Thor Agena A

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Thor Agena A

Thor Agena A - Thor Agena A - COSPAR 1960-M

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Family: Delta. Country: USA. Status: Hardware. Department of Defence Designation: SLV-2. Manufacturer's Designation: DSV-2A.

Specifications

Launches: 16. Failures: 6. Success Rate: 62.50% pct. First Launch Date: 21 January 1959. Last Launch Date: 13 September 1960. Liftoff Thrust: 68,040 kgf. Total Mass: 53,130 kg. Core Diameter: 2.4 m. Total Length: 28.0 m. Flyaway Unit Cost $: 10.73 million. in 1985 unit dollars.

Stage Number: 1. 1 x Thor DM-19 Gross Mass: 49,340 kg. Empty Mass: 3,125 kg. Thrust (vac): 77,367 kgf. Isp: 282 sec. Burn time: 165 sec. Isp(sl): 248 sec. Diameter: 2.4 m. Span: 2.4 m. Length: 18.4 m. Propellants: Lox/Kerosene No Engines: 1. LR-79-7
Stage Number: 2. 1 x Agena A Gross Mass: 3,790 kg. Empty Mass: 885 kg. Thrust (vac): 7,031 kgf. Isp: 276 sec. Burn time: 120 sec. Isp(sl): 0 sec. Diameter: 1.5 m. Span: 1.5 m. Length: 4.7 m. Propellants: Nitric acid/UDMH No Engines: 1. Bell 8048

Thor Agena A Chronology

1959 Jan 21 - LV Configuration: Thor s/n 160 / Agena A. Launch Site: Vandenberg . Launch Complex: LC75-3-4. FAILURE: Launch vehicle failure.

Thor Agena test Spacecraft: KH-1.
Fist flight test of Thor-Agena for KH program.

1959 Feb 28 - - 21:49 GMT. LV Configuration: Thor s/n 163 / Agena A s/n 1022. Launch Site: Vandenberg . Launch Complex: LC75-3-4.

Discoverer 1 Spacecraft: KH-1. Payload: KH-1 prototype / Agena A 1022. Mass: 618 kg.
First polar orbiting satellite; KH-1 prototype; did not carry camera or film capsule.

1959 Apr 13 - - 21:18 GMT. LV Configuration: Thor s/n 170 / Agena A s/n 1018. Launch Site: Vandenberg . Launch Complex: LC75-3-4.

Discoverer 2 Spacecraft: KH-1. Payload: KH-1 prototype / Agena A 1022. Mass: 743 kg.
KH-1 prototype; tested capsule recovery techniques; did not carry camera; capsule recovery failed.
SRV Spacecraft: KH-1.

1959 Jun 3 - - 20:09 GMT. LV Configuration: Thor s/n 174 / Agena A s/n 1020. Launch Site: Vandenberg . Launch Complex: LC75-3-4. FAILURE: Failure.

SRV Spacecraft: KH-1.
Discoverer 3 Spacecraft: KH-1. Payload: KH-1 prototype / Agena A 1018. Mass: 753 kg.
KH-1 prototype; did not carry camera; film capsule recovery failed.

1959 Jun 25 - - 22:47 GMT. LV Configuration: Thor s/n 179 / Agena A s/n 1023. Launch Site: Vandenberg . Launch Complex: LC75-3-5. FAILURE: Agena-A failed.

Discoverer 4 Spacecraft: KH-1. Payload: KH-1 9001. Mass: 743 kg.
KH-1; 1st generation low resolution photo surveillance. Failed to achieve orbit.
SRV 102 Spacecraft: KH-1.

1959 Aug 13 - - 19:00 GMT. LV Configuration: Thor s/n 192 / Agena A s/n 1029. Launch Site: Vandenberg . Launch Complex: LC75-3-4.

Discoverer 5 Spacecraft: KH-1. Payload: KH-1 9002 / Agena A 1029. Mass: 781 kg.
KH-1; 1st generation low resolution photo surveillance; film capsule boosted into higher orbit, decayed 2/11/61. Mission failed. Power supply failure. No recovery.
Discoverer 5 Capsule Spacecraft: KH-1. Payload: KH-1 9002 Capsule.
Thor-Agena A
Credit: US Air Force. 16,196 bytes. 246 x 460 pixels.
KH-1; 1st generation low resolution photo surveillance; film capsule boosted into higher orbit, decayed 2/11/61. Mission failed. Power supply failure. No recovery.

1959 Aug 19 - - 19:24 GMT. LV Configuration: Thor s/n 200 / Agena A s/n 1028. Launch Site: Vandenberg . Launch Complex: LC75-3-5.

Discoverer 6 Spacecraft: KH-1. Payload: KH-1 9003 / Agena A 1028. Mass: 783 kg.
KH-1; 1st generation low resolution photo surveillance; film capsule recovery failed. Mission failed. Retro rockets malfunctioned negating recovery.
SRV 105 Spacecraft: KH-1.

1959 Nov 7 - - 20:28 GMT. LV Configuration: Thor s/n 206 / Agena A s/n 1051. Launch Site: Vandenberg . Launch Complex: LC75-3-4.

Discoverer 7 Spacecraft: KH-1. Payload: KH-1 9004 / Agena A 1051. Mass: 794 kg.
KH-1; 1st generation low resolution photo surveillance; satellite tumbled; film capsule not recovered. Mission failed. Failed to achieve orbit.
SRV 109 Spacecraft: KH-1.

1959 Nov 20 - - 19:25 GMT. LV Configuration: Thor s/n 212 / Agena A s/n 1050. Launch Site: Vandenberg . Launch Complex: LC75-3-5.

Discoverer 8 Spacecraft: KH-1. Payload: KH-1 9005 / Agena A 1050. Mass: 795 kg.
Thor Agena A
Credit: © Mark Wade. 771 bytes. 36 x 268 pixels.
KH-1; 1st generation low resolution photo surveillance; film capsule recovery failed. Mission failed. Eccentric orbit negating recovery.
SRV 107 Spacecraft: KH-1.

1960 Feb 4 - - 18:51 GMT. LV Configuration: Thor s/n 218 / Agena A s/n 1052. Launch Site: Vandenberg . Launch Complex: LC75-3-4. FAILURE: Failure.

SRV 113 Spacecraft: KH-1.
Discoverer 9 Spacecraft: KH-1. Payload: KH-1 9006. Mass: 765 kg.
KH-1; 1st generation low resolution photo surveillance. Mission failed.

1960 Feb 19 - - 20:15 GMT. LV Configuration: Thor s/n 223 / Agena A s/n 1054. Launch Site: Vandenberg . Launch Complex: LC75-3-5. FAILURE: Destroyed just after launch due to erratic attitude.Thor guidance error.

Discoverer 10 Spacecraft: KH-1. Payload: KH-1 9007. Mass: 765 kg.
KH-1; Mission failed.
SRV 110 Spacecraft: KH-1.

1960 Apr 15 - - 20:30 GMT. LV Configuration: Thor s/n 234 / Agena A s/n 1055. Launch Site: Vandenberg . Launch Complex: LC75-3-5.

Discoverer 11 Spacecraft: KH-1. Payload: KH-1 9008 / Agena A 1055. Mass: 790 kg.
Agena A Stage
Credit: © Mark Wade. 19,473 bytes. 472 x 224 pixels.
KH-1; film capsule recovery failed. Mission failed. Attitude control system malfunctioned.
SRV 103 Spacecraft: KH-1.

1960 Jun 29 - - 22:00 GMT. LV Configuration: Thor s/n 160 / Agena A s/n 1053. Launch Site: Vandenberg . Launch Complex: LC75-3-4. FAILURE: Failure.

SRV Spacecraft: KH-1.
Discoverer 12 Spacecraft: KH-1. Payload: KH-1 prototype. Mass: 790 kg.
KH-1 prototype; designed to test capsule recovery system; did not carry camera.

1960 Aug 10 - - 20:37 GMT. LV Configuration: Thor s/n 231 / Agena A s/n 1057. Launch Site: Vandenberg . Launch Complex: LC75-3-5.

Discoverer 13 Spacecraft: KH-1. Payload: KH-1 prototype / Agena A 1057. Mass: 850 kg.
KH-1 prototype; designed to test capsule recovery system; did not carry camera; capsule successfully recovered from ocean.

1960 Aug 18 - - 19:57 GMT. LV Configuration: Thor s/n 237 / Agena A s/n 1056. Launch Site: Vandenberg . Launch Complex: LC75-3-4.

Discoverer 14 Spacecraft: KH-1. Payload: KH-1 9009 / Agena A 1056. Mass: 850 kg.
KH-1; film capsule recovered 1.2 days later; 1st successful photosurveillance mission. First successful mission. Cameras operated satisfactorily.
SRV 101 Spacecraft: KH-1.

1960 Sep 13 - - 22:14 GMT. LV Configuration: Thor s/n 246 / Agena A s/n 1058. Launch Site: Vandenberg . Launch Complex: LC75-3-5.

Discoverer 15 Spacecraft: KH-1. Payload: KH-1 9010 / Agena A 1058. Mass: 863 kg.
KH-1; film capsule lost at sea. Mission failed. Attained orbit successfully. Capsule sank prior to retrieval.
SRV 106 Spacecraft: KH-1.

Bibliography:

45 - Koelle, Heinz Hermann,, Handbook of Astronautical Engineering, McGraw-Hill,New York, 1961.

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Last update 12 March 2001.
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