Thor - the IRBM (1959)

1959 USAF film documents the rapid development of the Thor Intermediate Range Ballistic Missile.

[@randy109]

I'm nearing retirement age and have worked my whole adult life in the Aerospace business (DoD Employee). For perspective in years to my younger colleagues I like to use the "20 year perspective". Example; 20 years ago was 1995. Now, imagine how much things have changed since 1995. Quite a bit, but... Now, imagine how much things changed in the 20 years from 1935 to 1955. Oh my God!! We leaped technologically what would be expected from a full Century in that 20 year period. From outhouses and barefoot hillbillies to Jet Aircraft and Thermonuclear devices. Wow! What a Century we had...

[@veritasman]

Yeah... thanks to the Germans... but not the nazies ...

[@KiloByte69]

Um, no. Americans contributed significantly to nuclear weapons and rocket technology.

[@oceanhome2023]

This section of time would have to be the most definitive 20 years in history and the best time to observe history (as long as you are living in the USA)

[@dirtbikerswe1979]

Operation Paperclip

[@wantedlama4146]

War brings development

[@L3go_Man87]

Yesterday I saw a Thor with the Able module on at the National Space Center UK, nice to get some more insight into what I saw 😊

[@JG-mp5nb]

Great stuff! Love the upbeat musical score that signifies progress, success, and victory

[@jimsworthow531]

I always like the jovial cartoon spin put on nuclear warfare; gives one that warm and fuzzy feeling similar to the fallout that rearranges one's DNA and body parts fall off.

[@EmmEff3168]

Another minor historical footnote - the building front shown at 4:02 helped me identify the second 'home' of the ARDC Ballistic Missile Division. Two of the buildings from the former Ramo-Wooldridge 'Arbor Vitae complex' on Arbor Vitae St. west of Aviation Blvd (near Los Angeles international airport) survive today, barely.

[@Crusader634]

My grandfather worked on these!

[@wjtr._03]

Pgm17 is based in Leicester, England now

[@Akula114]

While this certainly smacks of the typical Rah-rah stuff you'd expect with a film of this type, I was impressed with the inclusion of the Thor 1 explosion and other test failures. To me, rather than an admission of failure it adds authenticity and the determination to get things right.

[@bigsyrup8567]

Well, when you’re the biggest swingin’ dick in the world, you’re allowed to pay yourself on the back.

[@alexandrec9372]

Very good vídeo! Thank you Very Much for upload! Congrats from Brazil!

[@worldtraveler930]

And to think most of this was done with just slide rulers.

[@WWeronko]

The ABMA's Jupiter and the Air Force's Thor were in many aspects the same missile. The Jupiter program was more successful due to far better testing and preparation under the direction of Wernher von Braun and his Redstone team. Since the two missiles had the nearly identical capabilities one or the other was on the chopping block. However as history would unfold, the Soviet launches of Sputnik 1-2 in late 1957 lead to feelings of a missile gap and US Secretary of Defense Charles Wilson announced that both Thor and Jupiter would go into service. This was both out of fear of Soviet capabilities and also to avoid political repercussions from the workplace layoffs that would result at either Douglas or Chrysler if one of the two missiles were canceled. The Air Force's ICBM program made both missiles obsolete. However, the missiles were used as bargaining chips during the Cuban Missile crisis. Thor evolved into the Thor/Delta space launcher family. Jupiter became the first stage for the Juno II satellite launcher.

[@zzyzxzee6374]

Amazing how they never explain the mist around the rocket. Its a nitrogen blanket inert to prevent fire or explosion. Or how ignition for these rockets is just a bic lighter sparking device to ignite fuel o2 mixture from the engines. All high tech of course.

[@LordZontar]

The ultimate development of Thor would be the Delta launch system, only now being retired after 60+ years service as a satellite carrier in favour of the new Vulcan Centaur rocket which is also replacing Atlas Centaur.

[@bobthompson4319]

To think now we got missiles that from a submarine can fly 7450. A lot farther than 1500 miles

[@dougball328]

Would you believe 4,000 n. mi.? Just looked it up. Trident II D5

[@bobthompson4319]

@@dougball328 look again? Operational range is 7145 miles 11500km with 4 mk-5 RV exact range is classified. And this is the trident d5. The up to date specs that have a 78% increase in range. It's all depends upon the throw weight. 4700 miles at max throw weight with 8 mk-5 RV. Idk what those range are in NM.

[@dougball328]

@@bobthompson4319 Well sure, if you get rid of half of the payload of course it will go further. No surprise there. My range number was for 8 warheads.

[@RonJohn63]

2:50 Missiles like Matador (and, later, Jupiter) are what prompted the Sovs to install missiles in Cuba.

[@terifarley4770]

+RonJohn63 GLCM Tomohawk nothing new, ATRAN Mace-A was its daddy!

[@harrymallory7963]

Which in turn prompted their forced removal, therefore a net loss to the Soviets and another victory for us, as of course, it should be.

[@dougball328]

@@harrymallory7963 And in return we removed the Jupiter missiles from Turkey - right on the Ussr's doorstep like Cuba was to ours.

[@harrymallory7963]

@@dougball328 That may be true, buy Im still declaring over-all victory.

[@dougball328]

@@harrymallory7963 Putin has his puppet Trump in office - Russia is winning.

[@Zoomer30]

Most mind numbing job possible: Weather man in Los Angeles.

[@Zoomer30]

THOR : It will drop the HAMMER on em. Heh that's ok I'll see myself out.

[@TheMaxx111]

23:50 That "Discoverer" satellite was a spy satellite.

[@wmellor87]

The Soviets figured the Thors in England were a first strike weapon because of their slow response time due to liquid fuel loading times and pre launch checkouts. The Thors would have been wiped out in a pre-emptive Soviet attack way before they got off the ground.

[@Daniel-S1]

I don't think so. Thor's were on multiple dispersed sites and what would the Soviets have destroyed them with?

[@MrWolfTickets]

1:08 luckily we stood fast against Soviet missile bases in Maine.

[@terifarley4770]

Did the Thor ever have a conical RV like the Jupiter missile, or only the mk2 blunt RV? Ive read of something called mk3 RV, but not sure what that is, if its the same as Jupiter missile or something else.

[@georgekolotouros230]

They should bring back the Davy crocket nuke.

[@JG-mp5nb]

Or the “backpack bomb”.

[@terifarley4770]

Mace B had almost the range of Thor, possibly better accuracy than Thor as well as being much more reliable. Polaris replaced Thor but Mace A and Mace B continued as a decent medium to intermediate range ground based missile. Only disadvantage was not being as fast to the target as a balistic missile, since they are jet powered cruise missiles

[@heinrichmuller7974]

@ 4:18 whoa ... buddy... don't give yourself whiplash! LoL like who thought that was a cool fade in

[@Zoomer30]

Thor.... Very useful if Washington DC ever decides to nuke Kansas City.

[@DOCTORDMBrnchBannks]

Hi stoping by checkin g in stay illinois area. The stop coast addotion recent yexas and post dallas star the houston area and hoghway sox. The assoc. Also near or rexent Georgia area

[@terifarley4770]

Engineers actually had ability to think the most simp;e solutions back than. Today they are more concerned with marketing and tricks

[@MrShobar]

Sure...That explains tail fins on automobiles of the era.

[@RonJohn63]

Interesting film, but the director had delusions of Hollywood grandeur...

[@j.stribling2565]

By today's standards, the metaphor may be a bit over the top -- speaking about the missile as if it were a young child about to make a solo debut. But this stuff was terribly serious business at the time.

[@chriswilliams169]

whats happening @4:09

[@JG-mp5nb]

Hitchcock took over directing this film a few minutes in.

[@Cby0530]

The comics...

[@zzyzxzee6374]

BMD? BFD!

[@DOCTORDMBrnchBannks]

Hi

[@DOCTORDMBrnchBannks]

Hello

[@B61Mod12]

4:18 hahahahahahahahaha

[@thefowlyetti2]

reminds me of zoolander

[@jurajtrent5477]

mad paranoid times....