In Pictures: Top Aerospace & Defense Stories, Jun. 02, 2022

Japan has conducted a helicopter flight powered by sustainable aviation fuel (SAF), a first in the country. An Airbus H215 operated by Nakanihon Air (NNK) flew on June 1 for 30 min. at Nagoya Airport in Aichi Prefecture. The 600 liters of SAF was supplied by Euglena, Japan’s first biofuel manufacturer. Credit: Airbus Helicopters

NASA plans to add five more Crew Dragon missions to SpaceX’s Commercial Crew flight services contract on a sole-source basis, as the agency continues to work with Boeing to certify a second transportation system to ferry astronauts to and from the International Space Station (ISS). SpaceX is in the midst of its fourth mission under its Commercial Crew Transportation Capabilities (CCtCap) contract. Credit: Kim Shiflett/NASA

NASA has lined up some forward-looking research for its next resupply mission to the International Space Station (ISS). It includes an assessment of how the surface soils of the Moon and Mars might be fashioned into concrete-like building materials, and a lengthy study of the mineral composition of the Earth’s dust and how that affects global air quality, weather, climate and vegetation. Credit: NASA

The U.S. Space Force this month will finalize its force design for how it will move the ground moving target indication (GMTI) mission from aircraft to space, with the plan to shape the 2024 budget request. The U.S. Air Force wants to retire its E-8C Joint Stars that currently serve in this role, with much of the capability to come from satellites. Credit: USAF

MiG-29 

Startup propulsion company Ursa Major announced June 2 that it is offering a 200,000 lb. thrust liquid oxygen and methane staged-combustion rocket engine called Arroway. The company expects to sell the engine to companies providing launches to the U.S. national security community, commercial satellite markets, orbital space stations and other future missions. Credit: Ursa Major

Satellite communications (satcom) provider Inmarsat says it will upgrade its Jet ConneX (JX) service for business aviation to vastly increase inflight download speeds. During the EBACE conference in Geneva in late May, Inmarsat unveiled JX Evolution, an upgrade of its existing JX Ka-band service used on 1,150 business aircraft. Initial testing has demonstrated data speeds to the aircraft in excess of 130 Mbps based on five current satellites, the company said. Credit: Inmarsat

Thales and Indonesia state-run defense company PT Len have signed an agreement to acquire 13 GM403 air defense radars for the country’s military. Under the agreement, Thales will assemble the radar and related command and control systems while PT Lens will manufacture selected radar components and construct the radar stations across the archipelago. Credit: Thales

Patriot missile launch

Voters in Denmark have approved a referendum in favor of closer defense cooperation with the European Union. A 66.9% majority of voters were in favor of ending Denmark’s long-standing opt out over EU defense cooperation. The move will now see the country join with the EU’s defense policy and military missions. Credit: EU

A Canadian procurement official on June 2 restated the government’s commitment to finalizing a contract by year’s end to buy 88 F-35As, but an industry executive raised new doubts that the goal could be achieved. A final contract is still expected to be signed by year’s end, with the first aircraft deliveries to follow in 2025, says Filomena Tassi, the minister of Public Services and Procurement Canada, speaking at the CANSEC trade show here. Credit: Lockheed Martin