description Delta (Thor-Delta) Overview
The Thor-Delta, recognized as the first iteration of the American Delta rocket family, was an early orbital launch vehicle developed by Douglas Aircraft Company. It was derived from the PGM-17 Thor intermediate-range ballistic missile and supplemented with a modified second stage. First launched on May 13, 1960, it was designed to deploy communications satellites into low Earth orbit. This vehicle established the modular architecture used by subsequent Delta rockets for decades.
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Delta (Thor-Delta) ranks #43 of 155 in the Delta ranking, behind Tana River Delta, ahead of Senegal River Delta.
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When did the Thor-Delta rocket first launch?
The Thor-Delta conducted its first successful orbital launch on April 13, 1960, carrying the Echo 1A communications satellite. It was developed by Douglas Aircraft Company as a derivative of the PGM-17 Thor ballistic missile with a modified second stage.
What satellites did the early Delta rockets launch?
Early Thor-Delta rockets launched several pioneering satellites, including Echo 1A in 1960 and the first weather satellite in the TIROS program, TIROS-1, also in 1960. These missions demonstrated the vehicle's reliability for lightweight orbital payloads.
How many successful launches did the original Thor-Delta have?
The original Thor-Delta (often called Delta-A through Delta-D variants) had a strong success record during its operational years in the early 1960s. The Delta rocket family would go on to have hundreds of launches across decades of evolution.
Who built the Thor-Delta rocket?
The Thor-Delta was developed by Douglas Aircraft Company, which later became part of McDonnell Douglas. The first stage used the Thor missile originally built by Douglas, while the design drew on technology from the earlier Vanguard and Thor-Able programs.
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