Agena D
Agena in orbit

Credit - NASA
Gross Mass: 6,821 kg (15,037 lb). Empty Mass: 673 kg (1,483 lb). Thrust (vac): 71.166 kN (15,999 lbf). Isp: 300 sec. Burn time: 265 sec. Propellants: Nitric acid/UDMH. Isp(sl): 0 sec. Diameter: 1.52 m (4.98 ft). Span: 1.52 m (4.98 ft). Length: 7.09 m (23.26 ft). Country: USA. No Engines: 1. Engine: Bell 8096. Status: Out of production. Cost $ : 8.700 million. First Flight: 1963. Last Flight: 1987. No Launched: 175. No Failed: 10. Used as: Atlas Agena D; Thor Agena D; Titan 3B; Titan 34B.

One of the real workhorses of U. S. space exploration, Agena was an upper stage which was also employed as a spacecraft, the whole vehicle going into orbit. Agena played a key role in manned space flight; it was the target vehicle for rendezvous and docking manoeuvres in NASA's Gemini project. Agena had a main rocket engine capable of multiple re-starts in space; in the modified target vehicle version it also had 2 secondary engines to provide small changes in velocity and position in orbit. In the Gemini Agena, a control system could handle 96 commands from the astronauts or from ground stations. Agena was used as an upper stage with the Thor, augmented Thor, Atlas and Titan boosters; it had played important roles in such military and NASA programs as Discoverer, Samos, Mariner, OGO, Lunar Orbiter, Ranger and Orbiting Astronomical Observatory.

Used on Launch Vehicles:  
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
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