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

Stargazer painted with Northrop Grumman titles

Stargazer © Airliners.net/Brad T

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

Aviation News - British Airways TriStars

The current issue of Aviation News (Incorportating JETS) brings to us an interesting overview about the career of the L-1011 TriStar in the fleet of British Airways.

Aviation News - June 2018

The TriStar described in this article as "high, wide and handsome" served the British carrier for almost 20 years.

• Aviation News: June 2018

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