led to loss of thrust and vehicle breakup at T+55 seconds
1958-08-06	Thor DM-18	Thor 117	CCAFS LC-18B		Missile test	Suborbital	Success	Final flight of Thor DM-18 missile
1958-08-17 12:18	Thor DM-18 Able-I	Thor 127	CCAFS LC-17A	Pioneer 0	Lunar orbiter	High Altitude	Failure	Maiden flight of Thor-Able I. First use of a Thor-based vehicle for a space launch. Turbopump failure, T+73,6 seconds.
1958-10-11 08:42:13	Thor DM-18 Able-I	Thor 130	CCAFS LC-17A	Pioneer 1	Lunar orbiter	High Altitude	Failure	Third stage underperformed
1958-11-05 08:53	Thor DM-18A	Thor 138	CCAFS LC-17B		Missile test	Suborbital	Failure	Maiden flight of Thor DM-18A. Flight control failure. RSO T+45 seconds.
1958-11-08 08:42:13	Thor DM-18 Able-I	Thor 129	CCAFS LC-17A	Pioneer 2	Lunar orbiter	High Altitude	Failure	Third stage failed to ignite
1958-11-26 09:09	Thor DM-18A	Thor 140	CCAFS LC-17B		Missile test	Suborbital	Partial failure	Loss of guidance system power caused the missile to overshoot its target point by 22 miles.
1958-12-06 00:41	Thor DM-18A	Thor 145	CCAFS LC-18B		Missile test	Suborbital	Partial failure	LOX tank pressurization failure led to loss of thrust. Missile impacted 20 miles short of the target point.
1958-12-16 23:44:45	Thor DM-18A	Thor 151	Vandenberg Air Force Base LC-75-1-1		Missile test	Suborbital	Success	First Thor launch from Vandenberg AFB
1958-12-17 04:00	Thor DM-18A	Thor 146	CCAFS LC-17B		Missile test	Suborbital	Success
1958-12-31 02:00	Thor DM-18A	Thor 138	CCAFS LC-18B		Missile test	Suborbital	Failure	Flight control failure. RSO T+40 seconds.

1959

There were 50 Thor missiles launched in 1959. 39 of the 50 launches were successful, giving a 78% success rate.

Date/Time (UTC)	Rocket	S/N	Launch Site	Payload	Function	Orbit	Outcome	Remarks
1959-01-23	Thor DM-18 Able-II	Thor 128	CCAFS LC-17A		RVX test	Suborbital	Failure	Thor portion of flight successful. Staging failed due to an electrical malfunction. Vehicle fell into the Atlantic Ocean.
1959-01-30 23:53	Thor DM-18A	Thor 154	CCAFS LC-17B		Missile test	Suborbital	Success
1959-02-28 07:58	Thor DM-18 Able-II	Thor 131	CCAFS LC-17A		RVX test	Suborbital	Success
1959-02-28 21:49:16	Thor DM-18 Agena-A	Thor 163 Agena 1022	VAFB LC-75-3-4	Discoverer 1	Reconnaissance	LEO	Failure	Maiden flight of Thor-Agena. Agena telemetry lost T+730 seconds. Fate of the payload unknown, but generally presumed to have impacted somewhere in Antarctica.
1959-03-21 06:19	Thor DM-18 Able-II	Thor 132	CCAFS LC-17A		RVX test	Suborbital	Success
1959-03-22 00:58	Thor DM-18A	Thor 158	CCAFS LC-18B		Missile test	Suborbital	Success
1959-03-27 04:02	Thor DM-18A	Thor 162	CCAFS LC-17B		Missile test	Suborbital	Success
1959-03-27 04:02	Thor DM-18A	Thor 162	CCAFS LC-17B		Missile test	Suborbital	Success
1959-04-08 06:35	Thor DM-18 Able-II	Thor 133	CCAFS LC-17A		RVX test	Suborbital	Success
1959-04-13 21:18:39	Thor DM-18 Agena-A	Thor 170 Agena 1018	VAFB LC-75-3-4	Discoverer 2	Reconnaissance	LEO	Success
1959-04-16 20:46	Thor DM-18A	Thor 161	VAFB LC-75-2-8		Missile test	Suborbital	Success
1959-04-23 05:30	Thor DM-18A	Thor 176	CCAFS LC-17B		Missile test	Suborbital	Success
1959-04-25 05:00	Thor DM-18A	Thor 164	CCAFS LC-18B		Missile test	Suborbital	Success
1959-05-12 17:35	Thor DM-18A	Thor 187	CCAFS LC-17B		Missile test	Suborbital	Success
1959-05-21 06:40	Thor DM-18 Able-II	Thor 135	CCAFS LC-17A		RVX test	Suborbital	Success
1959-05-23 02:42	Thor DM-18A	Thor 184	CCAFS LC-18B		Missile test	Suborbital	Success
1959-06-03 20:09:20	Thor DM-18 Agena-A	Thor 174 Agena 1020	VAFB LC-75-3-4	Discoverer 3	Reconnaissance	LEO	Failure	Agena attitude control malfunction pointed the stage in the wrong direction, sending it into the Pacific Ocean rather than orbit.
1959-06-11 06:44	Thor DM-18 Able-II	Thor 137	CCAFS LC-17A		RVX test	Suborbital	Success
1959-06-16 21:45	Thor DM-18A	Thor 191	VAFB LC-75-2-7		Missile test	Suborbital	Failure	Pitch and roll program failed to initiate. RSO T+50 seconds.
1959-06-25 22:47:45	Thor DM-18 Agena-A	Thor 179 Agena 1023	VAFB LC-75-3-5	Discoverer 4	Reconnaissance	LEO	Failure	Agena developed insufficient thrust to attain orbital velocity.
1959-06-26	Thor DM-18A	Thor 198	CCAFS LC-18B		Missile test	Suborbital	Success
1959-06-30 02:37	Thor DM-18A	Thor 194	CCAFS LC-17B		Missile test	Suborbital	Success
1959-07-21 07:33	Thor DM-18A	Thor 203	CCAFS LC-17B		Missile test	Suborbital	Failure	Pitch and roll program failed to initiate. RSO T+40 seconds.
1959-07-24 12:47	Thor DM-18A	Thor 202	CCAFS LC-18B		Missile test	Suborbital	Success
1959-08-03 21:41	Thor DM-18A	Thor 175	VAFB LC-75-1-1		Missile test	Suborbital	Success
1959-08-06 02:48	Thor DM-18A	Thor 208	CCAFS LC-17B		Missile test	Suborbital	Success
1959-08-07 14:24:20	Thor DM-18 Able-III	Thor 134	CCAFS LC-17A	Explorer 6	Radiation	HEO	Success
1959-08-13 19:00:08	Thor DM-18 Agena-A	Thor 192 Agena 1029	VAFB LC-75-3-4	Discoverer 5	Reconnaissance	LEO	Success
1959-08-14 09:00	Thor DM-18A	Thor 204	CCAFS LC-18B		Missile test	Suborbital	Success
1959-08-14 19:36:04	Thor DM-18A	Thor 190	VAFB LC-75-2-6		Missile test	Suborbital	Partial failure	Premature propellant depletion. Planned range not achieved.
1959-08-19 19:24:44	Thor DM-18 Agena-A	Thor 200 Agena 1028	VAFB LC-75-3-5	Discoverer 6	Reconnaissance	LEO	Success
1959-08-27 12:30	Thor DM-18A	Thor 216	CCAFS LC-17B		Missile test	Suborbital	Success
1959-09-12	Thor DM-18A	Thor 217	CCAFS LC-18B		Missile test	Suborbital	Success
1959-09-17 14:34	Thor DM-18 Able-II	Thor 136	CCAFS LC-17A	Transit 1A	Navigation	LEO	Failure	Third stage malfunctioned
1959-09-17 21:09	Thor DM-18A	Thor 228	VAFB LC-75-1-2		Missile test	Suborbital	Success
1959-09-22 18:00	Thor DM-18A	Thor 222	CCAFS LC-17B		Missile test	Suborbital	Success
1959-10-06 16:41	Thor DM-18A	Thor 235	CCAFS LC-18B		Missile test	Suborbital	Success
1959-10-06 18:26	Thor DM-18A	Thor 239	VAFB LC-75-2-8		Missile test	Suborbital	Success
1959-10-14 04:15	Thor DM-18A	Thor 221	CCAFS LC-17B		Missile test	Suborbital	Success
1959-10-21 22:57	Thor DM-18A	Thor 220	VAFB LC-75-1-1		Missile test	Suborbital	Success
1959-10-29 02:12	Thor DM-18A	Thor 230	CCAFS LC-18B		Missile test	Suborbital	Success
1959-11-03	Thor DM-18A	Thor 238	CCAFS LC-17B		Missile test	Suborbital	Success
1959-11-07 20:28:41	Thor DM-18 Agena-A	Thor 206 Agena 1051	VAFB LC-75-3-4	Discoverer 7	Reconnaissance	LEO	Success
1959-11-12 19:24	Thor DM-18A	Thor 181	VAFB LC-75-1-2		Missile test	Suborbital	Success
1959-11-19	Thor DM-18A	Thor 244	CCAFS LC-17B		Missile test	Suborbital	Success
1959-11-20 19:25:24	Thor DM-18 Agena-A	Thor 212 Agena 1050	VAFB LC-75-3-5	Discoverer 8	Reconnaissance	LEO	Failure	Orbit too eccentric for use of return capsule
1959-12-01 17:00	Thor DM-18A	Thor 254	CCAFS LC-18B		Missile test	Suborbital	Success
1959-12-02 05:29	Thor DM-18A	Thor 265	VAFB LC-75-1-1		Missile test	Suborbital	Failure
1959-12-15 02:14	Thor DM-18A	Thor 185	VAFB LC-75-1-2		Missile test	Suborbital	Failure	Flight control failure. Missile broke up T+60 seconds.
1959-12-17	Thor DM-18A	Thor 255	CCAFS LC-17B		Missile test	Suborbital	Success

Images

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  Thor 127

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  Thor 130

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  Thor 129

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  Thor 134

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  Thor 136