Northrop Grumman continues flights with last active Lockheed L-1011 TriStar

Northrop Grumman currently lists two L-1011s in its fleet—one flying (Stargazer) and another used for spare parts. The second airframe was originally delivered to TAP Air Portugal in the early 1980s but now serves only as a donor after being purchased by Orbital shortly before Northrop’s acquisition.

Despite not providing extensive public details about Stargazer's current operations beyond its use with Pegasus launches, flight tracking data indicates that Stargazer flew eleven times through mid-August of 2025 from airports including Palmdale, Mojave, Edwards (all California), Fairbanks and Deadhorse (Alaska), with mission durations typically under an hour.

The continued operation of Stargazer highlights how some retired commercial airliners find extended life serving niche roles such as research platforms or specialized transporters. Other notable examples include NASA’s use of Lockheed ER-2 jets for atmospheric research and Martin-Baker’s Gloster Meteor fighters for ejection seat testing.

Although Lockheed no longer produces commercial airplanes—now focusing on defense contracts—it remains one of the world’s largest aerospace companies by market capitalization. In addition to Stargazer, older Lockheed models like the L-188 Electra are still used in Canada for firefighting and cargo operations.

While most historic Lockheed jets have been retired or scrapped—such as the last JetStar private jet which left service in 2019—the future may hold new opportunities if Lockheed chooses to re-enter civil aviation through acquisitions or partnerships; one such example is Northrop Grumman’s collaboration with JetZero on a blended-wing-body design.

The survival of unique airframes like Stargazer demonstrates how adaptation to specialized missions can preserve legacy aircraft well beyond their original intended lifespans.