![]() ![]() The Lockheed L-1011 TriStar carrier aircraft first flew in February 1974, and was delivered to Air Canada as C-FTNJ the following month. The launch was delayed multiple times from 2017 to 2019, finally occurring on October 11, 2019. The data was related to the rudder position of the Pegasus XL rocket and was observed during a routine in-flight vehicle health check. The launch was originally scheduled for June 2017 but was scrubbed when an anomalous piece of vehicle data was observed during a ferry flight. Stargazer launched the Ionospheric Connection Explorer on 11 October 2019. Stargazer appeared in Northrop Grumman livery in 2018 following the acquisition of Orbital ATK. The first attempt on 12 December was scrubbed due to issues with the hydraulic system responsible for separating the Pegasus rocket from the launch aircraft. On 15 December 2016, Stargazer successfully launched CYGNSS on behalf of NASA on its second attempt. In 2015, Stargazer was repainted to reflect Orbital Sciences' merger with Alliant Techsystems. Stargazer in Northrop Grumman livery carrying the Ionospheric Connection Explorer (ICON) It is capable of carrying a 23,000 kilograms (51,000 lb) payload to an altitude of 12,800 metres (42,000 ft). ![]() Orbital Sciences also offer the aircraft for research flights. Stargazer was also used for captive tests and transportation of the X-34 hypersonic research aircraft however, drop tests used Balls 8. A modified version, the Pegasus-H, was introduced to rectify this. Previous launches used the NASA-operated Boeing NB-52B Balls 8, which was also used for four subsequent launches, as the original Pegasus could not be launched from Stargazer due to clearance issues. The first Pegasus launch to use Stargazer was conducted on 27 June 1994 as the maiden flight of the Pegasus-XL. As of 2019, Stargazer is the only L-1011 airframe still airworthy. As of October 2022, 45 rockets (containing nearly 100 satellites) have been launched from it, using the Pegasus-H and Pegasus-XL configurations. Stargazer is a Lockheed L-1011 TriStar built in 1974, that was modified in 1994 for use by Orbital Sciences (now part of Northrop Grumman) as a mother ship launch pad for the Pegasus launch vehicle. Stargazer in Orbital ATK livery, flying over the Atlantic Ocean carrying a Pegasus XL rocket
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