Template:POTD/2023-10-04

Picture of the day

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. As of October 2022, 45 rockets (containing nearly 100 satellites) have been launched from it, using the Pegasus-H and Pegasus-XL configurations. As of 2023, Stargazer is the only L-1011 airframe still airworthy. This photograph shows the aircraft in Orbital ATK livery with the Pegasus-XL rocket with eight Cyclone Global Navigation Satellite System spacecraft inside.Photograph credit: Lori Losey