Thor and Delta Rockets

Overview

Developed in the 1950’s, the PGM-17 Thor IRBM (Intermediate Range Ballistic Missile) soon became one of Americas most important space launchers. Thor rockets, in the Thor-Agena configuration, were used to launch Corona spy satellites.

During the early 1960’s, the Thor launcher evolved into the Delta family of space launchers. The Delta series of rockets became one of the worlds most reliable satellite launchers. Current versions, known as Delta IV, will be in service for many years to come.

Delta Family of Rockets

	Version	First Flight
1	Thor - IRBM	1959
2	Thor - Agena A	1958
3	Thor - Able	1958
4	Delta - B	1962
5	Delta - E	1965
6	Delta - M	1968
7	Delta 3000	1975
8	Delta II	1989
9	Delta III	1998
10	Delta IV Medium	2003
11	Delta IV Medium+ (4,2)	2002
12	Delta IV Medium+ (5,4)	Planned for 2009
13	Delta IV Heavy	2004

Thor Rockets

Thor-Able

Thor-Able rocket at the Air Force Space and Missile Museum . (Photos: Richard Kruse, 2009)

Thor-Agena

Thor-Agena was used to launch Corona spy satellites for the United States Air Force.

Thor Agena rocket at the National Museum of the USAF . (Photos: Richard Kruse, 2008)

Delta Rockets

Delta-B

Delta-B rocket at the Kennedy Space Center. (Photos: Richard Kruse, 2009)

Delta IV

Delta IV CBC (Common Booster Core)

Delta IV CBC rocket at the Air Force Space and Missile Museum. (Photos: Richard Kruse, 2009)

S-3 (LR-79) Rocket Engine

The S-3 rocket was used on the Thor and Jupiter rockets. The military designation for the S-3 was LR-79.

S-3 engine on display at the National Museum of the United States Air Force.

(Photos: Richard Kruse, 2007)

S-3 on display at the Udvar-Hazy Center.

(Photos: Richard Kruse, 2008)