Thor DM-21 Agena-B or just Thor-Agena was a series of orbital launch vehicles. The rockets used the Douglas-built Thor first stage and the Lockheed-built Agena second stages. The series includes a variant with Solid Rocket Boosters (TAT Agena-B or Thor-SLV2A Agena-B)They are thus cousins of the more-famous Thor-Deltas, which founded the Delta rocket family. The first attempted launch of a Thor DM-21 Agena-B was in January 1959. The first successful launch was on 28 February 1959, launching Discoverer 17.
Launch statistics
Launch outcome
Launchpad
Orbit
Function
Launch history +The data in this table comes from and Date/Time(UTC) Rocket S/N Launch site Payload Function Orbit Outcome Remarks 1960-10-2620:26 Thor DM-21 Agena-B Thor 253Agena 1061 VAFB LC-75-3-4 Discoverer 16 Reconnaissance LEO Maiden flight of Thor-Agena B. Agena staging failed. Vehicle fell into the Pacific Ocean. 1960-11-1220:43 Thor DM-21 Agena-B Thor 297Agena 1062 VAFB LC-75-3-5 Discoverer 17 Reconnaissance LEO 1960-12-0720:20:58 Thor DM-21 Agena-B Thor 296Agena 1103 VAFB LC-75-3-4 Discoverer 18 Reconnaissance LEO 1960-12-2020:32 Thor DM-21 Agena-B Thor 258Agena 1101 VAFB LC-75-3-5 Discoverer 19 Technology LEO 1961-02-1720:25 Thor DM-21 Agena-B Thor 298 VAFB LC-75-3-4 Discoverer 20 Reconnaissance LEO 1961-02-1822:58 Thor DM-21 Agena-B Thor 261Agena 1102 VAFB LC-75-3-5 Discoverer 21 Technology LEO 1961-03-3020:34:43 Thor DM-21 Agena-B Thor 300Agena 1105 VAFB LC-75-3-4 Discoverer 22 Reconnaissance LEO Agena control failure. 1961-04-0819:21 Thor DM-21 Agena-B Thor 307Agena 1106 VAFB LC-75-3-5 Discoverer 23 Reconnaissance LEO 1961-06-0821:16 Thor DM-21 Agena-B Thor 302Agena 1108 VAFB LC-75-3-4 Discoverer 24 Reconnaissance LEO Agena power failure 1961-06-1623:02 Thor DM-21 Agena-B Thor 303Agena 1107 VAFB LC-75-1-1 Discoverer 25 Reconnaissance LEO 1961-07-0723:29:48 Thor DM-21 Agena-B Thor 308Agena 1109 VAFB LC-75-3-5 Discoverer 26 Reconnaissance LEO 1961-07-2122:35 Thor DM-21 Agena-B Thor 322Agena 1110 VAFB LC-75-3-4 Discoverer 27 Reconnaissance LEO Open circuit in guidance computer led to loss of control and vehicle breakup at T+60 seconds. 1961-08-0400:01 Thor DM-21 Agena-B Thor 309Agena 1111 VAFB LC-75-1-1 Discoverer 28 Reconnaissance LEO Agena control system malfunctioned 1961-08-3020:00 Thor DM-21 Agena-B Thor 323Agena 1112 VAFB LC-75-3-4 Discoverer 29 Reconnaissance LEO 1961-09-1219:59 Thor DM-21 Agena-B Thor 310Agena 1113 VAFB LC-75-3-5 Discoverer 30 Reconnaissance LEO 1961-09-1721:00 Thor DM-21 Agena-B Thor 324Agena 1114 VAFB LC-75-1-1 Discoverer 31 Reconnaissance LEO 1961-10-1319:22 Thor DM-21 Agena-B Thor 328Agena 1115 VAFB LC-75-3-4 Discoverer 32 Reconnaissance LEO 100th Thor launch 1961-10-2319:23 Thor DM-21 Agena-B Thor 329Agena 1116 VAFB LC-75-3-5 Discoverer 33 Reconnaissance LEO Agena hydraulics failure 1961-11-0520:00 Thor DM-21 Agena-B Thor 330Agena 1117 VAFB LC-75-1-1 Discoverer 34 Reconnaissance LEO Incorrect guidance program left the satellite in a useless orbit. 1961-11-1521:23 Thor DM-21 Agena-B Thor 326Agena 1118 VAFB LC-75-3-4 Discoverer 35 Reconnaissance LEO 1961-12-1220:40 Thor DM-21 Agena-B Thor 325Agena 1119 VAFB LC-75-3-4 Discoverer 36Oscar 1 ReconnaissanceAmateur radio satellite LEO 1962-01-1321:41 Thor DM-21 Agena-B Thor 327Agena 1120 VAFB LC-75-3-4 Discoverer 37 Reconnaissance LEO Agena restart burn failed. 1962-02-2118:44 Thor DM-21 Agena-B Thor 332Agena 2301 VAFB LC-75-3-5 P-102 Group 0-D ELINT LEO Upper stage failed to restart for circularization burn 1962-02-2719:39 Thor DM-21 Agena-B Thor 241Agena 1123 VAFB LC-75-3-4 Discoverer 38 Reconnaissance LEO 1962-04-1800:54 Thor DM-21 Agena-B Thor 331Agena 1124 VAFB LC-75-3-5 Discoverer 39 Reconnaissance LEO 1962-04-2900:30:12 Thor DM-21 Agena-B Thor 333Agena 1125 VAFB LC-75-3-4 FTV 1125 Reconnaissance LEO 1962-05-1519:36 Thor DM-21 Agena-B Thor 334Agena 1126 VAFB LC-75-3-5 FTV 1126 Reconnaissance LEO 1962-05-3001:00:04 Thor DM-21 Agena-B Thor 336Agena 1128 VAFB LC-75-1-1 FTV 1128 Reconnaissance LEO 1962-06-0200:31 Thor DM-21 Agena-B Thor 335Agena 1127 VAFB LC-75-3-4 FTV 1127Oscar 2 ReconnaissanceAmateur radio LEO 1962-06-1820:20 Thor DM-21 Agena-B Thor 343Agena 2312 VAFB LC-75-3-5 P-102 Group 2-D 1 ELINT LEO 1962-06-2300:30 Thor DM-21 Agena-B Thor 339Agena 1129 VAFB LC-75-3-4 FTV 1129 Reconnaissance LEO 1962-07-2100:56 Thor DM-21 Agena-B Thor 342Agena 1130 VAFB LC-75-3-5 FTV 1130 Reconnaissance LEO 1962-07-2800:30 Thor DM-21 Agena-B Thor 347Agena 1131 VAFB LC-75-3-4 FTV 1131 Reconnaissance LEO 1962-09-0120:39 Thor DM-21 Agena-B Thor 348Agena 1132 VAFB LC-75-3-5 FTV 1132 Reconnaissance LEO 1962-09-1723:46 Thor DM-21 Agena-B Thor 350Agena 1133 VAFB LC-75-3-4 FTV 1133ERS-2 ReconnaissanceTechnology LEO 1962-09-2906:05 Thor DM-21 Agena-B Thor 341TA-1 VAFB LC-75-1-1 Alouette 1TAVE IonosphericTechnology LEO 1962-10-0918:35 Thor DM-21 Agena-B Thor 352Agena 1134 VAFB LC-75-3-4 FTV 1134 Reconnaissance LEO 1962-11-0522:04 Thor DM-21 Agena-B Thor 356Agena 1136 VAFB LC-75-3-4 FTV 1136 Reconnaissance LEO 1962-11-2422:01 Thor DM-21 Agena-B Thor 367Agena 1135 VAFB LC-75-3-4 FTV 1135 Reconnaissance LEO 1963-01-1621:59 Thor DM-21 Agena-B Thor 363Agena 2313 VAFB LC-75-3-5 P-698BK Group 1-D 1 ELINT LEO 1963-06-29 TAT Agena-BThor 380VAFB LC-75-3-5P-698BK Group 1-D 2 ELINTLEO 1964-01-25Thor DM-21 Agena-BThor 397VAFB LC-75-1-1Echo 2MEO 1964-08-28Thor DM-21 Agena-BThor 399VAFB LC-75-1-1Nimbus 1Meteorological satelliteMEO Short second-stage burn leading to an eccentric orbit 1965-11-2904:48 Thor DM-21 Agena-B Thor 453Agena 6102 VAFB LC-75-1-1 Alouette 2 / Explorer 31 (DME) Ionospheric research satellite / Ionospheric research satellite MEO 1966-05-15TAT Agena-BThor 456VAFB LC-75-1-1Nimbus 2 Meteorological satelliteMEO
References