Oribital Science Corporation's L-1011

Above, is Orbital Science's L-1011-385-1-15 Tristar 100 on final for Runway 8L. Orbital Science utilizes a modified L-1011 as a mother-ship for the air launched Pegasus rocket. N140SC (c/n 190E-1067) or "Stargazer", is currently on a mission to launch a nuclear spectroscopic telescope array (NuSTAR) into space from the skies above Kwajalein Atoll. It arrived this afternoon from VBG [Vandenburg AFB, Lompoc, CA], along with a Miami Air International 737-800, N738MA, as BSK648.

N140SC is seen above departing for KWA. I was unable to get a photo of N738MA as it departed for KWA before I got to HNL, and it was parked at Castle & Cooke, but a clear photo op was obscured by another Miami Air 737 doing an inmate transfer flight. (BW707)


This Tri-Star was originally delivered to Air Canada as C-FTNJ (f/n 510) in March 1974. During its time with ACA, it did a three week lease stint with Air Lanka, as 4R-TNJ. ACA retired C-FTNJ in October 1990, and stored it at MZJ. Orbital Sciences bought the L-1011-100 in May 1992, and has launched over 40 Pegasus Rockets from its belly pylon.


*** 06.13.12 Update ***
Orbital Sciences launched the Pegasus rocket this morning. NYC Aviation posted the NASA briefing video on their website.