{"id":27982586,"date":"2026-10-14T09:03:55","date_gmt":"2026-10-14T07:03:55","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/migflug.com\/afterburner\/?p=27982586"},"modified":"2026-10-14T09:04:09","modified_gmt":"2026-10-14T07:04:09","slug":"stargazer-l-1011-tristar-pegasus-last-flying-swift-boost-2026","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/migflug.com\/afterburner\/stargazer-l-1011-tristar-pegasus-last-flying-swift-boost-2026\/","title":{"rendered":"Stargazer: The Last Flying L-1011 TriStar Still Launches Rockets"},"content":{"rendered":"<style>.et_pb_title_container h1.entry-title { padding-top: 40px !important; }<\/style>\n<!-- mfsh:top -->\n\n<style>\n.mfsh-trigger{display:inline-flex;align-items:center;gap:10px;height:44px;padding:0 18px;margin:0 0 26px;border:2px solid #0F1720;background:#fff;color:#0F1720;font-family:inherit;font-size:14px;font-weight:700;line-height:1;letter-spacing:0;text-transform:none;cursor:pointer;box-shadow:none;transition:background .15s,color .15s}\n.mfsh-trigger:hover,.mfsh-trigger:focus-visible{background:#0F1720;color:#fff;outline:none}\n.mfsh-trigger svg{width:18px;height:18px;display:block;flex-shrink:0}\n.mfsh-trigger.mfsh-bottom{margin:8px 0 28px}\n.mfsh-meta{position:relative;padding-right:190px}\n.mfsh-trigger.mfsh-inmeta{position:absolute;right:0;bottom:0;margin:0;height:30px;padding:0 8.9px;font-size:13px}\n.mfsh-trigger.mfsh-inmeta svg{width:16px;height:16px}\n.mfsh-overlay{position:fixed;inset:0;background:rgba(15,23,32,.55);z-index:99999;display:flex;align-items:flex-end;justify-content:center;opacity:0;pointer-events:none;transition:opacity .2s}\n.mfsh-overlay.mfsh-open{opacity:1;pointer-events:auto}\n.mfsh-sheet{width:100%;max-width:520px;background:#fff;color:#0F1720;padding:18px 20px 28px;transform:translateY(24px);transition:transform .22s;box-shadow:0 12px 32px rgba(15,23,32,.25);font-family:inherit;max-height:92vh;overflow:auto;-webkit-overflow-scrolling:touch}\n.mfsh-overlay.mfsh-open .mfsh-sheet{transform:none}\n@media (min-width:640px){.mfsh-overlay{align-items:center}.mfsh-sheet{padding-bottom:20px}}\n.mfsh-head{display:flex;align-items:center;justify-content:space-between;margin:0 0 14px}\n.mfsh-head strong{font-size:18px;font-weight:800;display:flex;align-items:center;gap:8px;line-height:1}\n.mfsh-head strong svg{width:18px;height:18px}\n.mfsh-close{background:none;border:0;padding:6px;margin:0;cursor:pointer;color:#0F1720;line-height:0;box-shadow:none}\n.mfsh-close svg{width:18px;height:18px}\n.mfsh-preview{display:grid;grid-template-columns:96px 1fr;gap:12px;border:1px solid #DCE3EE;background:#F5F7FB;padding:10px;margin:0 0 12px;align-items:center}\n.mfsh-preview img{width:96px;height:72px;object-fit:cover;display:block;margin:0}\n.mfsh-preview .mfsh-kicker{font-size:10px;font-weight:700;letter-spacing:.14em;text-transform:uppercase;color:#5C91FF;margin:0 0 4px;line-height:1.2}\n.mfsh-preview .mfsh-title{font-size:14px;line-height:1.3;font-weight:700;margin:0;display:block}\n.mfsh-list{display:grid;margin:0;padding:0}\n.mfsh-item{display:flex;align-items:center;gap:14px;height:50px;width:100%;border:0;border-top:1px solid #DCE3EE;background:none;padding:0 4px;margin:0;text-align:left;font-family:inherit;font-size:15px;font-weight:600;color:#0F1720;cursor:pointer;box-shadow:none;letter-spacing:0;text-transform:none;line-height:1}\n.mfsh-item:hover,.mfsh-item:focus-visible{background:#F5F7FB;outline:none}\n.mfsh-item svg{width:20px;height:20px;color:#5C91FF;flex-shrink:0;display:block}\n.mfsh-item small{margin-left:auto;color:#5B6674;font-weight:500;font-size:12px}\n.mfsh-item.mfsh-done svg{color:#1E9E5A}\n.mfsh-toast{position:fixed;left:50%;bottom:32px;transform:translate(-50%,10px);background:#0F1720;color:#fff;padding:10px 16px;font-weight:700;font-size:13px;font-family:inherit;opacity:0;pointer-events:none;transition:opacity .2s,transform .2s;z-index:100000}\n.mfsh-toast.mfsh-show{opacity:1;transform:translate(-50%,0)}\n@media (prefers-reduced-motion:reduce){.mfsh-overlay,.mfsh-sheet,.mfsh-toast,.mfsh-trigger{transition:none}}\n<\/style>\n<svg width=\"0\" height=\"0\" style=\"position:absolute\" aria-hidden=\"true\">\n  <symbol id=\"mfsh-i-share\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\"><path fill=\"none\" stroke=\"currentColor\" stroke-width=\"1.9\" stroke-linecap=\"square\" d=\"M12 3v12M8 7l4-4 4 4M5 12v8h14v-8\"\/><\/symbol>\n  <symbol id=\"mfsh-i-close\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\"><path fill=\"none\" stroke=\"currentColor\" stroke-width=\"2\" stroke-linecap=\"square\" d=\"m5 5 14 14M19 5 5 19\"\/><\/symbol>\n  <symbol id=\"mfsh-i-wa\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\"><path fill=\"currentColor\" d=\"M12 2a10 10 0 0 0-8.6 15.1L2 22l5.1-1.3A10 10 0 1 0 12 2Zm0 1.8a8.2 8.2 0 1 1-4.2 15.3l-.3-.2-3 .8.8-2.9-.2-.3A8.2 8.2 0 0 1 12 3.8Zm-3 4.4c-.2 0-.5 0-.8.4-.3.3-1 1-1 2.4s1 2.8 1.2 3c.1.2 2 3.2 5 4.4 2.5 1 3 .8 3.5.7.5 0 1.7-.7 2-1.4.2-.7.2-1.3.1-1.4l-.5-.3-2-1c-.3 0-.5-.1-.7.2l-.9 1.1c-.2.2-.3.2-.6.1-.3-.2-1.3-.5-2.4-1.5-.9-.8-1.5-1.8-1.7-2-.2-.4 0-.5.2-.7l.4-.5.3-.5v-.5l-.9-2.2c-.2-.5-.4-.5-.6-.5H9Z\"\/><\/symbol>\n  <symbol id=\"mfsh-i-x\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\"><path fill=\"currentColor\" d=\"M17.8 3h3l-6.7 7.7L22 21h-6.2l-4.8-6.3L5.4 21h-3l7.2-8.2L2 3h6.3l4.4 5.8L17.8 3Zm-1.1 16.2h1.7L7.4 4.7H5.6l11.1 14.5Z\"\/><\/symbol>\n  <symbol id=\"mfsh-i-fb\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\"><path fill=\"currentColor\" d=\"M13.5 22v-8h2.7l.4-3.2h-3.1V8.8c0-.9.3-1.6 1.6-1.6h1.7V4.4c-.3 0-1.3-.1-2.5-.1-2.5 0-4.1 1.5-4.1 4.2v2.3H7.4V14h2.8v8h3.3Z\"\/><\/symbol>\n  <symbol id=\"mfsh-i-li\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\"><path fill=\"currentColor\" d=\"M6.5 8.5H3V21h3.5V8.5ZM4.8 3a2 2 0 1 0 0 4 2 2 0 0 0 0-4ZM21 13.4c0-3.4-1.8-5.2-4.5-5.2-1.6 0-2.7.8-3.2 1.7V8.5H9.9V21h3.4v-6.4c0-1.7.6-2.8 2.1-2.8 1.4 0 2 1 2 2.8V21H21v-7.6Z\"\/><\/symbol>\n  <symbol id=\"mfsh-i-rd\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\"><path fill=\"currentColor\" d=\"M22 12.1a2.4 2.4 0 0 0-4.1-1.7 11.7 11.7 0 0 0-5.5-1.7l1-4.5 3.1.7a1.7 1.7 0 1 0 .2-1l-3.6-.8a.5.5 0 0 0-.6.4l-1.1 5.2a11.8 11.8 0 0 0-5.8 1.7A2.4 2.4 0 1 0 3 14.3v.5c0 3.4 4 6.2 9 6.2s9-2.8 9-6.2v-.5a2.4 2.4 0 0 0 1-2.2ZM7.5 13.8a1.7 1.7 0 1 1 3.4 0 1.7 1.7 0 0 1-3.4 0Zm8.9 4.5c-1.2 1.2-3.4 1.3-4.4 1.3s-3.3-.1-4.4-1.3a.5.5 0 0 1 .7-.7c.7.8 2.4 1 3.7 1s2.9-.2 3.7-1a.5.5 0 0 1 .7.7Zm-.6-2.8a1.7 1.7 0 1 1 0-3.4 1.7 1.7 0 0 1 0 3.4Z\"\/><\/symbol>\n  <symbol id=\"mfsh-i-tg\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\"><path fill=\"currentColor\" d=\"M21.9 4.6 18.7 19.9c-.2 1-.9 1.3-1.7.8l-4.9-3.6-2.3 2.3c-.3.3-.5.5-1 .5l.4-5 9-8.2c.4-.3-.1-.5-.6-.2L6.4 13.5 1.6 12c-1-.3-1.1-1 .2-1.5l18.8-7.2c.9-.3 1.6.2 1.3 1.3Z\"\/><\/symbol>\n  <symbol id=\"mfsh-i-mail\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\"><path fill=\"none\" stroke=\"currentColor\" stroke-width=\"1.8\" d=\"M3 6h18v12H3z\"\/><path fill=\"none\" stroke=\"currentColor\" stroke-width=\"1.8\" d=\"m3 7 9 6 9-6\"\/><\/symbol>\n  <symbol id=\"mfsh-i-link\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\"><path fill=\"none\" stroke=\"currentColor\" stroke-width=\"1.9\" stroke-linecap=\"square\" d=\"M10 14a4 4 0 0 0 5.7 0l3-3a4 4 0 0 0-5.7-5.7l-1.5 1.5M14 10a4 4 0 0 0-5.7 0l-3 3a4 4 0 0 0 5.7 5.7l1.5-1.5\"\/><\/symbol>\n  <symbol id=\"mfsh-i-more\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\"><circle cx=\"5\" cy=\"12\" r=\"2\" fill=\"currentColor\"\/><circle cx=\"12\" cy=\"12\" r=\"2\" fill=\"currentColor\"\/><circle cx=\"19\" cy=\"12\" r=\"2\" fill=\"currentColor\"\/><\/symbol>\n<\/svg>\n<span class=\"mfsh-top-slot\"><button type=\"button\" class=\"mfsh-trigger\" data-mfsh-placement=\"top\" aria-haspopup=\"dialog\"><svg><use href=\"#mfsh-i-share\"\/><\/svg>Share this story<\/button><\/span>\n<script>\n(function(){\n  if (window.__mfsh) return; window.__mfsh = true;\n  var SECTION = 'afterburner';\n  function meta(p){ var m=document.querySelector('meta[property=\"'+p+'\"]'); return m ? m.getAttribute('content') : ''; }\n  function pageUrl(){ var c=document.querySelector('link[rel=\"canonical\"]'); return (c && c.href) || (location.origin + location.pathname); }\n  function pageTitle(){ var h=document.querySelector('h1.entry-title'); return (h && h.textContent.trim()) || meta('og:title') || document.title; }\n  function slug(){ return location.pathname.replace(\/\\\/+$\/,'').split('\/').pop() || 'home'; }\n  function kicker(){ var c=document.querySelector('.et_pb_title_container a[rel=\"category tag\"], .et_pb_title_container a[rel=\"category\"], a[rel=\"category tag\"]'); return 'Afterburner' + (c && c.textContent.trim() ? ' \u00b7 ' + c.textContent.trim() : ''); }\n  function shareUrl(ch, placement){ return pageUrl() + '?utm_source=share&utm_medium=' + ch + '&utm_campaign=' + SECTION + '&utm_content=sheet_' + placement; }\n  function track(ch, placement, extra){\n    window.dataLayer = window.dataLayer || [];\n    var ev = { event:'share', share_channel:ch, share_variant:'sheet', share_placement:placement, page_section:SECTION, content_id:slug() };\n    if (extra) for (var k in extra) ev[k]=extra[k];\n    window.dataLayer.push(ev);\n  }\n  var CH = [\n    ['whatsapp','WhatsApp','mfsh-i-wa',''],\n    ['x','X','mfsh-i-x',''],\n    ['facebook','Facebook','mfsh-i-fb',''],\n    ['linkedin','LinkedIn','mfsh-i-li',''],\n    ['reddit','Reddit','mfsh-i-rd','r\/aviation, r\/WarplanePorn'],\n    ['telegram','Telegram','mfsh-i-tg',''],\n    ['email','Email','mfsh-i-mail',''],\n    ['copy','Copy link','mfsh-i-link',''],\n    ['native','More','mfsh-i-more','Instagram, Signal, AirDrop']\n  ];\n  var overlay, toastEl, toastT, placement = 'top';\n  function build(){\n    overlay = document.createElement('div'); overlay.className = 'mfsh-overlay'; overlay.setAttribute('role','dialog'); overlay.setAttribute('aria-modal','true'); overlay.setAttribute('aria-label','Share');\n    var img = meta('og:image');\n    var items = CH.filter(function(c){ return c[0] !== 'native' || !!navigator.share; }).map(function(c){\n      return '<button type=\"button\" class=\"mfsh-item\" data-mfsh-ch=\"'+c[0]+'\"><svg><use href=\"#'+c[2]+'\"\/><\/svg>'+c[1]+(c[3]?'<small>'+c[3]+'<\/small>':'')+'<\/button>';\n    }).join('');\n    overlay.innerHTML = '<div class=\"mfsh-sheet\"><div class=\"mfsh-head\"><strong><svg><use href=\"#mfsh-i-share\"\/><\/svg>Share<\/strong><button type=\"button\" class=\"mfsh-close\" aria-label=\"Close\"><svg><use href=\"#mfsh-i-close\"\/><\/svg><\/button><\/div>'\n      + '<div class=\"mfsh-preview\">' + (img ? '<img decoding=\"async\" class=\"skip-lazy\" data-no-lazy=\"1\" loading=\"eager\" src=\"'+img+'\" alt=\"\">' : '<span><\/span>') + '<div><div class=\"mfsh-kicker\">'+kicker()+'<\/div><span class=\"mfsh-title\">'+pageTitle()+'<\/span><\/div><\/div>'\n      + '<div class=\"mfsh-list\">'+items+'<\/div><\/div>';\n    document.body.appendChild(overlay);\n    toastEl = document.createElement('div'); toastEl.className = 'mfsh-toast'; document.body.appendChild(toastEl);\n    overlay.addEventListener('click', function(e){\n      if (e.target === overlay || e.target.closest('.mfsh-close')) { close(); return; }\n      var b = e.target.closest('.mfsh-item'); if (b) act(b.getAttribute('data-mfsh-ch'), b);\n    });\n    document.addEventListener('keydown', function(e){ if (e.key === 'Escape') close(); });\n  }\n  function open(p){ placement = p || 'top'; if (!overlay) build(); overlay.classList.add('mfsh-open'); track('open', placement); }\n  function close(){ if (overlay) overlay.classList.remove('mfsh-open'); }\n  function toast(m){ toastEl.textContent = m; toastEl.classList.add('mfsh-show'); clearTimeout(toastT); toastT = setTimeout(function(){ toastEl.classList.remove('mfsh-show'); }, 1600); }\n  function act(ch, btn){\n    var url = shareUrl(ch, placement), t = pageTitle(), enc = encodeURIComponent;\n    if (ch === 'copy') {\n      var done = function(){ toast('Link copied'); btn.classList.add('mfsh-done'); setTimeout(function(){ btn.classList.remove('mfsh-done'); close(); }, 900); };\n      track(ch, placement);\n      if (navigator.clipboard && navigator.clipboard.writeText) navigator.clipboard.writeText(url).then(done, done); else done();\n      return;\n    }\n    if (ch === 'native') {\n      track(ch, placement, { share_result:'opened' });\n      navigator.share({ title:t, text:t, url:url }).then(function(){ track('native', placement, { share_result:'completed' }); close(); }).catch(function(){});\n      return;\n    }\n    var target = {\n      whatsapp: 'https:\/\/api.whatsapp.com\/send?text=' + enc(t + ' ' + url),\n      x:        'https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=' + enc(t) + '&url=' + enc(url) + '&via=MiGFlug',\n      facebook: 'https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer\/sharer.php?u=' + enc(url),\n      linkedin: 'https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/sharing\/share-offsite\/?url=' + enc(url),\n      reddit:   'https:\/\/www.reddit.com\/submit?url=' + enc(url) + '&title=' + enc(t),\n      telegram: 'https:\/\/t.me\/share\/url?url=' + enc(url) + '&text=' + enc(t),\n      email:    'mailto:?subject=' + enc(t) + '&body=' + enc('Thought you would like this, from Afterburner, MiGFlug\\'s magazine:\\n' + t + '\\n' + url)\n    }[ch];\n    track(ch, placement);\n    if (target) { if (ch === 'email') location.href = target; else window.open(target, '_blank', 'noopener,width=680,height=560'); }\n    close();\n  }\n  var mq = window.matchMedia('(min-width:981px)');\n  function place(){\n    var t = document.querySelector('.mfsh-trigger[data-mfsh-placement=\"top\"]'), slot = document.querySelector('.mfsh-top-slot');\n    var meta = [].slice.call(document.querySelectorAll('.et_pb_title_meta_container, .et_post_meta_wrapper .post-meta, .single .post-meta')).filter(function(m){ return m.offsetParent !== null; })[0];\n    if (!t || !slot) return;\n    if (meta && mq.matches) { meta.classList.add('mfsh-meta'); t.classList.add('mfsh-inmeta'); if (t.parentNode !== meta) meta.appendChild(t); var a = meta.querySelector('a'); if (a) { var pr = document.createElement('span'); pr.style.cssText = 'display:inline-block;width:0;height:0;vertical-align:baseline'; a.appendChild(pr); var base = pr.getBoundingClientRect().bottom; pr.remove(); var fs = parseFloat(getComputedStyle(a).fontSize) || 14, mb = meta.getBoundingClientRect().bottom; t.style.bottom = Math.max(0, mb - (base + fs * 0.12)) + 'px'; } }\n    else { t.classList.remove('mfsh-inmeta'); if (t.parentNode !== slot) slot.appendChild(t); }\n  }\n  if (document.readyState === 'loading') document.addEventListener('DOMContentLoaded', place); else place(); window.addEventListener('load', place); if (document.fonts && document.fonts.ready) document.fonts.ready.then(place); window.addEventListener('resize', place);\n  if (mq.addEventListener) mq.addEventListener('change', place); else mq.addListener(place);\n  document.addEventListener('click', function(e){ var b = e.target.closest('.mfsh-trigger'); if (b) { e.preventDefault(); open(b.getAttribute('data-mfsh-placement') || 'top'); } });\n})();\n<\/script><!-- \/mfsh:top -->\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Most TriStars were scrapped long ago. One is still working. Stargazer, a 52-year-old Lockheed L-1011 that began life carrying Air Canada passengers, now carries a rocket under its belly, climbs to about 40,000 feet and lets it go. In July 2026 it did exactly that over the Pacific, on a mission to rescue a NASA space telescope.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">A post going round Instagram tells the story, and it gets almost everything right. Here is the aircraft, the rocket it carries, and what happened on that last mission.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"background:#f5f5f5;border-left:4px solid #1a1a1a;padding:18px 22px;margin:24px 0\"><p style=\"margin:0 0 8px;font-weight:600\">Quick Facts<\/p><ul style=\"margin:0;padding-left:20px\"><li><strong>Aircraft:<\/strong> Lockheed L-1011-1 TriStar, construction number 1067<\/li><li><strong>First flight:<\/strong> 22 February 1974<\/li><li><strong>First operator:<\/strong> Air Canada, as C-FTNJ, from March 1974 (briefly leased to Air Lanka in 1982)<\/li><li><strong>Sold:<\/strong> May 1992 to Orbital Sciences, now N140SC<\/li><li><strong>Conversion:<\/strong> Pegasus carrier aircraft, modified by Marshall Aerospace in the UK<\/li><li><strong>Operator today:<\/strong> Northrop Grumman (since 2018)<\/li><li><strong>Pegasus XL payload:<\/strong> About 450 kg (1,000 lb) to low Earth orbit<\/li><li><strong>Latest launch:<\/strong> 2 July 2026 (US time), Swift Boost mission from Kwajalein, Marshall Islands<\/li><\/ul><\/div>\n\n\n<h2 style=\"padding-top:22px\">From Air Canada to Rocket Carrier<\/h2>\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The aircraft first flew on 22 February 1974 and went into service with Air Canada the following month as C-FTNJ. It spent 18 years as an airliner, with a short lease to Air Lanka in 1982. In May 1992 Orbital Sciences bought it to replace the NASA B-52 that had dropped the first Pegasus rockets. Marshall Aerospace in Cambridge, England, converted it into a launch platform, and it became N140SC, Stargazer, named after a ship in Star Trek: The Next Generation. It dropped its first Pegasus XL on 27 June 1994.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\" style=\"margin:0 0 24px;width:100%\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"skip-lazy\" data-no-lazy=\"1\" loading=\"eager\" width=\"1024\" src=\"https:\/\/migflug.com\/afterburner\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2026\/10\/stargazer-l-1011-pegasus-cape-canaveral-2016-1024x682.jpg\" alt=\"The L-1011 Stargazer with a Pegasus rocket under its fuselage at Cape Canaveral\" style=\"width:100%;height:auto;max-width:100%;display:block\"><figcaption style=\"font-size:13px;color:#777;text-align:center;margin-top:6px;font-style:italic\">Stargazer at Cape Canaveral in December 2016 with a Pegasus XL slung under the fuselage, where the airliner once had cargo space. Photo: Bill White \/ NASA, public domain<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In 2010 it was re-engined with Rolls-Royce RB211-524 turbofans in place of the original RB211-22s. Orbital merged into Orbital ATK in 2015, which Northrop Grumman bought in 2018, and Stargazer came with it. Beyond Pegasus, the aircraft has also been chartered for research and flight-test work.<\/p>\n\n\n<h2 style=\"padding-top:22px\">How a Pegasus Launch Works<\/h2>\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Pegasus is a three-stage, solid-fuel rocket with a small delta wing, about 17.6 metres long. Stargazer carries it under the fuselage to its release point, usually over the ocean, climbs to roughly 39,000 to 40,000 feet and drops it. The rocket falls clear for about five seconds before its first stage ignites, then pulls up and climbs to orbit. Launching from altitude means the rocket starts above most of the atmosphere and can be sent from wherever the aircraft can fly, which is why Pegasus has launched from Florida, California, Spain and the Marshall Islands.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\" style=\"margin:0 0 24px;width:100%\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"skip-lazy\" data-no-lazy=\"1\" loading=\"eager\" width=\"1024\" src=\"https:\/\/migflug.com\/afterburner\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2026\/10\/pegasus-xl-launch-from-stargazer-l-1011-2016-1024x576.jpg\" alt=\"A Pegasus XL rocket igniting after release from the L-1011 Stargazer, December 2016\" style=\"width:100%;height:auto;max-width:100%;display:block\"><figcaption style=\"font-size:13px;color:#777;text-align:center;margin-top:6px;font-style:italic\">A Pegasus XL ignites after being dropped from Stargazer over the Atlantic in December 2016, launching NASA&rsquo;s CYGNSS satellites. Photo: NASA \/ Lori Losey, public domain<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The Instagram caption puts the payload at roughly 1,000 pounds to low Earth orbit. That is about right: Pegasus XL can lift about 450 kg to a 200 km orbit. It is small by today&rsquo;s standards, and as larger and cheaper rockets arrived, Pegasus flights became rare. Before 2026 the last one was in June 2021.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"position:relative;padding-bottom:56.25%;height:0;overflow:hidden;margin:24px 0\"><iframe class=\"skip-lazy\" data-no-lazy=\"1\" loading=\"eager\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/c4EQyLv3pIo\" style=\"position:absolute;top:0;left:0;width:100%;height:100%;border:0\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/div>\n\n\n<h2 style=\"padding-top:22px\">The Swift Rescue Attempt<\/h2>\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In 2026 Pegasus had one more job. NASA&rsquo;s Neil Gehrels Swift Observatory, launched in 2004 to study gamma-ray bursts, was sinking. Increased solar activity had thickened the upper atmosphere, and drag had pulled Swift down from about 600 km to under 380 km. In September 2025 NASA picked Katalyst Space Technologies to try something new: a robotic spacecraft called LINK that would fly up to Swift, grab it and push it back into a higher orbit.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">LINK went up on the 46th Pegasus flight. Stargazer took off from Kwajalein Atoll in the Marshall Islands and released the rocket at 40,000 feet at 8:36 p.m. local time on 2 July 2026, 3 July in UTC. The launch worked. The rescue did not. During commissioning a fault put LINK into a multi-axis spin and left it with only one of its three reaction wheels. Engineers slowed the spin, but holding the spacecraft steady with thrusters used up too much propellant. On 19 August NASA and Katalyst called off the capture. LINK came within about 12 to 15 km of Swift, tested its robotic arms, and re-entered the atmosphere on 25 September. Swift is now expected to re-enter before the end of 2026.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"background:#f8f9fa;border-left:4px solid #5C91FF;padding:20px 22px;margin:18px 0 24px;font-size:16px;line-height:1.7;display:flex;gap:20px;align-items:flex-start\"><div><em>&ldquo;This is not the outcome we were working toward, but it does not change why this mission was worth attempting.&rdquo;<\/em><div style=\"margin-top:10px;font-size:14px;color:#555\"><strong>Jared Isaacman<\/strong> &mdash; NASA Administrator, on the end of the LINK mission<\/div><\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"position:relative;padding-bottom:56.25%;height:0;overflow:hidden;margin:24px 0\"><iframe class=\"skip-lazy\" data-no-lazy=\"1\" loading=\"eager\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/THcvpKWZq4M\" style=\"position:absolute;top:0;left:0;width:100%;height:100%;border:0\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/div>\n\n\n<h2 style=\"padding-top:22px\">Why the TriStar Became Rare<\/h2>\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Lockheed built 250 L-1011s between 1968 and 1984. The programme was nearly killed when Rolls-Royce, which was developing the new RB211 engine for it, went into receivership in February 1971, halting final assembly. The British government rescued the engine maker, but the delay let McDonnell Douglas&rsquo;s DC-10 reach airlines about a year earlier. The TriStar entered service with Eastern Air Lines in April 1972, never made money, and was Lockheed&rsquo;s last commercial airliner. The last scheduled passenger flights with the type were flown by Lloyd A&eacute;reo Boliviano in May 2008. We tell the full story in <a href=\"https:\/\/migflug.com\/afterburner\/lockheed-l-1011-tristar-advanced-trijet-rolls-royce\/\">The Genius Jet That Rolls-Royce Nearly Killed<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\" style=\"margin:0 auto 24px;width:100%;max-width:900px\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"skip-lazy\" data-no-lazy=\"1\" loading=\"eager\" width=\"900\" src=\"https:\/\/migflug.com\/afterburner\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2026\/10\/orbital-lockheed-l-1011-stargazer-n140sc-1024x768.jpg\" alt=\"Orbital Sciences Lockheed L-1011 Stargazer on the ground\" style=\"width:100%;height:auto;max-width:100%;display:block\"><figcaption style=\"font-size:13px;color:#777;text-align:center;margin-top:6px;font-style:italic\">Stargazer in Orbital Sciences colours. It is the last L-1011 in service anywhere. Photo: Bill Abbott, CC BY-SA 2.0<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n<h2 style=\"padding-top:22px\">What the Viral Post Gets Right<\/h2>\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Nearly everything. Stargazer was delivered to Air Canada in 1974 and bought by Orbital Sciences in 1992; it carries Pegasus to about 40,000 feet; Pegasus XL lifts roughly 1,000 pounds to low orbit; Northrop Grumman operates it; and in July 2026 it launched a Pegasus XL from the Marshall Islands on the Swift mission. Lockheed did build 250 TriStars, the RB211 delays and the DC-10&rsquo;s head start did hurt the programme, and scheduled passenger service ended in 2008.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Two details are worth adding. The caption says the July flight was &ldquo;a mission involving&rdquo; Swift, which undersells it: it launched a spacecraft meant to rescue Swift, and that rescue failed. And the claim that Stargazer is the only L-1011 still flying is widely repeated and appears to be true, though even Northrop Grumman has put it more cautiously, saying it may be the last airworthy TriStar. The Swift Boost launch may also turn out to have been Pegasus&rsquo;s last.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<blockquote class=\"instagram-media\" data-instgrm-permalink=\"https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/p\/Deb-ds6CuNO\/\" data-instgrm-version=\"14\" style=\"background:#fff;border:0;margin:24px auto;max-width:540px;min-width:280px;width:100%\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/p\/Deb-ds6CuNO\/\">View this post on Instagram<\/a><\/blockquote><script async src=\"https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/embed.js\"><\/script><p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><em>Sources: Wikipedia, Stargazer (aircraft), Lockheed L-1011 TriStar and Swift boost mission; NASASpaceFlight.com (June 2026); Via Satellite (6 July 2026); NASA Science Swift blog (June&ndash;September 2026); SpacePolicyOnline (August 2026); Katalyst Space Technologies (September 2026); Northrop Grumman.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n<!-- mfsh:bottom -->\n\n<button type=\"button\" class=\"mfsh-trigger mfsh-bottom\" data-mfsh-placement=\"bottom\" aria-haspopup=\"dialog\"><svg><use href=\"#mfsh-i-share\"\/><\/svg>Share this story<\/button>\n\n<!-- \/mfsh:bottom -->\n\n\n<style>.mfq{margin:34px 0 8px}.mfq h2{font:26px\/1.3 \"Gilroy semiBold\",Helvetica,Arial,sans-serif;color:#0d1117;padding-top:22px;margin:0 0 6px}.mfq .qa details{border-top:1px solid #5C91FF;margin:0;padding:0}.mfq .qa details:last-of-type{border-bottom:1px solid #e2e7ee}.mfq .qa summary{cursor:pointer;list-style:none;display:flex;justify-content:space-between;align-items:center;gap:16px;padding:22px 26px;font:18px\/1.7 \"Gilroy semiBold\",Helvetica,Arial,sans-serif;color:#0d1117}.mfq .qa summary::-webkit-details-marker{display:none}.mfq .qa summary::after{content:\"+\";font:24px Helvetica,sans-serif;color:#3568e0;flex:0 0 auto}.mfq .qa details[open] summary::after{content:\"\\2013\"}.mfq .qa details:hover summary{color:#3568e0}.mfq .qa .a{font:16px\/1.7 \"Gilroy regular\",Helvetica,Arial,sans-serif;color:#454e5e;padding:0 26px 24px}.mfq .qa .a a{color:#3568e0}@media(max-width:680px){.mfq .qa summary{padding:18px 14px;font-size:17px}.mfq .qa .a{padding:0 14px 20px}}<\/style>\n\n\n<section class=\"mfq\"><h2>Frequently Asked Questions<\/h2><div class=\"qa\"><details open><summary>Is the L-1011 Stargazer the last TriStar still flying?<\/summary><div class=\"a\">The Northrop Grumman L-1011 Stargazer, registered N140SC, is the last Lockheed L-1011 TriStar in service and is widely described as the only one still flying. Northrop Grumman itself has said more cautiously that it may be the last airworthy L-1011.<\/div><\/details><details><summary>What does the Stargazer aircraft do?<\/summary><div class=\"a\">Stargazer is a converted Lockheed L-1011 TriStar that air-launches Pegasus rockets. It carries the rocket under its fuselage to about 39,000 to 40,000 feet and releases it; the rocket ignites about five seconds later and flies to orbit. It has also been chartered for research and flight-test work.<\/div><\/details><details><summary>How old is the Stargazer L-1011?<\/summary><div class=\"a\">The Stargazer L-1011 first flew on 22 February 1974 and entered service with Air Canada that March as C-FTNJ. Orbital Sciences bought it in May 1992 and converted it into a Pegasus carrier aircraft. In 2026 it was 52 years old.<\/div><\/details><details><summary>How much can a Pegasus XL rocket carry?<\/summary><div class=\"a\">A Pegasus XL can carry about 450 kg, roughly 1,000 lb, to a low Earth orbit of around 200 km. It is a three-stage solid-fuel rocket about 17.6 metres long, launched from the L-1011 Stargazer.<\/div><\/details><details><summary>What was the Swift Boost mission?<\/summary><div class=\"a\">The Swift Boost mission launched Katalyst Space Technologies&rsquo; LINK spacecraft on a Pegasus XL dropped from Stargazer near Kwajalein on 2 July 2026 (3 July UTC). LINK was meant to capture NASA&rsquo;s sinking Swift observatory and raise its orbit, but a spin and reaction wheel fault used up too much propellant. The capture was called off on 19 August and LINK re-entered on 25 September 2026.<\/div><\/details><details><summary>How many L-1011 TriStars were built?<\/summary><div class=\"a\">Lockheed built 250 L-1011 TriStars between 1968 and 1984. It was Lockheed&rsquo;s last commercial airliner, and the last scheduled passenger flights with the type were flown by Lloyd A&eacute;reo Boliviano in May 2008.<\/div><\/details><\/div><\/section>\n\n\n\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@type\":\"FAQPage\",\"mainEntity\":[{\"@type\":\"Question\",\"name\":\"Is the L-1011 Stargazer the last TriStar still flying?\",\"acceptedAnswer\":{\"@type\":\"Answer\",\"text\":\"The Northrop Grumman L-1011 Stargazer, registered N140SC, is the last Lockheed L-1011 TriStar in service and is widely described as the only one still flying. Northrop Grumman itself has said more cautiously that it may be the last airworthy L-1011.\"}},{\"@type\":\"Question\",\"name\":\"What does the Stargazer aircraft do?\",\"acceptedAnswer\":{\"@type\":\"Answer\",\"text\":\"Stargazer is a converted Lockheed L-1011 TriStar that air-launches Pegasus rockets. It carries the rocket under its fuselage to about 39,000 to 40,000 feet and releases it; the rocket ignites about five seconds later and flies to orbit. It has also been chartered for research and flight-test work.\"}},{\"@type\":\"Question\",\"name\":\"How old is the Stargazer L-1011?\",\"acceptedAnswer\":{\"@type\":\"Answer\",\"text\":\"The Stargazer L-1011 first flew on 22 February 1974 and entered service with Air Canada that March as C-FTNJ. Orbital Sciences bought it in May 1992 and converted it into a Pegasus carrier aircraft. In 2026 it was 52 years old.\"}},{\"@type\":\"Question\",\"name\":\"How much can a Pegasus XL rocket carry?\",\"acceptedAnswer\":{\"@type\":\"Answer\",\"text\":\"A Pegasus XL can carry about 450 kg, roughly 1,000 lb, to a low Earth orbit of around 200 km. It is a three-stage solid-fuel rocket about 17.6 metres long, launched from the L-1011 Stargazer.\"}},{\"@type\":\"Question\",\"name\":\"What was the Swift Boost mission?\",\"acceptedAnswer\":{\"@type\":\"Answer\",\"text\":\"The Swift Boost mission launched Katalyst Space Technologies\u2019 LINK spacecraft on a Pegasus XL dropped from Stargazer near Kwajalein on 2 July 2026 (3 July UTC). LINK was meant to capture NASA\u2019s sinking Swift observatory and raise its orbit, but a spin and reaction wheel fault used up too much propellant. The capture was called off on 19 August and LINK re-entered on 25 September 2026.\"}},{\"@type\":\"Question\",\"name\":\"How many L-1011 TriStars were built?\",\"acceptedAnswer\":{\"@type\":\"Answer\",\"text\":\"Lockheed built 250 L-1011 TriStars between 1968 and 1984. It was Lockheed\u2019s last commercial airliner, and the last scheduled passenger flights with the type were flown by Lloyd A\u00e9reo Boliviano in May 2008.\"}}]}<\/script><div style=\"background:#f0f4ff;border-left:4px solid #5C91FF;padding:16px 20px;margin:32px 0 8px\">\n<p style=\"margin:0 0 8px;font-weight:600;color:#333\">Related Posts<\/p>\n<p style=\"margin:4px 0\"><a href=\"https:\/\/migflug.com\/afterburner\/lockheed-l-1011-tristar-advanced-trijet-rolls-royce\/\">The Genius Jet That Rolls-Royce Nearly Killed<\/a><\/p>\n<p style=\"margin:4px 0\"><a href=\"https:\/\/migflug.com\/afterburner\/x-43a-hyper-x-nasa-scramjet-mach-9-6-record-2004\/\">X-43A Hyper-X: NASA\u2019s Scramjet That Hit Mach 9.6 in 2004<\/a><\/p>\n<p style=\"margin:4px 0\"><a href=\"https:\/\/migflug.com\/afterburner\/aevum-ravn-x-long-beach-taxi-test-2026\/\">Aevum RAVN X: The Cockpitless Jet That Woke Up at Long Beach<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Delivered to Air Canada in 1974, Stargazer is the last L-1011 TriStar in service. Instead of passengers it carries Pegasus rockets, and in July 2026 it dropped one over the Pacific on a mission to save NASA&rsquo;s Swift observatory.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":24,"featured_media":27982414,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"editor_notices":[],"footnotes":""},"categories":[665],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-27982586","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-aviation-world"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v28.7 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>Stargazer L-1011: The Last TriStar Still Flying | MiGFlug<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Delivered to Air Canada in 1974, the L-1011 Stargazer now drops Pegasus rockets. Its July 2026 launch for NASA\u2019s Swift, and what the viral post gets right.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/migflug.com\/afterburner\/stargazer-l-1011-tristar-pegasus-last-flying-swift-boost-2026\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Stargazer L-1011: The Last TriStar Still Flying | MiGFlug\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Delivered to Air Canada in 1974, the L-1011 Stargazer now drops Pegasus rockets. Its July 2026 launch for NASA\u2019s Swift, and what the viral post gets right.\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/migflug.com\/afterburner\/stargazer-l-1011-tristar-pegasus-last-flying-swift-boost-2026\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Afterburner - MiGFlug&#039;s Magazine\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:publisher\" content=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/MiGFlug\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2026-10-14T07:03:55+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2026-10-14T07:04:09+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/migflug.com\/afterburner\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2026\/10\/stargazer-l-1011-pegasus-in-flight-atlantic.jpg\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"1280\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"854\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/jpeg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"Tamika Johnson\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:creator\" content=\"@migflug\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:site\" content=\"@migflug\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"Tamika Johnson\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"9 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\\\/\\\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"Article\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/migflug.com\\\/afterburner\\\/stargazer-l-1011-tristar-pegasus-last-flying-swift-boost-2026\\\/#article\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/migflug.com\\\/afterburner\\\/stargazer-l-1011-tristar-pegasus-last-flying-swift-boost-2026\\\/\"},\"author\":{\"name\":\"Tamika Johnson\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/migflug.com\\\/afterburner\\\/it\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/88afb39d0a02d6de10537662492fb68d\"},\"headline\":\"Stargazer: The Last Flying L-1011 TriStar Still Launches Rockets\",\"datePublished\":\"2026-10-14T07:03:55+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2026-10-14T07:04:09+00:00\",\"mainEntityOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/migflug.com\\\/afterburner\\\/stargazer-l-1011-tristar-pegasus-last-flying-swift-boost-2026\\\/\"},\"wordCount\":1389,\"commentCount\":0,\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/migflug.com\\\/afterburner\\\/it\\\/#organization\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/migflug.com\\\/afterburner\\\/stargazer-l-1011-tristar-pegasus-last-flying-swift-boost-2026\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/migflug.com\\\/afterburner\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/sites\\\/4\\\/2026\\\/10\\\/stargazer-l-1011-pegasus-in-flight-atlantic.jpg\",\"articleSection\":[\"Aviation World\"],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"CommentAction\",\"name\":\"Comment\",\"target\":[\"https:\\\/\\\/migflug.com\\\/afterburner\\\/stargazer-l-1011-tristar-pegasus-last-flying-swift-boost-2026\\\/#respond\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/migflug.com\\\/afterburner\\\/stargazer-l-1011-tristar-pegasus-last-flying-swift-boost-2026\\\/\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/migflug.com\\\/afterburner\\\/stargazer-l-1011-tristar-pegasus-last-flying-swift-boost-2026\\\/\",\"name\":\"Stargazer L-1011: The Last TriStar Still Flying | MiGFlug\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/migflug.com\\\/afterburner\\\/it\\\/#website\"},\"primaryImageOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/migflug.com\\\/afterburner\\\/stargazer-l-1011-tristar-pegasus-last-flying-swift-boost-2026\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/migflug.com\\\/afterburner\\\/stargazer-l-1011-tristar-pegasus-last-flying-swift-boost-2026\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/migflug.com\\\/afterburner\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/sites\\\/4\\\/2026\\\/10\\\/stargazer-l-1011-pegasus-in-flight-atlantic.jpg\",\"datePublished\":\"2026-10-14T07:03:55+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2026-10-14T07:04:09+00:00\",\"description\":\"Delivered to Air Canada in 1974, the L-1011 Stargazer now drops Pegasus rockets. Its July 2026 launch for NASA\u2019s Swift, and what the viral post gets right.\",\"breadcrumb\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/migflug.com\\\/afterburner\\\/stargazer-l-1011-tristar-pegasus-last-flying-swift-boost-2026\\\/#breadcrumb\"},\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\\\/\\\/migflug.com\\\/afterburner\\\/stargazer-l-1011-tristar-pegasus-last-flying-swift-boost-2026\\\/\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/migflug.com\\\/afterburner\\\/stargazer-l-1011-tristar-pegasus-last-flying-swift-boost-2026\\\/#primaryimage\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/migflug.com\\\/afterburner\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/sites\\\/4\\\/2026\\\/10\\\/stargazer-l-1011-pegasus-in-flight-atlantic.jpg\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/migflug.com\\\/afterburner\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/sites\\\/4\\\/2026\\\/10\\\/stargazer-l-1011-pegasus-in-flight-atlantic.jpg\",\"width\":1280,\"height\":854,\"caption\":\"Photographed from the F-18 pathfinder aircraft, the Orbital ATK L-1011 Stargazer aircraft is seen flying over the Atlantic Ocean offshore from Daytona Beach, Florida. Attached beneath the aircraft is the Pegasus XL rocket with eight Cyclone Global Navigation Satellite System, or CYGNSS, spacecraft. The CYGNSS satellites will make frequent and accurate measurements of ocean surface winds throughout the life cycle of tropical storms and hurricanes. The data that CYGNSS provides will enable scientists to probe key air-sea interaction processes that take place near the core of storms, which are rapidly changing and play a crucial role in the beginning and intensification of hurricanes. NOTE: The Dec. 12, 2016 launch attempt was postponed due to a hydraulic pump aboard the Orbital ATK L-1011 aircraft which is required to release the latches holding Pegasus in place, is not receiving power.\"},{\"@type\":\"BreadcrumbList\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/migflug.com\\\/afterburner\\\/stargazer-l-1011-tristar-pegasus-last-flying-swift-boost-2026\\\/#breadcrumb\",\"itemListElement\":[{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":1,\"name\":\"Startseite\",\"item\":\"https:\\\/\\\/migflug.com\\\/afterburner\\\/it\\\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":2,\"name\":\"Stargazer: The Last Flying L-1011 TriStar Still Launches Rockets\"}]},{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/migflug.com\\\/afterburner\\\/it\\\/#website\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/migflug.com\\\/afterburner\\\/it\\\/\",\"name\":\"Afterburner - MiGFlug's Magazine\",\"description\":\"for those interested in flying military jets and aviation related  topics\",\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/migflug.com\\\/afterburner\\\/it\\\/#organization\"},\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"SearchAction\",\"target\":{\"@type\":\"EntryPoint\",\"urlTemplate\":\"https:\\\/\\\/migflug.com\\\/afterburner\\\/it\\\/?s={search_term_string}\"},\"query-input\":{\"@type\":\"PropertyValueSpecification\",\"valueRequired\":true,\"valueName\":\"search_term_string\"}}],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"Organization\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/migflug.com\\\/afterburner\\\/it\\\/#organization\",\"name\":\"MiGFlug GmbH\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/migflug.com\\\/afterburner\\\/it\\\/\",\"logo\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/migflug.com\\\/afterburner\\\/it\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/logo\\\/image\\\/\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/ml5psubhxdln.i.optimole.com\\\/cb:0e0_.b970\\\/w:897\\\/h:278\\\/q:mauto\\\/ig:avif\\\/https:\\\/\\\/migflug.com\\\/afterburner\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/sites\\\/4\\\/2026\\\/06\\\/MIGFLUG_LOGO-no-background.png\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/ml5psubhxdln.i.optimole.com\\\/cb:0e0_.b970\\\/w:897\\\/h:278\\\/q:mauto\\\/ig:avif\\\/https:\\\/\\\/migflug.com\\\/afterburner\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/sites\\\/4\\\/2026\\\/06\\\/MIGFLUG_LOGO-no-background.png\",\"width\":897,\"height\":278,\"caption\":\"MiGFlug GmbH\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/migflug.com\\\/afterburner\\\/it\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/logo\\\/image\\\/\"},\"sameAs\":[\"https:\\\/\\\/www.facebook.com\\\/MiGFlug\\\/\",\"https:\\\/\\\/x.com\\\/migflug\",\"https:\\\/\\\/www.instagram.com\\\/migflug\\\/\",\"https:\\\/\\\/www.youtube.com\\\/user\\\/MiGFlug\",\"https:\\\/\\\/www.linkedin.com\\\/company\\\/migflug.com\\\/\",\"https:\\\/\\\/www.pinterest.ch\\\/migflug\\\/\"]},{\"@type\":\"Person\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/migflug.com\\\/afterburner\\\/it\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/88afb39d0a02d6de10537662492fb68d\",\"name\":\"Tamika Johnson\",\"image\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/secure.gravatar.com\\\/avatar\\\/0aec3158aff3d47ac0cba1da9c62fe9994a454e4e6a14b6260de35a598abdb4d?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/secure.gravatar.com\\\/avatar\\\/0aec3158aff3d47ac0cba1da9c62fe9994a454e4e6a14b6260de35a598abdb4d?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/secure.gravatar.com\\\/avatar\\\/0aec3158aff3d47ac0cba1da9c62fe9994a454e4e6a14b6260de35a598abdb4d?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"caption\":\"Tamika Johnson\"},\"description\":\"Tamika Johnson tells the human stories of aviation \u2014 the pilots, pioneers and characters behind the machines.\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/migflug.com\\\/afterburner\\\/author\\\/tamikajohnson\\\/\"}]}<\/script>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"Stargazer L-1011: The Last TriStar Still Flying | MiGFlug","description":"Delivered to Air Canada in 1974, the L-1011 Stargazer now drops Pegasus rockets. Its July 2026 launch for NASA\u2019s Swift, and what the viral post gets right.","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"canonical":"https:\/\/migflug.com\/afterburner\/stargazer-l-1011-tristar-pegasus-last-flying-swift-boost-2026\/","og_locale":"en_US","og_type":"article","og_title":"Stargazer L-1011: The Last TriStar Still Flying | MiGFlug","og_description":"Delivered to Air Canada in 1974, the L-1011 Stargazer now drops Pegasus rockets. Its July 2026 launch for NASA\u2019s Swift, and what the viral post gets right.","og_url":"https:\/\/migflug.com\/afterburner\/stargazer-l-1011-tristar-pegasus-last-flying-swift-boost-2026\/","og_site_name":"Afterburner - MiGFlug's Magazine","article_publisher":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/MiGFlug\/","article_published_time":"2026-10-14T07:03:55+00:00","article_modified_time":"2026-10-14T07:04:09+00:00","og_image":[{"width":1280,"height":854,"url":"https:\/\/migflug.com\/afterburner\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2026\/10\/stargazer-l-1011-pegasus-in-flight-atlantic.jpg","type":"image\/jpeg"}],"author":"Tamika Johnson","twitter_card":"summary_large_image","twitter_creator":"@migflug","twitter_site":"@migflug","twitter_misc":{"Written by":"Tamika Johnson","Est. reading time":"9 minutes"},"schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"Article","@id":"https:\/\/migflug.com\/afterburner\/stargazer-l-1011-tristar-pegasus-last-flying-swift-boost-2026\/#article","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/migflug.com\/afterburner\/stargazer-l-1011-tristar-pegasus-last-flying-swift-boost-2026\/"},"author":{"name":"Tamika Johnson","@id":"https:\/\/migflug.com\/afterburner\/it\/#\/schema\/person\/88afb39d0a02d6de10537662492fb68d"},"headline":"Stargazer: The Last Flying L-1011 TriStar Still Launches Rockets","datePublished":"2026-10-14T07:03:55+00:00","dateModified":"2026-10-14T07:04:09+00:00","mainEntityOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/migflug.com\/afterburner\/stargazer-l-1011-tristar-pegasus-last-flying-swift-boost-2026\/"},"wordCount":1389,"commentCount":0,"publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/migflug.com\/afterburner\/it\/#organization"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/migflug.com\/afterburner\/stargazer-l-1011-tristar-pegasus-last-flying-swift-boost-2026\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/migflug.com\/afterburner\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2026\/10\/stargazer-l-1011-pegasus-in-flight-atlantic.jpg","articleSection":["Aviation World"],"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"CommentAction","name":"Comment","target":["https:\/\/migflug.com\/afterburner\/stargazer-l-1011-tristar-pegasus-last-flying-swift-boost-2026\/#respond"]}]},{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/migflug.com\/afterburner\/stargazer-l-1011-tristar-pegasus-last-flying-swift-boost-2026\/","url":"https:\/\/migflug.com\/afterburner\/stargazer-l-1011-tristar-pegasus-last-flying-swift-boost-2026\/","name":"Stargazer L-1011: The Last TriStar Still Flying | MiGFlug","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/migflug.com\/afterburner\/it\/#website"},"primaryImageOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/migflug.com\/afterburner\/stargazer-l-1011-tristar-pegasus-last-flying-swift-boost-2026\/#primaryimage"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/migflug.com\/afterburner\/stargazer-l-1011-tristar-pegasus-last-flying-swift-boost-2026\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/migflug.com\/afterburner\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2026\/10\/stargazer-l-1011-pegasus-in-flight-atlantic.jpg","datePublished":"2026-10-14T07:03:55+00:00","dateModified":"2026-10-14T07:04:09+00:00","description":"Delivered to Air Canada in 1974, the L-1011 Stargazer now drops Pegasus rockets. Its July 2026 launch for NASA\u2019s Swift, and what the viral post gets right.","breadcrumb":{"@id":"https:\/\/migflug.com\/afterburner\/stargazer-l-1011-tristar-pegasus-last-flying-swift-boost-2026\/#breadcrumb"},"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/migflug.com\/afterburner\/stargazer-l-1011-tristar-pegasus-last-flying-swift-boost-2026\/"]}]},{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/migflug.com\/afterburner\/stargazer-l-1011-tristar-pegasus-last-flying-swift-boost-2026\/#primaryimage","url":"https:\/\/migflug.com\/afterburner\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2026\/10\/stargazer-l-1011-pegasus-in-flight-atlantic.jpg","contentUrl":"https:\/\/migflug.com\/afterburner\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2026\/10\/stargazer-l-1011-pegasus-in-flight-atlantic.jpg","width":1280,"height":854,"caption":"Photographed from the F-18 pathfinder aircraft, the Orbital ATK L-1011 Stargazer aircraft is seen flying over the Atlantic Ocean offshore from Daytona Beach, Florida. Attached beneath the aircraft is the Pegasus XL rocket with eight Cyclone Global Navigation Satellite System, or CYGNSS, spacecraft. The CYGNSS satellites will make frequent and accurate measurements of ocean surface winds throughout the life cycle of tropical storms and hurricanes. The data that CYGNSS provides will enable scientists to probe key air-sea interaction processes that take place near the core of storms, which are rapidly changing and play a crucial role in the beginning and intensification of hurricanes. NOTE: The Dec. 12, 2016 launch attempt was postponed due to a hydraulic pump aboard the Orbital ATK L-1011 aircraft which is required to release the latches holding Pegasus in place, is not receiving power."},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https:\/\/migflug.com\/afterburner\/stargazer-l-1011-tristar-pegasus-last-flying-swift-boost-2026\/#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Startseite","item":"https:\/\/migflug.com\/afterburner\/it\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"Stargazer: The Last Flying L-1011 TriStar Still Launches Rockets"}]},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/migflug.com\/afterburner\/it\/#website","url":"https:\/\/migflug.com\/afterburner\/it\/","name":"Afterburner - MiGFlug's Magazine","description":"for those interested in flying military jets and aviation related  topics","publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/migflug.com\/afterburner\/it\/#organization"},"potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/migflug.com\/afterburner\/it\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":{"@type":"PropertyValueSpecification","valueRequired":true,"valueName":"search_term_string"}}],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"Organization","@id":"https:\/\/migflug.com\/afterburner\/it\/#organization","name":"MiGFlug GmbH","url":"https:\/\/migflug.com\/afterburner\/it\/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/migflug.com\/afterburner\/it\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/","url":"https:\/\/ml5psubhxdln.i.optimole.com\/cb:0e0_.b970\/w:897\/h:278\/q:mauto\/ig:avif\/https:\/\/migflug.com\/afterburner\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2026\/06\/MIGFLUG_LOGO-no-background.png","contentUrl":"https:\/\/ml5psubhxdln.i.optimole.com\/cb:0e0_.b970\/w:897\/h:278\/q:mauto\/ig:avif\/https:\/\/migflug.com\/afterburner\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2026\/06\/MIGFLUG_LOGO-no-background.png","width":897,"height":278,"caption":"MiGFlug GmbH"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/migflug.com\/afterburner\/it\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/"},"sameAs":["https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/MiGFlug\/","https:\/\/x.com\/migflug","https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/migflug\/","https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/user\/MiGFlug","https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/company\/migflug.com\/","https:\/\/www.pinterest.ch\/migflug\/"]},{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/migflug.com\/afterburner\/it\/#\/schema\/person\/88afb39d0a02d6de10537662492fb68d","name":"Tamika Johnson","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/0aec3158aff3d47ac0cba1da9c62fe9994a454e4e6a14b6260de35a598abdb4d?s=96&d=mm&r=g","url":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/0aec3158aff3d47ac0cba1da9c62fe9994a454e4e6a14b6260de35a598abdb4d?s=96&d=mm&r=g","contentUrl":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/0aec3158aff3d47ac0cba1da9c62fe9994a454e4e6a14b6260de35a598abdb4d?s=96&d=mm&r=g","caption":"Tamika Johnson"},"description":"Tamika Johnson tells the human stories of aviation \u2014 the pilots, pioneers and characters behind the machines.","url":"https:\/\/migflug.com\/afterburner\/author\/tamikajohnson\/"}]}},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/migflug.com\/afterburner\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/27982586","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/migflug.com\/afterburner\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/migflug.com\/afterburner\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/migflug.com\/afterburner\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/24"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/migflug.com\/afterburner\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=27982586"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/migflug.com\/afterburner\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/27982586\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":27984439,"href":"https:\/\/migflug.com\/afterburner\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/27982586\/revisions\/27984439"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/migflug.com\/afterburner\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/27982414"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/migflug.com\/afterburner\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=27982586"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/migflug.com\/afterburner\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=27982586"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/migflug.com\/afterburner\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=27982586"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}