Rocket file · LV-187
Thor DM-21 Ablestar
Thor DM-21 Ablestar is an expendable launch vehicle built by United States Air Force. It stands 29.0 m tall, lifts 150 kg to low Earth orbit, first flew on 13 April 1960. It has flown 19 times with 13 successes, a success rate of 68.4%. It has nothing on the Launch Library 2 schedule right now.
Specification
Vehicle spec sheet
As listed by Launch Library 2. The cost is Launch Library’s figure, not a quoted price. Figures for rockets outside the sixty most-flown were last read on 2026-11-05.
Flight record
Reliability
About Thor DM-21 Ablestar
The Thor-Ablestar, or Thor Able-Star, also known as Thor-Epsilon was an early American expendable launch system consisting of a PGM-17 Thor missile, with an Ablestar upper stage. It was a member of the Thor family of rockets, and was derived from the Thor-Able.
Upcoming flights
Manifest
Thor DM-21 Ablestar is retired, and no flight is filed.
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Common questions
- How many times has Thor DM-21 Ablestar flown?
- 19 times, with 13 successes and 6 failures.
- What is Thor DM-21 Ablestar's success rate?
- 68.4%. That's 13 successful flights out of 19 attempts.
- How much can Thor DM-21 Ablestar lift to orbit?
- Launch Library 2 lists Thor DM-21 Ablestar at 150 kg to low Earth orbit.
- Is Thor DM-21 Ablestar reusable?
- No. Launch Library 2 lists Thor DM-21 Ablestar as expendable, so no stage is recovered to fly again.