This is a Comment Edition of Historical Note No. 53 prepared by a summer employee of the NASA Historical Staff (APPH). The author has agreed to integrate comments and corrections submitted by critical readers, a normal process of validation for all historical reports and studies.
This history is intended as a quick orientation source and as a ready-reference for review of the Thor and its systems. The report briefly states the development of Thor, summarizes and chronicles Thor missile and booster launchings, provides illustrations and descriptions of the vehicle systems, relates their genealogy, explains some of the performance capabilities of the Thor and Thor-based vehicles used, and focuses attention to the exploration of space by Douglas Aircraft Company, Inc.