Number 52 – 04 July 2024

“Every flyer who ventures across oceans to distant lands is a potential explorer; in his or her breast burns the same fire that urged adventurers of old to set forth in their sailing-ships for foreign lands.” Jean Batten

China’s AG600 Kunlong

The AVIC AG600 Kunlong is a large amphibious aircraft designed by AVIC and assembled by CAIGA. Powered by four WJ-6 turboprops, it is one of the largest flying boats with a 53.5 t (118,000 lb) MTOW. After five years of development, assembly started in August 2014, it was rolled out on 23 July 2016 and it made its first flight from Zhuhai Airport on 24 December 2017; it should be certified in 2024, with deliveries starting in 2025.

The AG600 was previously known as the TA-600; it was designated the Dragon 600 before TA-600. After five years of development, CAIGA started to build the aircraft in August 2014, for a first flight targeted at the time for 2015. Assembly was still on its way in October 2015. The prototype was rolled out on 23 July 2016 at the Zhuhai AVIC factory. At the roll-out, AVIC targeted a maiden flight by the end of 2016 and it has then gathered 17 orders, all from the Chinese government including the China Coast Guard, AVIC does not expect to produce it in large numbers. Target markets also include export sales, with island countries such as New Zealand and Malaysia having expressed an interest.

On 24 December 2017, it made its maiden flight from Zhuhai Jinwan Airport. In May 2018, AVIC planned to have Civil Aviation Administration of China type certification completed by 2021 and deliveries starting in 2022. After transfer from Zhuhai to Jingmen, the prototype started low-speed taxiing on the Zhanghe reservoir on 30 August 2018. On 20 October 2018, the prototype AG600 completed its first water take-off and landing at Jingmen’s Zhanghe Reservoir and on 26 July 2020, the AG600 completed its first test flight from the ocean, after taking off from Qingdao.

Being a dedicated firefighting model the AG600M, successfully completed scooping and dropping water tests in September 2022. Further variants may be developed for maritime surveillance, resource detection, passenger and cargo transport. It is one of the three big plane projects approved by the State Council of China, with the Xi’an Y-20 military transport and the Comac C919 airliner.

The AG600 amphibious aircraft has a single body flying boat fuselage, cantilevered high wings, four WJ-6 turboprops and tricycle retractable landing gear. It can operate from 1,500 by 200 m (4,920 by 660 ft) stretches of water 2.5 m (8.2 ft) deep and should be able to conduct Sea State 3 operations with 2 m (6.6 ft) waves. It was developed for aerial firefighting, collecting 12 tons (26,000 lb) of water in 20 seconds and transporting up to 370 tons (820,000 lb) of water on a single tank of fuel (31 rotations), and search and rescue, retrieving up to 50 people at sea.

Assembled by CAIGA, it is 39.6 m (129.9 ft) long and has a 38.8 m (127.3 ft) wingspan, its MTOW is 53.5 t (118,000 lb) from paved runways or 48.8 tones (108,000 lb) from choppy sea. AVIC claims it is the largest amphibious aircraft. It is heavier than the 41-ton (90,000 lb) MTOW Beriev Be-200 or the 47.7-ton (105,000 lb) ShinMaywa US-2, but lighter than the prototype-only 86-ton (190,000 lb) Beriev A-40. Previous seaplanes were heavier, like the 75-ton (165,000 lb) Martin JRM Mars or the prototypes 100 t (220,000 lb) Blohm & Voss BV 238, 156-ton (345,000 lb) Saunders-Roe Princess or 180-ton (400,000 lb) Hughes H-4 Hercules.

It could access remote atolls in the South China Sea’s Spratly Islands, claimed by several bordering nations, as the South China Sea is subjected to territorial disputes. In four hours, it can fly from the southern city of Sanya to James Shoal, the southernmost edge of China’s territorial claims.

Those persons who correctly identified this week’s mystery aircraft:

Wouter van der Waal, Steve Dewsbery, Andre Visser, Righardt du Plessis, Ari Levien, Karl Jensen, Thomas Tonking, Brian Millett, Willie Oosthuizen, Dirk de Klerk, Bruce Margolus, Rennie van Zyl, Michael Schoeman, Colin Austen, Richard Willemse, Bruce Prescott, Jan Sime, Clint Futter, John McCall, Simon Tladi, Piet Steyn, Barry Eatwell, Charlie Hugo, Ahmed Bassa, Danie Viljoen, Pierre Brittz, Selwyn Kimber, Sergio Antao, Mike Transki, John Moen, Johan Venter, Magiel Esterhuisen, Dave Lloyd, (33 correct answers).

AERO South Africa 2024 is underway at Wonderboom National Airport

AERO South Africa opened its fourth General Aviation exhibition on Wednesday at Wonderboom and I was seriously impressed by the size of this exhibition this year with more than 70 exhibitors who were all most enthusiastic about this import aviation fixture on the south African aviation calendar. The opening speeches by AERO management, City of Tshwane councillors and the keynote speaker Rodger Foster were all encouraging in that they all looked forwards to this year’s exhibition as well as the future of AERO South Africa exhibitions at this great venue. 

Throughout the first day Björn and I interviewed and spoke to many of the exhibitors and every person that we interviewed was upbeat about the planning, layout and the quality of the exhibition attendees on the first day. Several of the exhibitors’ were most excited about their interaction with attendees. On behalf of African Pilot, I can also reflect this sentiment. Apart from the many attendees, the fact that we can engage with so many aviation businesses in one place at the same time over a three-day period is an incredible bonus. I wish to thank everyone involved in AERO South Africa and especially show director Louise Olckers, who has been amazing with her devotion towards civil aviation and the results of this growing annual exhibition are to be taken seriously not only to all those businesses involved this year but also to look at the opportunity for future years. The full report with a video and many pictures will be published within the August edition of African Pilot , which is the finest African aviation magazine as well as the fourth best English language aviation magazine in the entire world.

Twenty ninth amendment of the civil aviation regulations 2024

SACAA Amendment SA-CATS 2 of 2024

Department of Transport 28 June 2024

3 to 5 July
AERO South Africa at Wonderboom National Airport
Website: www.aerosouthafrica.com

6 July
Elders Flight at Air Force Mobile Deployment Wing (Zwartkops)
Contact Felix Gosher E-mail: felixgosher@gmail.com Cell: 066 191 4603

6 July
Tedderfield Airpark and Sling Winter Warmers fly-in Tedderfield airfield
Contact Alan Stewart Cell: 083 702 3680

Malibu crash kills five family members

On Sunday five members of a Georgia family, including two children, died in the crash of their Piper PA-46 Malibu in upstate New York. The aircraft was headed from Oneonta, New York to Atlanta with a fuel stop in West Virginia when it went down in a rural area in Delaware County just after 14h00. The Aviation Safety Network said an in-flight breakup preceded the crash. The five victims were identified as Roger Beggs (76), Laura VanEpps (43), Ryan VanEpps (42), James R. VanEpps (12) and Harrison VanEpps(10). They were all attending a baseball tournament in Cooperstown, New York. The NTSB is on the scene and some wreckage has been located. Weather reports in the area showed winds variable with gusts to 25 knots with no rain and temperatures near 80 degrees.

27 arrested over suspected protest plans at airports

A total of 27 people have been arrested in a coordinated operation over suspected plans to disrupt airports this summer. All of the individuals were arrested under a section of the Public Order Act, which makes it illegal to conspire to disrupt national infrastructure. Among the arrested were high-profile members of the Just Stop Oil group, which recently had two protestors break into the Stansted Airport and spray paint jets.

The Metropolitan Police confirmed Friday that 27 people have been held as part of activity in London, Gloucestershire, Oxfordshire, Devon, Essex, Manchester, Surrey, Sussex, Norfolk and West Yorkshire. On Tuesday there were four arrested after being identified at the Gatwick Airport and have since been released on bail. On Thursday evening, six people were arrested at an east London community center as part of a publicly advertised event promoting airport disruption. Among those arrested were several notable Just Stop Oil members who police believe are key organisers. Friday morning Met officers worked with more than eight other police forces to arrest suspects at homes across the country, with a total of 17 people arrested.

“We know Just Stop Oil is planning to disrupt airports across the country this summer which is why we have taken swift and robust action now,” Chief Supt Ian Howells said. “Our stance is very clear that anyone who compromises the safety and security of airports in London can expect a strong response from officers or security staff. Airports are complex operating environments which is why we are working closely with them, agencies and other partners on this operation.”

Those who have been released on bail are subject to conditions including no travel within 1km (0.62 miles) of any UK airport unless passing through by vehicle or public transport. The notice said that in the future, if anyone is suspected of breaching this condition they will immediately be arrested for the offense. Just Stop Oil issued a response the same day, claiming that the British state acted unlawfully in detaining ‘at least 27 ordinary people sharing food at a community event and at their homes.’ The group said their only crime was being a Just Stop Oil supporter. ‘Being a Just Stop Oil supporter is now enough to make you a suspect,’ Just Stop Oil said. ‘Believing that no government has the right to tyrannize the entire world by encouraging the extraction and burning of fossil fuels, marks you out as a dangerous radical.’

The group said it would not be intimated by recent events. Just Stop Oil is demanding the government stop extracting and burning oil, gas and coal by 2030 and support and finance other countries to make a fast, fair and just transition. The group is also demanding that the government sign the Fossil Fuel Treaty to ‘end the war on humanity before we lose everything.’

US Air Force General court martialled for ‘assuming control’ of a C-17 too soon after drinking

A court martial has fined Air Force Maj. Gen. Phillip Stewart $60,000 and confined him to Joint Base San Antonio-Randolph, Texas for six months after he flew a C-17 in low level manoeuvres following a night of drinking. In the first court martial of its kind, a jury of eight generals, all of whom outranked Stewart, found him guilty of conduct unbecoming an officer and dereliction of duty by ‘assuming control’ of the transport plane at Altus Air Force Base in Oklahoma during a trip in April of 2023. Earlier he admitted to adultery and having an inappropriate relationship with a subordinate officer and was found not guilty of sexual assault involving that officer. The charges resulted from that evening and from an earlier encounter in which he invited a female subordinate to spend the night with him at a hotel in Denver on another work trip. Stewart, who commanded the 19th Air Force at the time, was relieved of that command a few days after the Oklahoma evening. The 19th Air Force is in charge of training.

Boeing to acquire Spirit AeroSystems in an all-stock transaction

Boeing has entered into a definitive agreement to acquire Spirit AeroSystems. The merger is an all-stock transaction valued at approximately US$4.7 billion, or US$37.25 per share. Including Spirit’s last reported net debt, the total transaction value is approximately US$8.3 billion. Each share of Spirit common stock will be exchanged for a number of shares of Boeing common stock equal to an exchange ratio between 0.18 and 0.25, calculated as US$37.25 divided by the volume-weighted average share price of Boeing shares over the 15-trading-day period ending on the second trading day prior to the closing (subject to a floor of US$149.00 per share and a ceiling of US$206.94 per share). Spirit shareholders will receive 0.25 Boeing shares for each of their Spirit shares if the volume-weighted average price is at or below US$149.00, and 0.18 Boeing shares for each of their Spirit shares if the volume-weighted average price is at or above US$206.94.

Boeing’s acquisition of Spirit will include substantially all Boeing-related commercial operations, as well as additional commercial, defence and aftermarket operations. As part of the transaction, Boeing will work with Spirit to ensure the continuity of operations supporting Spirit’s customers and programmes it acquires, including working with the US Department of Defence and Spirit defence customers regarding defence and security missions.

Furthermore, Airbus has entered into a binding term sheet agreement with Spirit AeroSystems in relation to a potential acquisition of major activities related to Airbus, notably the production of A350 fuselage sections in Kinston, North Carolina, US and St. Nazaire, France; of the A220’s wings and mid-fuselage in Belfast, Northern Ireland and Casablanca, Morocco; as well as of the A220 pylons in Wichita, Kansas, US. With this agreement, Airbus aims to ensure stability of supply for its commercial aircraft programmes through a more sustainable way forward, both operationally and financially, for the various Airbus work packages that Spirit AeroSystems is responsible for today. The transaction would cover the acquisition of these activities. Airbus will be compensated by payment of US$559 million from Spirit AeroSystems, for a nominal consideration of US$1.00, subject to adjustments including based on the final transaction perimeter.

Entering into definitive agreements remains subject to an ensuing due diligence process. Whilst there is no guarantee that a transaction will be concluded, all parties are willing and interested to work in good faith to progress and complete this process as timely as possible. The transaction is expected to close mid-2025 and is subject to the sale of the Spirit operations related to certain Airbus commercial work packages and the satisfaction of customary closing conditions, including regulatory and Spirit shareholder approvals. PJT Partners is acting as lead financial advisor to Boeing, with Goldman Sachs & Co, LLC and Consello acting as additional advisors. Sullivan & Cromwell LLP is acting as outside counsel to Boeing.

Airbus paid to take Irish factory as part of Boeing-Spirit deal

Airbus is being paid $559 million to take over an Irish aircraft parts factory as a result of the Boeing’s acquisition of Spirit Aerosystems. On Monday Boeing announced it had bought Spirit and the main part of the deal was the Wichita plant it sold to Spirit 20 years ago. The $4.7 billion deal is part of Boeing’s effort to tighten quality control after a series of tragic and embarrassing accidents and mishaps. The Monday deal will give Boeing control of the Kansas facility that builds the fuselages for the 737 MAX series. It was in that plant where the chain of events began that led to the loss of a door plug in an Alaska Airlines MAX 9 last January in Oregon. But to get control of the Wichita operation, Boeing had to ensure Spirit’s other major customer Airbus would continue to get the parts it needs.

The former Spirit facilities in Belfast (originally the Shorts Aircraft plant) build major components for Airbus’s A350 and A220 aircraft and obviously could not continue to do so with Boeing at the helm. So, Boeing agreed to take a symbolic $1 payment from Airbus for the facilities used to make Airbus parts. Then Spirit used $559 million of the money it got from Boeing to compensate Airbus for having to take over building parts for its own airplanes.

It is even more complicated than this. Spirit also makes parts for Bombardier business jets and Boeing will be assuming that business. In fact, only about 40 percent of the work in Belfast goes to Airbus components. How the rest of it is managed or carved up is a major concern for Northern Ireland business and union leaders. Bombardier used to own the Belfast plant but sold it to Spirit as part of a massive asset liquidation in 2020. The plant is Northern Ireland’s biggest manufacturing concern with about 3,500 skilled workers.

Former VP and employee sentenced for aircraft parts fraud

In May the US District Court for the Southern District of Florida sentenced a former Vice President and employee for aircraft parts fraud. The former VP of aviation parts distribution company Sofly Aviation Services, Daniel Navarro (50) was sentenced to 30 months of incarceration, 36 months of supervised release and a $100 special assessment. A procurement and asset management specialist for Sofly, Jorge Guerrero (71) was sentenced to 12 months and one day of incarceration, 36 months of supervised release and a $100 special assessment. Navarro and Guerrero were ordered to pay no less than $204,055 in joint and several restitution and a $93,309.22 forfeiture order was placed on Navarro’s property. The pair have been sentenced to federal prison after previously pleading guilty to one count of conspiracy to defraud the US.

Court documents revealed that beginning in 2012 and continuing into 2019, Navarro and Guerrero bought ‘as removed’ aircraft parts and resold them using certificates falsely claiming the parts were airworthy under FAA and EASA regulations. The fraudulent approval tags misled buyers into believing the parts were airworthy. Navarro and Guerrero would often use an FAA-approved repair station’s FAA certificate number to falsely certify that the part was overhauled, tested / inspected or repaired by that station, despite the fact they never were. Court documents revealed that those parts were sold to Canadian Airlines and a US Department of Defence contractor. Navarro and Guerrero both pled guilty to one count of conspiracy to defraud the US on 6 March.

“The prosecutors in our office, alongside our Department of Defence and Department of Transportation partners, are committed to protecting foreign and domestic airlines from people peddling aircraft parts that they falsely and dangerously claim to be airworthy,” US Attorney Markenzy Lapointe for the Southern District of Florida said. “Everyone must comply with established regulations to protect travellers and preserve aviation safety.”

Aircraft parts fraud is a serious crime. Selling parts without proper certification can be a safety risk. Without knowing where a part came from or its maintenance history, there is no way of knowing if the part is airworthy. Regulatory agencies like the FAA and EASA are stringent in the certification and regular maintenance and checks with aircraft and aircraft parts. Defrauding companies places unsafe parts into the supply chain and can potentially endanger lives.

“The guilty pleas in this investigation should send a clear signal that nefarious schemes that comprise the integrity of the aviation industry’s supply chain for commercial and military aircraft will not be tolerated,” said Joseph Harris, Special Agent-in-Charge, US Department of Transportation Office of Inspector General (DOT OIG), Southern Region. “We will continue working with our federal, law enforcement and prosecutorial partners to disrupt fraudulent activities that adversely impact aviation safety.”

The FAA issued a Safety Alert for Operators on 12 September warning the public about suspected unapproved Bell 206B parts, which were actually from a foreign aircraft of unknown origin. The violator bought the wreckage of the copter from a salvage company and transferred the data plate, airworthiness certificate and registration number onto a different helicopter and began selling off parts. The FAA’s South Florida Flight Standards District Office received a hotline complaint alleging that the individual had brought the foreign-registered Bell 206B to Miami, Florida before 2017. The South Florida FSDO received information that the individual was selling off life-limited parts from the helicopter, which are any part requiring mandatory replacement limits.

Individuals and companies that commit aircraft parts fraud are penalised when caught. In 2020, a UK citizen was sentenced after pleading guilty to attempted aircraft parts fraud after he admitted to buying a damaged helicopter and swapping the fuselage and data plate with another wrecked helicopter to conceal the true history of damage and repairs and avoid costly repairs. In another case, in 2013, a judge determined that one man had bought a Bell 206B without a data plate and used it for parts. He then bought another helicopter without an engine and several components and swapped pieces on the two helicopters, even painting an N number belonging to one on the other.

Pioneering startup Universal Hydrogen shuts down after running out of funds

Hydrogen aerospace startup Universal Hydrogen has announced that it is closing down after running out of funds. Founded by former Airbus CTO Paul Eremenko, Universal Hydrogen was one of the most prominent firms working on the development of hydrogen propulsion for aircraft and raised US$100 million in venture capital funding. Universal Hydrogen was working on a system to retrofit existing turboprop fleets with hydrogen fuel cells. The uniqueness of the startup’s proposition was in its approach to hydrogen refuelling and logistics.

Its technology, which has often been compared to ‘Nespresso capsules’, addressed the lack of on the ground hydrogen supply infrastructure at most airports. This was done by fuelling the aircraft with standardised pods pre-filled with hydrogen that could be swapped between flights when the aircraft was on the ground. Because of their standard, containerised design, the pods could be transported by land from a source of green hydrogen to whichever airport they were needed at. Each cycle, a truck would deliver a full pod and take back an empty one for refill.

In March 2023, Universal Hydrogen completed its first test flight, which involved the largest hydrogen-powered aircraft to date, a modified De Havilland Canada Dash 8-300.  Besides its testing facility in Moses Lake, Washington, where its flight test campaign was being conducted, Universal Hydrogen had also opened a research center in Toulouse, France, where it cooperated with ATR to retrofit a larger ATR-72 turboprop with its fuel cell system. The winding down of Universal Hydrogen represents an important setback for a nascent hydrogen ecosystem, which, despite the support of industry giants like Airbus, still faces considerable challenges in its quest to develop a viable zero alternative to current technologies.

Starliner astronauts prepare for extended ISS stay

Astronauts Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams, the two-person crew of NASA and Boeing’s Starliner crew flight test (CFT) will remain on the International Space Station (ISS) for at least a few more weeks. During a media briefing on Friday, NASA and Boeing representatives said the astronauts’ return to Earth will come after ground testing at the White Sands Test Facility in New Mexico is complete. Teams are working to re-create some of the issues experienced by the reusable spacecraft during its inaugural crewed flight to the orbital laboratory.

According to Steve Stich, manager of NASA’s Commercial Crew programme, Starliner was originally deemed safe for a stay as long as 45 days on the ISS. Crews are in the process of extending its battery life, which Stich said will keep the risk level manageable for at least another 45 days. However, he conceded that NASA and Boeing ‘understand it is going to take a little bit longer’ to certify Starliner than previously planned. The spacecraft is scheduled to fly its first service mission, Starliner-1, early next year. Officials said SpaceX’s Crew Dragon, which has completed all eight commercial crew rotation missions to the ISS to date, could take this slot. “We are not in any rush to come home,” Stich said Friday. “The risk for the next 45 days is essentially the same as for the first 45 days.” Added Ken Bowersox, associate administrator of NASA’s Space Operations Mission Directorate: “We have the luxury of time.”

Stich, Bowersox and Mark Nappi, the manager of Boeing’s commercial crew programme, reiterated that “engineering data suggests” Starliner is safe to return Wilmore and Williams to Earth in the event of an emergency. Officials also reported that the spacecraft is in ‘good shape’ despite two lingering issues, a set of helium leaks and faulty thrusters. A total of five helium leaks have sprung up on Starliner’s service module, which makes tiny manoeuvres to the spacecraft to assist in docking and keep it in orbit. After testing the helium manifolds earlier this month, NASA found that leak rates had declined. On Friday Stich said those rates have not changed.

The other issue involves the service module’s thrusters, some of which did not fire at full strength en route to the ISS. These were also assessed earlier this month and Stich said performance on all thrusters is between 80 and 100 percent. It appears the thrusters are the main factor necessitating a longer mission for Starliner. As soon as Tuesday, engineers will begin testing an identical component at White Sands to re-create the firing pattern of one of the in-orbit thrusters. Officials said the campaign is expected to last several weeks and could be extended.

According to Nappi, teams want to keep Starliner in space for the evaluations because they could inform additional in-orbit tests or a modification of the spacecraft’s undocking procedure. He said crews do not yet understand the issue well enough to fix them permanently and that it would be ‘irresponsible’ not to use additional time to conduct testing. Starliner’s crew module is reusable for up to 10 missions, but the service module will be jettisoned during the CFT. Nappi said he has been in contact with Wilmore and Williams and that they remain in good spirits, describing Starliner as ‘pristine and precise.’ The astronauts are able to communicate with their families daily and according to officials are not ‘stranded.’

On Wednesday, Starliner got another real-life test when an in-orbit satellite breakup created a debris field that hurtled toward the ISS. Wilmore and Williams tested the spacecraft’s ability to act as a ‘safe haven’ in the case of a contingency on the space station, getting inside, powering it up and sealing the hatch. They remained inside for an hour and according to officials were prepared to initiate an undocking if necessary.

US Space Force working with SpaceX to closely watch falling Starlinks

The Space Force now is collaborating directly with SpaceX to closely monitor the company’s thousands of Starlink satellites as they lower their orbits and subsequently re-enter the Earth’s atmosphere at the end of their lives, hopefully burning up, rather than raining bits and pieces down into the ocean or the ground or somebody’s house. The announcement was accompanied by a fact sheet explaining what the service called a ‘proactive’ and ‘collaborative’ effort to keep tabs on Starlink re-entries as SpaceX begins to de-orbit some 100 early variants.

“Re-entry information for each satellite will be available on Space-Track.org, a public USSPACECOM website. S4S will continue to monitor and track artificial objects in space for spaceflight safety and the safety of the domain. Further details on the SpaceX Starlink satellites and the deorbiting operations can be obtained directly from SpaceX,” the announcement added.

While SPACECOM routinely tracks satellites on their re-entry trajectories via the Space Surveillance Network or telescopes and radar, a Space Force spokesperson said the goal of the fact sheet is to better inform the public as the Starlinks start to come down over the next six months. “We are routinely tracking all re-entries, but there has been an increase in re-entries as SpaceX deliberately de-orbits several of their Starlink satellites. We want to make sure that people understand why there is an increase and how collaboration with space system operators helps our team manage multiple re-entries and improve our processes,” the spokesperson said. “It is really raining Starlinks right now,” Jonathan McDowell, an astronomer and astrophysicist at the Harvard–Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics, said.

As of May 2024, SpaceX had 6,078 Starlink satellites in low Earth orbit (LEO) and 6,006 were still working, according to a 30 May report on Space.com. The Starlinks are engineered with a short lifetime of some three to five years; upon their decommissioning, SpaceX generally uses the satellites on-board propulsion systems to lower them down from their operational station at about 550 kilometres in altitude and kick start the natural re-entry process via atmospheric drag.

The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), which regulates space launch and re-entry safety in the United States, in September issued a report to Congress explaining that the rise of mega-constellations in LEO “poses an increased risk to people on Earth and aviation due to re-entering debris.” The FAA report singled out SpaceX as a key contributor to that risk, stating that “more than 85 percent of the expected risk to people on the ground and aviation from re-entering debris in 2035.”

According to a 9 October 2023 report in Space News, unsurprisingly SpaceX pushed back at the FAA report, calling it a ‘deeply flawed analysis’ in an October letter to the agency and Congress. McDowell, who is keeping track of Starlink re-entries and posting them in a ‘precipitation report’ on X, said that up to now there have been no reported incidents of Starlink debris making it intact through its fiery descent to Earth. However, according to Moriba Jah, an Astro dynamist and cofounder of Privateer Space, SpaceX and NASA are both reconsidering the accuracy of the models they have used up to now to predict the likelihood that  spacecraft re-entry will result in junk hitting the ground, in part due to an uptick in SpaceX debris doing just this.

“NASA and SpaceX are re-evaluating the models about things that re-enter the atmosphere, human-made satellites and their survival rates to the Earth’s surface because more and more people are finding SpaceX parts on their front lawns,” he said in a 27 June video posted on X (formerly Twitter).

The most recent impact incidents from debris attributed to SpaceX in May when two large chunks of space junk were found in North Carolina were not caused bits of Starlink satellites, rather pieces of the company’s Dragon spacecraft that has carried kit and crew to the International Space Station for NASA.

Eve Air Mobility secures US$94 million in new equity financing

The funding, which involves the issuance of new shares of common stock and warrants, includes participation from a diverse group of global industrial companies such as Embraer, Nidec and other financial investors. This new funding strongly positions the company for future success and will support the continued development and manufacturing of its electric vertical take-off and landing (eVTOL) aircraft.

“We appreciate the confidence that these investors are placing in Eve. The new equity, along with existing cash and credit lines, ensures Eve is well positioned as we continue to build momentum and advance in the development and manufacturing of our eVTOL,” said Eduardo Couto, Chief Financial Officer at Eve Air Mobility. “With the industry’s largest pre-order book, featuring letters of intent for 2,900 aircraft and strong programme development partners, Eve has continued to demonstrate the opportunity that our company presents for both strategic and financial investors.”

The company entered into agreements, dated 28 June 2024, for the issuance and sale of 23,500,000 new shares of common stock at a purchase price of US$4.00 per share, the exchange of certain warrants for shares of common stock and the granting of warrants to certain investors. The private placement is expected to result in gross proceeds to Eve of US$94 million, before deducting other offering expenses. The equity funding is expected to close over the coming weeks, subject to the satisfaction of customary closing conditions. Additional details regarding the equity funding are included in a Form 8-K filed by Eve with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).

Russia threatens NATO with ‘response’ to drone flights over Black Sea

Russia’s Defence Minister Andrey Belousov has instructed officials to prepare an immediate ‘response’ to the increased US drone flights over the Black Sea. The ministry announced the decision on 28 June 2024, signalling a potential escalation as Moscow warned it may take forceful actions to deter US and other NATO reconnaissance aircraft.  According to the ministry, these surveillance drones, mainly flying out of the Sigonella Naval Air Station in Sicily, are conducting intelligence and targeting operations to assist Ukraine with precision weapons supplied by Western countries aimed at Russian facilities. “This indicates a heightened involvement of the US and other NATO countries in the Ukrainian conflict on the side of the Kyiv regime,” the ministry stated. 

Citing military sources, Russian daily Izvestia reported that on 24 June 2024, a Global Hawk was near Crimea during a Ukrainian missile strike on Sevastopol, allegedly carried out with ATACMS missiles supplied by Washington to Kyiv.  According to local governor Mikhail Razvojaev, the missile attack left three people dead and at least 100 injured in Sevastopol, Sevastopol, a major naval port and the location of the Russian Black Sea Fleet headquarters, is frequently the focus of Ukrainian attacks. The ministry further warned that such drone flights increase the risk of incidents involving Russian military aircraft, potentially leading to direct confrontations between NATO and Russia. “NATO members will bear responsibility for that.” the ministry concluded. On 14 March 2023, two Russian Su-27 Flankers intercepted a USAF MQ-9 Reaper drone over the Black Sea. One of the fighters collided with the drone, that eventually crashed into international waters.

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