Nasa’s Dragonfly drone to explore Saturn’s moon Titan
Nasa announced that its Dragonfly mission will explore, sample and examine sites around Titan, Saturn’s largest moon Titan.
A part of the space agency’s New Frontiers programme, Dragonfly will be launched in 2026 and is expected to arrive in 2034.
The rotorcraft lander will explore dozens of locations on Titan to identify prebiotic chemical processes common on both the Moon and Earth.
Nasa completes in-flight test of Orion Abort system
Nasa successfully completed the Ascent Abort-2 (AA-2) flight test of the Orion multi-purpose crew vehicle’s launch abort system.
The test is considered to be another milestone in the company’s preparation for Artemis missions to the Moon, leading to astronaut missions to Mars.
The recent launch brings Nasa closer to lunar and Martian missions.
At an altitude of six miles, the Orion test spacecraft experienced high-stress aerodynamic conditions expected during ascent.
Qatar Airways and GE Aviation sign deals for GEnx and GE9X engines
Qatar Airways and aircraft engine manufacturer GE Aviation signed multiple agreements worth $5bn for GEnx and GE9X engines.
The airline was selected the GEnx engine to power the carrier’s 30 new Boeing 787-9 aircraft, along with a TrueChoice flight hour agreement to cover the maintenance, repair and overhaul (MRO) services of the engines as part of the agreements.
The company also signed a TrueChoice flight hour agreement on its GE9X engine fleet that will power 60 Boeing 777X aircraft.
Atlantic Airways receives first Airbus A320neo
The Faroe Islands’ flag carrier Atlantic Airways delivered its first Airbus A320neo, MSN8918, on lease from Air Lease Corporation.
Powered by CFMI LEAP-1A engines, the aircraft is set up in an all-economy cabin layout.
The addition of Airbus A320 to its fleet will enable Atlantic Airways to further strengthen its European network.
As an Airbus customer since 2008, the airline already operates a fleet of three A320 family aircraft, comprising two A319ceos and one A320ceo.
Korean Air to buy 20 Boeing 787 Dreamliner airplanes for $6.3bn
South Korean airline Korean Air finalised an agreement to buy 20 Boeing 787 Dreamliner aircraft.
Comprising ten 787-10s and ten 787-9s, the deal was announced as part of the Paris Air Show last month and is valued at $6.3bn according to list prices.
Besides an agreement to lease ten additional 787-10 aircraft from Air Lease Corporation, Korean Air will quadruple its Dreamliner fleet due to the demand for the jet’s efficiency and passenger comforts.
ISRO successfully launches Chandrayaan-2 spacecraft
Indian space agency ISRO successfully launched the 3,840kg Chandrayaan-2 spacecraft into an Earth orbit through the MkIII-M1 Geosynchronous Satellite Launch Vehicle (GSLV).
The launch marks the first operational flight of the GSLV Mk III.
The spacecraft is now revolving around Earth with a perigee (nearest point to Earth) of 169.7km and an apogee (farthest point to Earth) of 45,475km, ISRO said.
Following a 20h countdown, the GSLV MkIII-M1 lifted off from the Second Launch Pad at the Satish Dhawan Space Centre SHAR (SDSC SHAR), in Sriharikota, Andhra Pradesh.
Parker Hannifin to acquire Exotic Metals for $1.7bn
Motion and control technologies provider Parker Hannifin signed a definitive agreement to acquire US-based Exotic Metals Forming Company in a $1.725bn cash deal.
The net transaction value is approximately $1.56bn, excluding $170m in tax.
Exotic Metals designs and manufactures high-temperature, high-pressure air and exhaust management solutions for aircraft and engines.
After completion of the transaction, Exotic Metals will operate as a standalone division within Parker’s Aerospace Group.
Honda Aircraft starts construction on wing production facility in US
Honda Aircraft started construction on a new wing production facility for HondaJet Elite at Greensboro, North Carolina, US.
The new facility will allow for more HondaJet Elite wings to be assembled concurrently, resulting in enhanced production efficiency.
The expansion will enable the company to create additional storage for service parts for the increased fleet of HondaJets worldwide.
