Thor DSV-2

• Function — Sounding rocket Test vehicle ASAT booster • Country Origin — United States • Sites — CCAFS LC-17 Johnston Atoll LE-1 & LE-2 VA LC-75 • Launches — 34 • Success — 28 • Fail — 6

The DSV-2A was a two-stage rocket, consisting of a DSV-2A / MB-3-II first stage, and an Able-Star / AJ10-104D second stage. It was launched eight times between 1963 and 1965 from Vandenberg. List of Thor DSV-2A launches • S/N — Date — Launch site — Payload — Result — Image • Thor 375 — 1963-09-28 — VA LC-75 — Transit 5BN-1 / Transit 5E-1 — Success — • Thor 385 — 1963-12-05 — VA LC-75 — Transit 5BN-2 / Transit 5E-3 — Success — • Thor 379 — 1964-04-21 — VA LC-75 — Transit 5BN-3 / Transit 5E-2 — Failure — • Thor 423 — 1964-10-06 — VA LC-75 — Transit-O 1/ Dragsphere 1 / Dragsphere 2 — • Thor 427 — 1964-12-13 — VA LC-75 — Transit-O 2 / Transit 5E-5 — • Thor 440 — 1965-03-11 — VA LC-75 — Transit-O 3 / SECOR 2 — Partial success — • Thor 447 — 1965-06-24 — VA LC-75 — Transit-O 4 • Thor 455 — 1965-08-13 — VA LC-75 — Transit-O 5 / Dodecapole 2 / Long Rod / Tempsat 1 / Surcal 5 / Calsphere 2 —

The DSV-2D was launched twice in 1962, conducting suborbital research flights for the development of the Program 437 ASAT. It was a single-stage vehicle, consisting of a Thor DM-21. Launches were conducted from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station Launch Complex 17A. List of Thor DSV-2D launches • S/N — Date — Launch site — Payload — Orbit — Image • Thor 337 — 1962-01-15 — CCAFS LC-17A — Big Shot 1 (AVT 1) — Suborbital • Thor 338 — 1962-07-18 — CCAFS LC-17A — Big Shot 2 (AVT 2) — Suborbital —

The DSV-2E was a single-stage vehicle, using a Thor DM-19. It was launched eight times in 1962, including several nuclear weapons tests as part of Operation Fishbowl. Four launches failed, all of which were carrying live nuclear warheads. Launches were conducted from Launch Emplacements 1 and 2 on Johnston Atoll. List of Thor DSV-2E launches • S/N — Date — Launch site — Payload — Orbit — Result • Thor 177 — 1962-05-02 — Johnston LE-1 — Tigerfish (R/D) — Suborbital — Success • Thor 199 — 1962-06-04 — Johnston LE-1 — Bluegill — Suborbital — Radar contact lost 5 minutes after launch. RSO destruct command sent. • Thor 193 — 1962-06-20 — Johnston LE-1 — Starfish — Suborbital — RVs caused turbine exhaust gas to enter the thrust section, overheating and weakening the engine mounts. Engine broke loose and ruptured the propellant tanks T+59 seconds. Warhead destroyed by RSO T+65 seconds. • Thor 195 — 1962-07-09 — Johnston LE-1 — Starfish Prime — Suborbital — Success • Thor 180 — 1962-07-26 — Johnston LE-1 — Bluegill Prime — Suborbital — Stuck LOX valve caused loss of thrust and fire on the launch stand. Range Safety Officer destroyed the missile and warhead. Launch area extensively contaminated with plutonium. • Thor 156 — 1962-10-16 — Johnston LE-2 — Bluegill Double Prime — Suborbital — Flight control failure T+85 seconds. RSO T+156 seconds. • Thor 141 — 1962-10-26 — Johnston LE-1 — Bluegill Triple Prime — Suborbital — Success • Thor 226 — 1962-11-01 — Johnston LE-2 — Kingfish — Suborbital — Success

The DSV-2F was a single-stage vehicle consisting of a Thor DM-19, like the DSV-2E. Three were launched between 1963 and 1964, as part of Project ASSET, which involved launching a sub-scale mockup of the X-20 Dyna-Soar to test materials for the larger spacecraft. Launches were conducted from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station Launch Complex 17B. List of Thor DSV-2F launches • S/N — Date — Launch site — Payload — Orbit — Result — Image • Thor 232 — 1963-09-18 — CCAFS LC-17B — ASSET-1 (ASSET ASV 1) — Suborbital — Success — • Thor 260 — 1964-10-28 — CCAFS LC-17B — ASSET-4 (ASSET-AEV 1) — Suborbital — Success • Thor 247 — 1964-12-09 — CCAFS LC-17B — ASSET-5 (ASSET-AEV 2) — Suborbital — Success

The DSV-2G was a two-stage rocket, consisting of a Thor DM-19 first stage, and a Delta second stage. Three were launched between 1964 and 1965 as part of Project ASSET. Launches were conducted from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station Launch Complex 17B. List of Thor DSV-2G launches • S/N — Date — Launch site — Payload — Orbit — Result — Image • Thor 240 — 1964-03-24 — CCAFS LC-17B — ASSET-2 (ASSET-ASV 2) — Suborbital — Atmospheric flight, second stage fired intermittently, destroyed by range safety • Thor 250 — 1964-07-22 — CCAFS LC-17B — ASSET-3 (ASSET-ASV 3) — Suborbital — Success — • Thor 248 — 1965-02-23 — CCAFS LC-17B — ASSET-6 (ASSET-ASV 4) — Suborbital — Success

• Illustration — Thor-DSV2J, Johnston Atoll, 1960s The DSV-2J was an operational nuclear anti-satellite weapon. 18 were launched between 1964 and 1975. Most flights were non-intercept tests of the rocket's anti-satellite capabilities, however some later launches carried research payloads. Launches were conducted from Launch Emplacements 1 and 2 on Johnston Atoll. List of Thor DSV-2J launches • S/N — Date — Launch site — Payload — Result • Thor 299 — 14.02.1964 — Johnston LE-1 — AFP-437 (#1) — Success • Thor 209 — 02.03.1964 — Johnston LE-1 — AFP-437 (#2) — Success • Thor 290 — 21.04.1964 — Johnston LE-2 — AFP-437 (#3) — Success • Thor 227 — 28.05.1964 — Johnston LE-2 — AFP-437 (#4) — Failure • Thor 236 — 16.11.1964 — Johnston LE-1 — AFP-437 (#5) — Success • Thor 155 — 05.04.1965 — Johnston LE-2 — AFP-437 (#6) — Success • Thor 188 — 07.12.1965 — Johnston LE-2 — AFP-437AP (#1) — Success • Thor 242 — 18.01.1966 — Johnston LE-2 — AFP-437AP (#2) — Success • Thor 196 — 12.03.1966 — Johnston LE-2 — AFP-437AP (#3) — Success • Thor 289 — 02.07.1966 — Johnston LE-2 — AFP-437AP (#4) — Success • Thor 168 — 31.03.1967 — Johnston LE-1 — AFP-437 (#7) — Success • Thor 205 — 14.05.1968 — Johnston LE-1 — AFP-437 (#8) — Success • Thor 252 — 20.11.1968 — Johnston LE-1 — AFP-437 (#9) — Success • Thor 152 — 27.03.1970 — Johnston LE-1 — AFP-437 (#10) — Success • Thor 225 — 24.04.1970 — Johnston LE-2 — SDP — Partial Success • Thor 271 — 24.09.1970 — Johnston LE-2 — HAP/SXRE — Success • Thor 201 — 19.09.1975 — Johnston LE-2 — BMDTTP 1 (DG-5) — Success • Thor 274 — 06.11.1975 — Johnston LE-2 — BMDTTP 2 (DG-3) — Success