New mission for the L-1011 Stargazer in 2026

Stargazer © Northrop Grumman

With the demise of Virgin Orbit and the failure of their modified 747-400, the Pegasus launch system is still a valuable and proven asset and the L-1011 remains the only airborne launch platform for the Pegasus Rocket.

Private mission to save NASA space telescope will launch in 2026 on a rocket dropped from a plane

"It's the only launch vehicle that can meet the orbit, the schedule and the cost to achieve something unprecedented with emerging technology."

•  Space.com: Private mission to save NASA telescope