PGM-17A "Thor"

Thor was the free world’s first operational intermediate range ballistic missile. It was 65 feet long, 8 feet in diameter, and weighed 105,000 pounds. Douglas Aircraft was the prime contractor. The missile used a single-stage North American Rocketdyne LR-79 liquid oxygen rocket motor that provided 150,000 pounds of static thrust, giving Thor a range of 2,000 miles. Development was rapid. Thor’s first successful launch was made on 20 Sep 57, and it entered active military service in September 1958. It was launched from a combination transporter-erector vehicle and was directed to its target by a self-contained inertial guidance system. It was originally designated the SM-75, but later redesignated the PGM-17A. The LR-79 rocket motor was tested extensively at Edwards AFB’s Rocket Propulsion Laboratory.

Edwards AFB, California · United States