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

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Northrop Grumman continues flights with last active Lockheed L-1011 TriStar
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Jim Taiclet, Chairman, President and Chief Executive Officer | Lockheed Martin Corporation

Lockheed, once a leading manufacturer of commercial and military transport aircraft, produced the L-1011 TriStar as its most iconic commercial airliner. The TriStar was the third widebody jet to enter service after the Boeing 747 and McDonnell Douglas DC-10. Although it could carry up to 400 passengers and fly over 4,000 nautical miles, financial issues and delays hampered its success. Lockheed ceased production in 1984 after building 250 units and withdrew from the commercial aircraft sector.

Today, only one Lockheed L-1011 TriStar remains operational in the United States. Northrop Grumman operates this aircraft, known as Stargazer, using it as a mothership for launching Pegasus rockets that deploy small satellites into low-Earth orbit. According to Northrop Grumman’s website: "Pegasus is carried aloft by our Stargazer L-1011 aircraft to approximately 40,000 feet over open ocean, where it is released and free-falls for five seconds before igniting its first stage rocket motor." The company adds that "Pegasus has conducted 45 missions, launching almost 100 spacecraft."

Stargazer began service with Air Canada in early 1974 before being acquired by Orbital Sciences in 1992 for conversion into a launch platform. Orbital Sciences evaluated other aircraft types such as the B-52 bomber and Boeing 747 but selected the TriStar for its specific requirements. In 2018, Northrop Grumman acquired Orbital Sciences.

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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.

Organizations Included in this History
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