In Pictures: Top Aerospace & Defense Stories, Mar. 15 2023

Credit: NASA. NASA and Axiom Space on March 15 unveiled a new, dark-colored spacesuit that features a globe-like, wide-view helmet and orange and blue highlights on the shoulders, arms and legs, as well as a U.S. flag on the left shoulder.

Credit: Space Systems Command. The U.S. Space Force plans to set up an organized reserve of commercial space capabilities to augment military satellites when needed, Chief of Space Operations Gen. Chance Saltzman said on March 15.

Credit: Pratt & Whitney. Now that the U.S. Air Force has made its decision to not re-engine the F-35A fleet and instead go ahead with an upgrade to the existing powerplant, a key lawmaker says Capitol Hill must do its own research ahead of debating its approval of the move.

Credit: U.S. Space Command. Despite commitments by U.S. Space Command to “responsible and sustainable” norms in the space domain, a command official says kinetic methods remain on the table in a wartime scenario. 

Credit: Chen Chuanren. Leonardo has responded to a request for information (RFI) from the Japanese ministry of defense about a replacement for its Kawasaki T-4 trainers. 

Credit: NASA. NASA has selected Houston-based Axiom Space to conduct a third private astronaut mission to the International Space Station (ISS).

Credit: Dassault Aviation. The CEO of European missile manufacturer MBDA says the company’s ramp-up in production of weapons has been hindered by supply chain issues.

Credit: GE Aerospace. Delivery of the first GE Aerospace T901 engines to Bell and Sikorsky for integration into their Future Attack Reconnaissance Aircraft (FARA) prototypes has been delayed until early 2024 due to more manufacturing challenges, the U.S. Army’s head of acquisition says.

Credit: NASA. SpaceX’s 27th NASA-contracted Cargo Dragon resupply mission to the International Space Station (ISS) is on course for docking early March 16 following launch aboard a Falcon 9 from NASA’s Kennedy Space Center.

Credit: Aeroflux. Contactless wear-free aircraft brakes and drone medical delivery are among the first eight proposals selected by a fund established to provide financial support to small- and medium-size companies in Ontario, Canada, to advance the technology readiness of projects that could help reduce the environmental footprint of aerospace.