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List of Thor DM-21 Agena-D launches

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A Thor-Agena launch vehicle, ready to launch the Discoverer 37 (KH-3) spacecraft, on 13 January 1962

Thor DM-21 Agena-D or just Thor-Agena was an orbital launch vehicle. The launch vehicles used the Douglas-built Thor first stage and the Lockheed-built Agena second stages. They are thus cousins of the more-famous Thor-Deltans, which founded the Delta launch vehicle family. The first attempted launch of a Thor DM-21 Agena-D was on 28 June 1962. The first successful launch was also on 28 June 1962, launching FTV 1151. It was the first two-stage rocket to place a satellite into orbit.[1]

Launch statistics

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Launch outcome

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1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
  •   Success
  •   Failure

Orbit

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1.6
3.2
4.8
6.4
8

Launch history

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The data in this table comes from [2][3][4]
Date/Time
(UTC)
Rocket S/N Launch Site Payload Function Orbit Outcome Remarks
1962-06-28
01:09
Thor DM-21 Agena-D Thor 340
Agena 1151
VAFB LC-75-1-1 FTV 1151 Reconnaissance LEO Success
1962-08-02
00:17
Thor DM-21 Agena-D Thor 344
Agena 1152
VAFB LC-75-1-1 FTV 1152 Reconnaissance LEO Success
1962-08-29
01:00
Thor DM-21 Agena-D Thor 349
Agena 1153
VAFB LC-75-1-2 FTV 1153 Reconnaissance LEO Success
1962-09-29
23:34:50
Thor DM-21 Agena-D Thor 351
Agena 1154
VAFB LC-75-1-2 FTV 1154 Reconnaissance LEO Success
1962-10-26
16:14
Thor DM-21 Agena-D Thor 353
Agena 1401
VAFB LC-75-1-2 STARAD Radiation MEO Success
1962-12-04
21:30
Thor DM-21 Agena-D Thor 361
Agena 1155
VAFB LC-75-1-2 FTV 1155 Reconnaissance LEO Success
1962-12-13
04:07
Thor DM-21 Agena-D Thor 365 VAFB LC-75-1-1 NRL PL120
Injun 3
NRL PL121
SURCAL 2
Calsphere 1
ELINT
Ionospheric
Calibration
MEO Success
1962-12-14
21:26:07
Thor DM-21 Agena-D Thor 368
Agena 1156
VAFB LC-75-3-5 FTV 1156 Reconnaissance LEO Success
1963-01-07
21:09:49
Thor DM-21 Agena-D Thor 369
Agena 1157
VAFB LC-75-1-1 OPS 0048 Reconnaissance LEO Success
1963-04-01
23:01
Thor DM-21 Agena-D Thor 376
Agena 1160
VAFB LC-75-3-5 OPS 0720 Reconnaissance LEO Success
1963-04-26
20:13
Thor DM-21 Agena-D Thor 372
Agena 1411
VAFB LC-75-1-1 OPS 1008 Reconnaissance LEO Failure Attitude sensor alignment error results in no Agena orbit.
1963-06-15
14:29
Thor DM-21 Agena-D Thor 378
Agena 2353
VAFB LC-75-1-1 FTV 1292
Solrad 6A
LOFTI 2B
Surcal 3
Radose 112
ELINT
Radiation
Ionospheric
Calibration
LEO Success
1963-07-19
00:00:10
Thor DM-21 Agena-D Thor 388
Agena 1412
VAFB LC-75-1-1 OPS 1266 Reconnaissance LEO Success
1965-03-09
18:29
Thor DM-21 Agena-D Thor 419
Agena 2701
VAFB SLC-2W SECOR 3 / Dodecapole 1 / Poppy 4 / Solrad 7B / GGSE 2 / GGSE 3 / Surcal 4 / Oscar 3 Geodesic research / Radar calibration / ELINT / ELINT / Technological test / Technological test / Technological test / Amateur radio satellite LEO Success
1965-09-02
20:00
Thor DM-21 Agena-D Thor 401
Agena 1602
VAFB LC-75-3-5 MPRV Upper atmosphere and space experiments planned: MEO Failure High winds caused the vehicle to drift off course. RSO T+43 seconds. Debris fell on a trailer park.
1967-05-31
09:30
Thor DM-21 Agena-D Thor 443
Agena 2704
VAFB SLC-2W Timation 1 / GGSE 4 / GGSE 5 / Poppy 5 / Calsphere 3 / Calsphere 4 / Surcal 152 / Surcal 153 / Surcal 150B Experimental navigation satellite / Technological research satellite / ELINT / Technological research satellites (x5) LEO Success Final flight of the original Thor-Agena series.

References

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  1. ^ "Thor Agena A". astronautix.com. Archived from the original on 20 July 2016. Retrieved 10 August 2021.
  2. ^ "Thor Agena". Gunter's Space Page. Retrieved 3 August 2021.
  3. ^ TRW Space Log. TRW Systems Group. 4 August 1960. pp. 10–12 – via Google Books.
  4. ^ "Thor-DM21 Agena-D". Gunter's Space Page. Retrieved 20 August 2021.