Encyclopedia entry

Thor Delta

Launch vehicle · USA

Part of Thor

Original archive entry. The text, images and links below are kept as they were written.

Delta no. 4
Delta no. 4 - COSPAR 1961-Kappa

American orbital launch vehicle. Commercial name for the military's Thor-Delta. The name of the Delta second stage eventually was applied to subsequent commercial follow-ons.

LEO Payload: 226 kg (498 lb). Payload: 45 kg (99 lb) to a GTO. Flyaway Unit Cost 1985$: 7.270 million.

More at: Thor Delta.

Family: orbital launch vehicle
Country: USA
Spacecraft: TIROS, Echo, P-14, EPE, OSO, Ariel, Telstar
Projects: Explorer
Launch Sites: Cape Canaveral, Cape Canaveral LC17B, Cape Canaveral LC17A
Stages: Altair 1, Delta 104, Thor DM-19
Agency: Douglas

Chronology

12 events

1960 May 13

09:16 GMT - . Launch Site: Cape Canaveral. Launch Complex: Cape Canaveral LC17A. LV Family: Thor. Launch Vehicle: Thor Delta. FAILURE: Second stage attitude control failure.. Failed Stage: U.

Echo 1 - . Payload: A-10. Mass: 56 kg (123 lb). Nation: USA. Agency: NASA. Class: Communications. Type: Civilian communications satellite. Spacecraft: Echo. Decay Date: 1960-05-13 .
The first three-stage, NASA-developed Thor/Delta space booster was launched from Cape Canaveral, but the Echo passive communications satellite failed to achieve orbit due to a second stage malfunction. This booster was for NASA programs and used the basic Thor first stage with a modified Vanguard second stage as its upper stage configuration.

1960 August 12

09:39 GMT - . Launch Site: Cape Canaveral. Launch Complex: Cape Canaveral LC17A. LV Family: Thor. Launch Vehicle: Thor Delta.

Echo 1 - . Payload: A-11. Mass: 76 kg (167 lb). Nation: USA. Agency: NASA. Class: Technology. Type: Communications technology satellite. Spacecraft: Echo. Decay Date: 1968-05-24 . USAF Sat Cat: 49 . COSPAR: 1960-Iota-1. Apogee: 2,157 km (1,340 mi). Perigee: 966 km (600 mi). Inclination: 47.30 deg. Period: 117.30 min.
A Thor/Delta was launched from Cape Canaveral carrying NASA's Echo I, the first passive communications satellite to be placed into orbit. Balloon; passively relayed TV and voice transmissions. Spacecraft engaged in practical applications and uses of space technology such as weather or communication (US Cat C).

1960 November 23

11:13 GMT - . Launch Site: Cape Canaveral. Launch Complex: Cape Canaveral LC17A. LV Family: Thor. Launch Vehicle: Thor Delta.

Tiros 2 - . Payload: Tiros B (A-2). Mass: 130 kg (280 lb). Nation: USA. Agency: NASA. Program: Tiros. Class: Earth. Type: Weather satellite. Spacecraft: Tiros. Decay Date: 2014-05-18 . USAF Sat Cat: 63 . COSPAR: 1960-Pi-1. Apogee: 610 km (370 mi). Perigee: 547 km (339 mi). Inclination: 48.50 deg. Period: 96.30 min. Spacecraft engaged in practical applications and uses of space technology such as weather or communication (US Cat C)..

1961 March 25

15:17 GMT - . Launch Site: Cape Canaveral. Launch Complex: Cape Canaveral LC17A. LV Family: Thor. Launch Vehicle: Thor Delta.

Explorer 10 - . Payload: P-14. Mass: 35 kg (77 lb). Nation: USA. Agency: NASA. Program: Explorer. Class: Astronomy. Type: Solar satellite. Spacecraft Bus: P. Spacecraft: P-14. Decay Date: 1961-06-30 . USAF Sat Cat: 98 . COSPAR: 1961-Kappa-1. Apogee: 181,100 km (112,500 mi). Perigee: 221 km (137 mi). Inclination: 33.00 deg. Period: 5,013.90 min. Magnetic field data. Decay date suspect Spacecraft engaged in research and exploration of the upper atmosphere or outer space (US Cat B)..

1961 July 12

10:25 GMT - . Launch Site: Cape Canaveral. Launch Complex: Cape Canaveral LC17A. LV Family: Thor. Launch Vehicle: Thor Delta.

Tiros 3 - . Payload: Tiros C (A-3). Mass: 129 kg (284 lb). Nation: USA. Agency: NASA. Program: Tiros. Class: Earth. Type: Weather satellite. Spacecraft: Tiros. USAF Sat Cat: 162 . COSPAR: 1961-Rho-1. Apogee: 790 km (490 mi). Perigee: 723 km (449 mi). Inclination: 47.90 deg. Period: 100.00 min. Spacecraft engaged in practical applications and uses of space technology such as weather or communication (US Cat C)..

1961 August 16

03:21 GMT - . Launch Site: Cape Canaveral. Launch Complex: Cape Canaveral LC17A. LV Family: Thor. Launch Vehicle: Thor Delta.

Explorer 12 - . Payload: EPE A (S-3). Mass: 38 kg (83 lb). Nation: USA. Agency: NASA. Program: Explorer. Class: Astronomy. Type: Solar satellite. Spacecraft: EPE. Decay Date: 1963-08-31 . USAF Sat Cat: 170 . COSPAR: 1961-Upsilon-1. Apogee: 76,620 km (47,600 mi). Perigee: 790 km (490 mi). Inclination: 33.40 deg. Period: 1,587.30 min. Radiation and solar wind data. Spacecraft engaged in research and exploration of the upper atmosphere or outer space (US Cat B). .

1962 February 8

12:43 GMT - . Launch Site: Cape Canaveral. Launch Complex: Cape Canaveral LC17A. LV Family: Thor. Launch Vehicle: Thor Delta.

Tiros 4 - . Payload: Tiros D (A-9). Mass: 129 kg (284 lb). Nation: USA. Agency: NASA. Program: Tiros. Class: Earth. Type: Weather satellite. Spacecraft: Tiros. USAF Sat Cat: 226 . COSPAR: 1962-Beta-1. Apogee: 812 km (504 mi). Perigee: 693 km (430 mi). Inclination: 48.30 deg. Period: 99.90 min. Returned 32593 cloud cover photos. Spacecraft engaged in practical applications and uses of space technology such as weather or communication (US Cat C)..

1962 March 7

16:06 GMT - . Launch Site: Cape Canaveral. Launch Complex: Cape Canaveral LC17A. LV Family: Thor. Launch Vehicle: Thor Delta.

OSO 1 - . Payload: OSO A (S-16). Mass: 208 kg (458 lb). Nation: USA. Agency: NASA. Class: Astronomy. Type: Solar satellite. Spacecraft: OSO. Decay Date: 1981-10-08 . USAF Sat Cat: 255 . COSPAR: 1962-Zeta-1. Apogee: 553 km (343 mi). Perigee: 522 km (324 mi). Inclination: 32.80 deg. Period: 95.30 min. Orbiting Solar Observatory; solar flare observations. Spacecraft engaged in research and exploration of the upper atmosphere or outer space (US Cat B). .

1962 April 26

18:00 GMT - . Launch Site: Cape Canaveral. Launch Complex: Cape Canaveral LC17A. LV Family: Thor. Launch Vehicle: Thor Delta.

Ariel 1 - . Payload: UK 1 (S-51). Mass: 60 kg (132 lb). Nation: UK. Agency: NASA. Class: Earth. Type: Magnetosphere satellite. Spacecraft: Ariel. Decay Date: 1976-03-31 . USAF Sat Cat: 285 . COSPAR: 1962-Omicron-1. Apogee: 1,203 km (747 mi). Perigee: 398 km (247 mi). Inclination: 53.80 deg. Period: 100.80 min. Ionospheric studies; returned X-ray, ionospheric, cosmic ray data. Spacecraft engaged in research and exploration of the upper atmosphere or outer space (US Cat B). .

1962 June 19

12:19 GMT - . Launch Site: Cape Canaveral. Launch Complex: Cape Canaveral LC17A. LV Family: Thor. Launch Vehicle: Thor Delta.

Tiros 5 - . Payload: Tiros E (A-50). Mass: 129 kg (284 lb). Nation: USA. Agency: NASA. Program: Tiros. Class: Earth. Type: Weather satellite. Spacecraft: Tiros. USAF Sat Cat: 309 . COSPAR: 1962-A-Alpha-1. Apogee: 880 km (540 mi). Perigee: 580 km (360 mi). Inclination: 58.10 deg. Period: 99.40 min. Returned 58226 cloud cover images. Spacecraft engaged in practical applications and uses of space technology such as weather or communication (US Cat C)..

1962 July 10

08:35 GMT - . Launch Site: Cape Canaveral. Launch Complex: Cape Canaveral LC17B. LV Family: Thor. Launch Vehicle: Thor Delta.

Telstar 1 - . Mass: 77 kg (169 lb). Nation: USA. Agency: ATT. Class: Communications. Type: Civilian communications satellite. Spacecraft: Telstar. USAF Sat Cat: 340 . COSPAR: 1962-A-Epsilon-1. Apogee: 5,643 km (3,506 mi). Perigee: 945 km (587 mi). Inclination: 44.80 deg. Period: 157.80 min.
A NASA Thor/Delta boosted Telstar, the first commercially developed international communications satellite, into orbit. First commercial comsat; active repeater. Spacecraft engaged in practical applications and uses of space technology such as weather or communication (US Cat C).

1962 September 18

08:53 GMT - . Launch Site: Cape Canaveral. Launch Complex: Cape Canaveral LC17A. LV Family: Thor. Launch Vehicle: Thor Delta.

Tiros 6 - . Payload: Tiros F2 (A-51). Mass: 127 kg (279 lb). Nation: USA. Agency: NASA. Program: Tiros. Class: Earth. Type: Weather satellite. Spacecraft: Tiros. USAF Sat Cat: 397 . COSPAR: 1962-A-Psi-1. Apogee: 654 km (406 mi). Perigee: 631 km (392 mi). Inclination: 58.30 deg. Period: 97.60 min. Returned 66674 cloud cover images. Spacecraft engaged in practical applications and uses of space technology such as weather or communication (US Cat C)..