The European Space Agency (ESA) and Canada Space Agency (CSA) have made an agreement for the transformation of the Swarm constellation into a four-satellite mission.

The conversion will enable the ESA to gather effective information of space weather and natural phenomenon such as the aurora borealis.

The agreement will enable the integration of the e-POP package in CSA’s Cassiope satellite with ESA’s three Swarm satellites. e-POP will be renamed as Echo, after the integration.

The three satellites namely Alpha, Bravo and Charlie were launched in 2013 to gather data on the origin of the Earth’s magnetic field.

The data provided by the constellation will play a crucial role in carrying out research on Earth’s magnetosphere.

“The data provided by the constellation will play a crucial role in carrying out research on Earth’s magnetosphere.”

US-based company Precision Aviation Group (PAG) has awarded a maintenance, repair and operations (MRO) contract to UTC Aerospace Systems (UTAS).

Under the agreement, UTAS will distribute line-replaceable units (LRUs) for the Airbus AS350 and fix technical issues associated with servo actuators at different PAG facilities.

It will also be responsible for the promotion of a fleet improvement programme (FIP), as part of the contract.

Specialist Aviation Services (SAS) has entered a fleet management programme (FMP) agreement with Pratt & Whitney Canada (P&WC) for 24 PW210A engines aboard 12 Leonardo AW169 helicopters.

The 12-year FMP agreement is expected to minimise operational expenses and reduce the complexity involved in fleet management. The FMP will also focus on cash flow management, thereby allowing operators to concentrate on their core business.

An expert team was appointed by P&WC to handle the maintenance of engines and enhance customer experience.

Indian firm Mahindra Aerospace has signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with Viking Air for the enhancement of regional air connectivity in India.

The coalition will enable both the firms to develop regional air transportation solutions in the country, as well as provide customised options to attract potential customers.