Portuguese L-1011 fleet status 2024

This is the current status of the last bearers of a "CS-" registration mark:

• MSN 1206 euroAtlantic CS-TMX - scrapped at Lisbon (LIS/LPPT)
• MSN 1240 euroAtlantic CS-TEB - stored at Amman (ADJ/OJAM)
• MSN 1248 Luzair CS-TMP - scuttled in the Gulf of Aqaba

As this website is soon to reach its 25th anniversary, I would to wish you all a Merry Christmas and a wonderful 2025.

L-1011 Stargazer at the Festival of Flight 2024

Northrop Grumman's L-1011 "Stargazer" took off today towards Long Beach Airport to be part of the static aircraft display of this year's "Festival of Flight".

Festival of Flight 2024

The festival will be held tomorrow at the LGB Airfield:

Generously sponsored by the Port of Long Beach, the lineup of aircraft is expected to include a KC-46 Pegasus, an air-to-air military refueling aircraft; the Flabob Express DC-3, built in 1943 and full of a storied history that includes flying Winston Churchill and the Royal Family; and a Northrup Grumman modified Lockheed L-1011 TriStar that is the only L-1011 still operational. The Condor Squadron will also conduct two flyovers. All aircraft displays are subject to change.

The ferry flight from Mojave to Long Beach took only 27 minutes to complete.

• Long Beach Airport: Festival of Flight 2024

Portuguese L-1011 fleet status 2023

Still no news of CS-TEB being scrapped:

• MSN 1206 euroAtlantic CS-TMX - scrapped at Lisbon (LIS/LPPT)
• MSN 1240 euroAtlantic CS-TEB - stored at Amman (ADJ/OJAM)
• MSN 1248 Luzair CS-TMP - scuttled in the Gulf of Aqaba

And we now say goodbye to Novair

Nova Airlines AB, doing business as Novair, ceased operations last October, ending a 26 years run.

Novair SE-DVF © LRS 747

Novair was a swedish micro-airline operating two Airbus A321neo on the charter scene, a company that started its activities in 1997 with an ex-TAP L-1011 registered SE-DVF adding a second one (SE-DVI) some months later.

Portuguese L-1011 fleet status 2022

CS-TEB was recently seen in one piece in Amman Civil Airport (ADJ/OJAM).

• MSN 1206 euroAtlantic CS-TMX - scrapped at Lisbon (LIS/LPPT)
• MSN 1240 euroAtlantic CS-TEB - stored at Amman (ADJ/OJAM)
• MSN 1241 Northrop Grumman N91011 - stored at Victorville (VCV/KVCV)
• MSN 1248 Luzair CS-TMP - scuttled in the Gulf of Aqaba

L-1011 Stargazer still making history

Nice to see the L-1011 Stargazer alive and kicking:

The U. S. Space Force successfully launched the Tactically Responsive Launch-2 (TacRL-2) mission on a Northrop Grumman Pegasus XL rocket from Vandenberg Space Force Base on June 13 at 4:11 a.m. EDT, delivering a technology demonstration satellite to Low Earth Orbit.

• Space Force: U.S. Space Force successfully launches first tactically responsive launch mission

Uncertain future for L-1011 Stargazer

Ahead of the latest ICON/Pegasus XL launch, Northrop Grumman's Vice-President stated that they are planning to keep their L-1011 Stargazer five to 10 years more.

Phil Joyce, vice president of space launch programs at Northrop Grumman, said this week that the company is trying to sell the launches using the two remaining Pegasus XL rockets, and officials plan to keep the Pegasus rocket’s L-1011 carrier jet flying for at least five or 10 more years. 

“We’re looking out five or 10 years with the L-1011, and what parts do we need, being the only flying L-1011 on the planet,” he said. “We have the only trained pilots, we have the only trained mechanics for that aircraft, and we needed the parts.”

However, and since there are no new Pegasus missions scheduled, some rumors say that the aircraft used as an airborne launch platform will be retired soon and turned into a monument, as it was already proposed in the recent past.

Stargazer monument © Gordon/Orbital ATK

In even if Stratolaunch project seems to be having its difficulties, the fact is that new airborne launch platforms for small satellites (like Virgin Orbit's Cosmic Girl/Launcher One) are being developed and the challenge of keeping an aircraft that is 45 years old and that is the last operational L-1011 in the world will certainly condemn Stargazer to its final retirement soon or later.

• LoudounNow: Northrop Grumman Proposes Rocket Monument at Orbital ATK
• Spaceflight Now: Rockets purchased by Stratolaunch back under Northrop Grumman control

Successful launch of the Pegasus XL/ICON Satellite

After a two-year delay, the ICON satellite intended to study the Earth's ionosphere was finally launched. The new launch date was set for the last 9th of October but weather restrictions scrubbed the attempt one more day.

Stargazer © Northrop Grumman Corporation

Last night, the L-1011 took off from Skid Strip at Cape Canaveral, heading towards the Atlantic Ocean and started its climb to 39000 ft. The typical launch circuit pattern was followed and every parameter was nominal for the launch. Unfortunately, when approaching the launch box (a virtual shaped area from which the launch must take place), communications with Stargazer were lost and the launch aborted. The aircraft had to fly one more circuit which took about 30 minutes, and communications were re-established using a new frequency. At its second attempt, everything went fine and the Pegasus XL rocketed away, delivering the payload to its intended orbit (a LEO - Low Earth Orbit).

The ICON mission was the 44th flight of the Pegasus rocket proving the success of the Stargazer/Pegasus XL airborne launch platform.

For the moment there are no new Pegasus XL missions scheduled.

• Northrop Grumman: Northrop Grumman Successfully Launches NASA ICON Satellite

CS-TMP was finally sunk in the Red Sea, near Aqaba

In April of this year, photos of CS-TMP could be seen with the aircraft laying with its wings clipped, near the waters of the Gulf of Aqaba.

CS-TMP © Fábio Conceição

Information was spread that it was intended to sink the airframe to become an artificial reef and to serve as an attraction to scuba divers. Last 26th of August, CS-TMP was finally sunk with its wings and horizontal stabilizers re-attached.

Several websites covered the sinking of the airplane:

• A Lockheed L-1011 TriStar joins Aqaba’s Underwater Military museum

• Aqaba: The Scuttling of a Lockheed L-1011 Tristar Plane

• The Telegraph - Pictures of the Day: 30 August 2019

• Se sumerge avión comercial en desuso en Museo Militar Subacuático de Aqaba

The updated status of ex-Portuguese TriStar fleet is the following:

MSN 1206 euroAtlantic CS-TMX - scrapped at Lisbon (LIS)

MSN 1240 euroAtlantic CS-TEB - stored at Amman (ADJ)

MSN 1241 Luzair CS-TMR - re-registered N91011; stored at Victorville (VCV)

MSN 1248 Luzair CS-TMP - sunk in the Gulf of Aqaba

• Aircraft Fleet: MSN193H-1248

New launch date for ICON mission

Stargazer © NASA/Kim Shiflett

Northrop Grumman announced the following:

Mission Update - September 19, 2019
NASA's Ionospheric Connection Explorer (ICON) satellite will launch aboard our Pegasus rocket on October 9 from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station. Pegasus will be carried aloft by the company's L-1011 Stargazer aircraft. To learn more about the ICON mission, visit NASA's blog here.

• Northrop Grumman: Pegasus Flight #44 (ICON)

New livery for HZ-AHP

L-1011 193S-1190 (ex-Saudia) in permanent display at Royal Saudi Air Force Museum (Riyadh) was repainted in a new livery to promote the 88th Anniversary of the National Day in Saudi Arabia and also to promote the "Saudi Vision 2030" plan.

HZ-AHP © JetPhotos/AirlinerSpotter

ICON launch set for this Wednesday

News from NASA's Kennedy Space Center:

NASA and Northrop Grumman completed their Launch Readiness Review on Tuesday, Nov. 6, at the agency’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida. There are no technical issues being worked at this time. NASA’s Ionospheric Connection Explorer, or ICON, satellite mission is scheduled to launch Wednesday, Nov. 7, by Northrop Grumman’s Pegasus XL rocket, which will be carried aloft by the company’s L-1011 Stargazer aircraft taking off from the Skid Strip at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida.

• Kennedy Space Center: Launch Readiness Completed for ICON

ICON launch delayed once more

New date is yet to be decided.

The L-1011 Stargazer carrying the Pegasus rocket arrived at CCAFS last Friday and will remain in Florida to conduct the testing. The spacecraft remains in good health.

• NASA KSC: ICON Launch Delayed

Another new date for ICON

Launch moved forward to October 26, in Cape Canaveral. L-1011 Stargazer to be used as airborn launch platform.

• Spaceflight Now: Launch Schedule

New date for Pegasus XL • ICON

Launch is now scheduled for October 6, 2018, in Cape Canaveral.

Pegasus XL © Northrop Grumman

• Spaceflight Now: Launch Schedule

ICON mission postponed again

L-1011 Stargazer © NASA/Randy Beaudoin

The launch of ICON satellite, which was supposed to take place last June 14, is now set for late September after Northrop Grumman (the new owner of Orbital ATK) found an issue with the fin actuator of the Pegasus XL rocket. The launch site of the satellite is also set to be relocated from Kwajalein Atoll in the Pacific Ocean to Cape Canaveral in Florida.

• Spaceflight Now: NASA likely to relocate delayed Pegasus launch to Florida

Orbital ATK is the new owner of N91011

When consulting FAA Registry website, Orbital ATK (trade name for ORBITAL SCIENCES CORP) shows up as the new owner of the L-1011 with tail number N91011, a transaction that took place on April 5.

N91011 parked at Victorville

This airframe, an ex-TAP Air Portugal, was previously owned by TriStar Experience, which gave up on it in favor of preserving the ex-Flying Hospital L-1011.

No press release was made about this move on Orbital's website but one can assume N91011 will be used for spare parts to support the operation of the only active L-1011 in the world, the "Stargazer".

• FAA Registry: N-Number Inquiry for N91011

Next Pegasus XL launch

According to Spaceflight Now, the ICON mission is now planned to take place on June 14. The ICON satellite will be launched into orbit using the Pegasus XL rocket released from an airborne platform, the L-1011 Stargazer.

• Spaceflight Now: Launch Schedule

Press release from Tempus AS

It looks like Tempus Applied Solutions has firm intentions to bring back to life the ex-RAF TriStars parked in Bruntinghorpe:

Tempus Applied Solutions Finalizes Acquisition of Ex-Royal Air Force Air-To-Air Refueling Aircraft
Transaction consists of six Lockheed L-1011 aircraft

MARCH 12, 2018
WILLIAMSBURG, Va. | March 12, 2018 – Tempus Applied Solutions (TAS) announced today that the company has finalized the acquisition of six Lockheed L-1011s formerly owned and operated by the Royal Air Force (RAF) of the United Kingdom. Four of these aircraft are specifically configured for air-to-air refueling (AAR) operations and the remaining two are configured for passenger and cargo operations only. The aircraft previously served the RAF and NATO.

Read more on the link down below.

• Tempus AS: Acquisition of Ex-Royal Air Force Air-To-Air Refueling Aircraft

Northrop Grumman-Orbital ATK Merger

Last November, Orbital ATK's stockholders approved the acquisition of their company by Northrop Grumman. The transaction is expected to be completed in the first half of 2018, after regulatory approvals.

Meanwhile, according to Spaceflight Now, the launch of the Pegasus XL rocket carrying the ICON satellite has been postponed to a date yet to be defined, in early 2018:

Launch time: TBD
Launch site: L-1011, Kwajalein, Marshall Islands
An air-launched Orbital ATK Pegasus XL rocket will deploy NASA’s Ionospheric Connection Explorer (ICON) satellite into orbit. ICON will study the ionosphere, a region of Earth’s upper atmosphere where terrestrial weather meets space weather. Disturbances in the ionosphere triggered by solar storms or weather activity in the lower atmosphere can cause disturbances in GPS navigation and radio transmissions. Delayed from June 15, Nov. 14 and Dec. 8. [Nov. 13] 

TriStar500.net takes this opportunity to wish you all a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.

• Orbital ATK: Orbital ATK Stockholders Approve Acquisition by Northrop Grumman Corporation