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Thor Launch History

Every orbital and deep-space launch attempt by the Thor family, year by year, drawn from the GCAT launch catalog.

Data current as of 2026-07-20.

Thor made 330 orbital and deep-space launch attempts between 1958 and 1980. Of those, 290 succeeded and 40 failed. The success rate comes to 88 percent. The busiest year was 1962, with 38 flights. The most recent flight in the catalog was in 1980.

330
Launch attempts
290
Successes
40
Failures
88%
Success rate

Launches per year

10 20 30 40 1958: 3 launches (1 success, 2 failures) 1959: 10 launches (6 successes, 4 failures) 1960: 21 launches (14 successes, 7 failures) 1961: 23 launches (18 successes, 5 failures) 1962: 38 launches (35 successes, 3 failures) 1963: 29 launches (24 successes, 5 failures) 1964: 32 launches (29 successes, 3 failures) 1965: 33 launches (31 successes, 2 failures) 1966: 24 launches (22 successes, 2 failures) 1967: 28 launches (28 successes, 0 failures) 1968: 21 launches (19 successes, 2 failures) 1969: 22 launches (20 successes, 2 failures) 1970: 16 launches (16 successes, 0 failures) 1971: 14 launches (12 successes, 2 failures) 1972: 6 launches (6 successes, 0 failures) 1973: 1 launch (1 success, 0 failures) 1974: 2 launches (2 successes, 0 failures) 1975: 1 launch (1 success, 0 failures) 1976: 2 launches (2 successes, 0 failures) 1977: 1 launch (1 success, 0 failures) 1978: 1 launch (1 success, 0 failures) 1979: 1 launch (1 success, 0 failures) 1980: 1 launch (0 successes, 1 failure) 1958 1963 1968 1973 1978
Successes Failures Each bar links to that year's full chronology.

Year by year

Year Attempts Successes Failures Success rate
1980 1 0 1 0%
1979 1 1 0 100%
1978 1 1 0 100%
1977 1 1 0 100%
1976 2 2 0 100%
1975 1 1 0 100%
1974 2 2 0 100%
1973 1 1 0 100%
1972 6 6 0 100%
1971 14 12 2 86%
1970 16 16 0 100%
1969 22 20 2 91%
1968 21 19 2 90%
1967 28 28 0 100%
1966 24 22 2 92%
1965 33 31 2 94%
1964 32 29 3 91%
1963 29 24 5 83%
1962 38 35 3 92%
1961 23 18 5 78%
1960 21 14 7 67%
1959 10 6 4 60%
1958 3 1 2 33%

Variants

Counts for each Thor variant recorded in GCAT, at LV_TYPE granularity. Variants with their own page are linked.

Variant Flights Successes Failures First year Last year
Thor SLV-2A Agena D 61 57 4 1963 1968
Thor Agena B 40 33 7 1960 1963
Thorad SLV-2G Agena D 30 29 1 1966 1971
Thor Ablestar 19 14 5 1960 1965
Thor Delta E1 17 17 0 1966 1971
Thor Agena A 15 9 6 1959 1960
Thor Agena D 13 11 2 1962 1963
Thorad SLV-2H Agena D 13 12 1 1969 1972
Thor Delta 12 11 1 1960 1962
Thor Burner 2 12 12 0 1966 1971
Thor Delta M 12 10 2 1968 1971
Thor Delta C 10 9 1 1963 1967
Thor Delta B 9 8 1 1962 1964
Thor SLV-2 Agena D 8 6 2 1963 1967
Thor Burner 2A 8 8 0 1971 1976
Thor Delta E 6 6 0 1965 1967
Thor Delta N 6 6 0 1968 1972
Thor DSV-2U 5 4 1 1976 1980
Thor Burner 1 4 3 1 1965 1966
Thor Able I 3 1 2 1958 1958
Thor SLV-2 Agena B 3 3 0 1964 1965
Thor Delta C1 3 3 0 1966 1969
Thor Delta N6 3 2 1 1970 1971
Thor Able II 2 1 1 1959 1960
Thor Delta A 2 2 0 1962 1962
Thor SLV-2A Agena B 2 2 0 1963 1966
Thor Delta D 2 2 0 1964 1965
Thor MG-18 2 2 0 1965 1965
Thor Delta G 2 2 0 1966 1967
Thor Delta L 2 1 1 1969 1972
Thor Able III 1 1 0 1959 1959
Thor Able IV 1 1 0 1960 1960
Thor Delta J 1 1 0 1968 1968
Thor Delta M6 1 1 0 1971 1971

Recent launches

The most recent Thor family launches, newest first.

Date Designator Payloads Vehicle Site / Pad Outcome
Jul 15, 1980 1980-F02 304 : DMSP Block 5D S-4 Thor DSV-2U V / SLC10W Failure
Jun 6, 1979 1979-050 264 : DMSP Block 5D S-5 Thor DSV-2U V / SLC10W Success
May 1, 1978 1978-042 143 : Burner 2A Fairing, Star 37XE S/N 40034, Thor DM-18A 143
+5 more , Star 37S S/N 15004, DMSP F-3 OLS Cooler Cover, DMSP F-3 OLS Cover, DMSP F-3 solar array band, DMSP Block 5D S-3
Thor DSV-2U V / SLC10W Success
Jun 5, 1977 1977-044 183 : Burner 2A Fairing, Star 37XE S/N 40031, Thor DM-18A 183
+5 more , Star 37S S/N 15003, DMSP F-2 OLS Cooler Cover, DMSP F-2 OLS Cover, DMSP F-2 solar array band, DMSP Block 5D S-2
Thor DSV-2U V / SLC10W Success
Sep 11, 1976 1976-091 172 : Star 37XE S/N 40030, Burner 2A Fairing, Thor DM-18A 172
+6 more , Star 37S S/N 15002, deb DMSP Block 5D F-1, DMSP F-1 OLS Cooler Cover, DMSP F-1 OLS Cover, DMSP F-1 solar array band, DMSP Block 5D S-1
Thor DSV-2U V / SLC10W Success
Feb 19, 1976 1976-016 182/BIIA-25 : Burner 2A Fairing, Star 37B, Thor DM-18A 182
+2 more , Star 26B S/N 009, DMSP Block 5C F-3
Thor Burner 2A V / SLC10W Success
May 24, 1975 1975-043 197/BIIA-24 : Burner 2A Fairing, Star 37B, Thor DM-18A 197
+2 more , Star 26B S/N 008, DMSP Block 5C F-2
Thor Burner 2A V / SLC10W Success
Aug 9, 1974 1974-063 275/BIIA-22 : Burner 2A Fairing, Star 37B, Thor DM-18A 275
+2 more , Star 26B S/N 007, DMSP Block 5C F-1
Thor Burner 2A V / SLC10W Success
Mar 16, 1974 1974-015 207/BIIA-19 : Burner 2A Fairing, Star 37B, Thor DM-18A 207
+3 more , Burner 2A collision debris, Star 26B S/N 006, DMSP Block 5B F-5
Thor Burner 2A V / SLC10W Success
Aug 17, 1973 1973-054 291/BIIA-21 : Star 37B, Burner 2A Fairing, Thor DM-18A 291
+2 more , Star 26B S/N 004, DMSP Block 5B F-4
Thor Burner 2A V / SLC10W Success
Nov 9, 1972 1972-089 294/BIIA-16 : Star 37B, Burner 2A Fairing, Thor DM-18A 294
+2 more , Star 26B S/N 003, DMSP Block 5B F-3
Thor Burner 2A V / SLC10W Success
May 25, 1972 1972-039 571/1663 : LT Thor DSV-2L-1A 571, Castor 2, Star 12
+6 more , Fairing, Agena D, SRV 1117-2, SRV 1117-1, STP S71-5, CORONA CR-8R
Thorad SLV-2H Agena D VS / SLC3W Success
Apr 19, 1972 1972-032 569/1661 : LT Thor DSV-2L-1A 569, Castor 2, Star 12
+6 more , Fairing, Agena D, SRV 1116-2, SRV 1116-1, STP S71-3, CORONA CR-16
Thorad SLV-2H Agena D VS / SLC3W Success
Mar 24, 1972 1972-018 153/BIIA-15 : Burner 2A Fairing, Star 37B, Thor DM-18A 153
+2 more , Star 26B S/N 005, DMSP Block 5B F-2
Thor Burner 2A V / SLC10W Success
Mar 12, 1972 1972-014 573/D088 : Improved Delta PLF, LT Thor DSV-2L-1B 573, Castor 2
+5 more , TD-1A optics cover part, TD-1A optics cover, deb TD-1A, Delta DSV-3E-4, TD-1A
Thor Delta N V / SLC2E Success
Jan 31, 1972 1972-005 564/D087 : HEOS 2 despin weight, FW4D, HEOS A2
+5 more , Improved Delta PLF, LT Thor DSV-2L-1B 564, Castor 2, Delta 87 clamp band half, Delta DSV-3E-4
Thor Delta L V / SLC2E Success
Dec 14, 1971 1971-110 568/2707 : Unknown Fairing, LT Thor DSV-2L-1A 568, Castor 2
+5 more , Agena D, POPPY 7 Delta, POPPY 7 Charlie, POPPY 7 Bravo, POPPY 7 Alfa
Thorad SLV-2G Agena D V / SLC1W Success
Oct 21, 1971 1971-091 572/D086 : Improved Delta PLF, LT Thor DSV-2L-1C 572, Castor 2
+4 more , [For UN reg bookkeeping], deb Delta 86, DSV-3E-3 86, ITOS B
Thor Delta N6 V / SLC2E Failure
Oct 17, 1971 1971-089 570/ : Agena Fairing, LT Thor DSV-2L-1A 570, Castor 2
+2 more , Agena D, STP P71-2
Thorad SLV-2G Agena D V / SLC1W Success
Oct 14, 1971 1971-087 159/BIIA-10 : Star 37B S/N 010, Burner 2A Fairing, Thor DM-18A 159
+2 more , Star 26B S/N 001 (SV-1), DMSP Block 5B F-1
Thor Burner 2A V / SLC10W Success
Sep 29, 1971 1971-083 565/D085 : Improved Delta PLF, LT Thor DSV-2L-1B 565, Castor 2
+4 more , OSO 7 launch debris, DSV-3E-3 85, ERS 33, OSO H
Thor Delta N CC / LC17A Success
Sep 10, 1971 1971-076 567/1662 : LT Thor DSV-2L-1A 567, Castor 2, Star 12
+9 more , Fairing, SRS Motor, Agena D, deb OPS 7681, SRV 1115-2, SRV 1115-1, Doppler Beacon 6, P-11 No. 4427, CORONA CR-15
Thorad SLV-2H Agena D VS / SLC3W Success
Jul 16, 1971 1971-060 550/2737 : Unknown Fairing, LT Thor DSV-2L-1A 550, Castor 2
+4 more , Agena D, HARVESTER, STRAWMAN/REAPER 4, STRAWMAN 4
Thorad SLV-2H Agena D V / SLC1W Success
Jun 8, 1971 1971-054 210/BII-12 : Burner 2 Fairing, Thor DM-18A 210, Star 37B
+1 more , STP P70-1
Thor Burner 2 V / SLC10W Success
Apr 1, 1971 1971-024 491/D084 : DSV-3E-3 84, Improved Delta PLF, Thor DSV-2C 491
+4 more , Castor, deb Isis 2, FW4D, Isis B
Thor Delta E1 V / SLC2E Success

Showing the latest 25 of 330 launches.

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