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Thor DM-18 Able 2
🇺🇸2 Stage
1:110 Scale
H:24.5 cmD:2.2 cm
~26 bricks tall~3 studs wide
Maiden Launch1959-01-23
2 Stages
Height / Length
27 m
Diameter
2.4 m
Launch Mass
49,900 kg
Takeoff Thrust
667 kN
Mission Profile
The Thor DM-18 Able 2 was an early two-stage American launch vehicle combining the Thor IRBM first stage with an Able upper stage, representing one of the first successful adaptations of ballistic missile hardware for scientific and lunar exploration missions. Standing 27 m tall with a 2.4 m diameter and a liftoff mass of 49,900 kg, it generated 667 kN of thrust at liftoff from its Thor first stage. First flown in January 1959 under the Thor IRBM Program, the Thor-Able combination launched several early American Pioneer lunar and planetary probes, marking the beginning of the United States' deep space exploration program.
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