Key Points:
• Avia Solutions Group is nearing completion of one of the world’s first Boeing 777-300ER passenger-to-freighter conversions, addressing a projected long-term global widebody freighter capacity shortage.
• NASA has selected three new science instruments for its Artemis Lunar Terrain Vehicle (LTV) and a future orbital mission, designed to significantly enhance lunar surface and subsurface exploration.
• Ukraine is deploying a new “Clear Sky” interceptor drone system to defend Kyiv against a surge in Russian aerial attacks, having claimed to intercept nearly 550 drones in testing.
Summary:
This news brief highlights critical advancements and ongoing challenges across the aerospace and geopolitical landscapes. In the aviation sector, Avia Solutions Group is making strides in passenger-to-freighter conversions of Boeing 777-300ER aircraft, a timely development given the anticipated global shortage of widebody freighter capacity projected to extend into the 2040s.
Concurrently, NASA is pushing the boundaries of space exploration by selecting advanced science instruments for its Artemis Lunar Terrain Vehicle, aiming to deepen understanding of the Moon’s resources and history. On the global stage, Ukraine is bolstering its defenses with a new, domestically developed interceptor drone system as it faces intensified Russian drone and missile attacks.
Avia Solutions Group Pioneers Boeing 777-300ER Passenger-to-Freighter Conversion
AviaAM Leasing, an Avia Solutions Group company, is in the final stages of completing one of the world’s first Boeing 777-300ER passenger-to-freighter (P2F) conversions. This project, carried out in collaboration with US-based Mammoth Freighters LLC, is expected to be finished by the end of this year. This endeavor is a direct response to Boeing’s projection that air cargo operators will need more than 2,600 freighters over the next two decades to keep pace with increasing global freight traffic.
Jonas Janukėnas, CEO of Avia Solutions Group, stated that this conversion of a popular passenger aircraft is a “historic achievement” for AviaAM Leasing. Brian McCarthy, Vice President of Sales and Marketing at Mammoth Freighters LLC, highlighted that the converted Boeing 777-300ERMF will be one of the most fuel-efficient long-range freighters available, boasting an impressive payload capacity of up to 98 tonnes and a range of over 5000 nautical miles. It will also offer a substantial volume of 819 cubic meters of cargo.
Tadas Goberis, CEO of AviaAM Leasing, emphasized the project’s significance as the “world’s first aircraft of this type – a prototype”. The company plans to convert several additional aircraft of this model, aiming to strengthen its position in the cargo aircraft leasing sector and enable logistics companies to expand their capacity.
AviaAM Leasing has a significant track record, having completed over 150 aircraft transactions and more than 50 aircraft conversion and refurbishment projects. This development comes as the global aviation industry anticipates a severe shortage of widebody freighter capacity extending well into the 2040s, exacerbated by older aircraft retirements and a projected “calendar year with zero new freighters” entering the market due to production timelines for next-generation models.
Source: AviaAM Leasing
NASA Selects Instruments for Artemis Lunar Terrain Vehicle
NASA announced on July 10, 2025, the selection of three instruments to travel to the Moon, with two specifically designed for integration onto a Lunar Terrain Vehicle (LTV) and one for a future orbital mission. The LTV, part of NASA’s Artemis campaign, is notable as the first crew-driven vehicle to operate on the Moon in more than 50 years. It is designed to accommodate up to two astronauts or operate remotely, expanding the scope of science and exploration across lunar terrain.
Nicky Fox, associate administrator for the Science Mission Directorate at NASA Headquarters, underscored that these instruments will facilitate discoveries benefiting understanding of the Moon and the health and safety of astronauts. The two instruments chosen for the LTV are:
Artemis Infrared Reflectance and Emission Spectrometer (AIRES):
This instrument will identify, quantify, and map lunar minerals and volatiles (easily evaporating materials like water, ammonia, or carbon dioxide). It will capture spectral data overlaid on visible light images to reveal the distribution of these materials, particularly in the Moon’s south polar region. The AIRES team is led by Phil Christensen from Arizona State University.
Lunar Microwave Active-Passive Spectrometer (L-MAPS):
This suite combines a spectrometer and ground-penetrating radar to define what lies below the Moon’s surface and search for ice locations. It will measure temperature, density, and subsurface structures to depths exceeding 131 feet (40 meters). Matthew Siegler from the University of Hawaii at Manoa leads the L-MAPS team.
Mapping a Future Lunar Economy
When combined, data from AIRES and L-MAPS will provide a comprehensive picture of the lunar surface and subsurface components, aiding human exploration and offering clues about the history of rocky worlds in our solar system. They will also help characterize lunar resources, including potential ice locations and how the Moon changes over time.
Additionally, NASA selected the Ultra-Compact Imaging Spectrometer for the Moon (UCIS-Moon) for a future orbital flight. This instrument will provide regional context for LTV discoveries, mapping lunar geology and volatiles from orbit and measuring the effects of human activity on these volatiles. UCIS-Moon, led by Abigail Fraeman from NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory, will also help identify scientifically valuable areas for sample collection and provide the highest spatial resolution data of surface lunar water, mineral makeup, and thermophysical properties.
These instrument selections follow preliminary design reviews completed with the three LTV vendors: Intuitive Machines, Lunar Outpost, and Venturi Astrolab. NASA expects to select a vendor for the demonstration mission by the end of 2025. The Artemis missions are designed to address high-priority science questions, supporting scientific discovery, economic benefits, and establishing a foundation for future crewed missions to Mars.
Source: NASA Newsroom
Ukraine Deploys Interceptor Drones to Defend Kyiv Amid Surge in Russian Attacks
Ukraine is implementing a new interceptor drone system, known as the “Clear Sky” project, to defend Kyiv against escalating Russian aerial strikes. This initiative comes as Russia has intensified its drone attacks across Ukraine in recent weeks. Facing delays and shortages in Western arms deliveries, particularly air defense systems, Ukraine is increasingly relying on homegrown, low-cost interceptor drones as an alternative.
Tymur Tkachenko, head of the Kyiv City Military Administration, announced the deployment on July 11, 2025. The “Clear Sky” project includes establishing a training center for drone operators and forming additional mobile units to patrol Kyiv and its outskirts. The Ukrainian government has allocated Hr 260 million ($6.2 million) for this initiative and is also seeking extra-budgetary funds.
During several months of testing Ukrainian officials claim the “Clear Sky” system has intercepted nearly 550 Russian Geran drones, referred to as Shahed-type drones by Ukrainians, over Kyiv Oblast. Tkachenko emphasized the life-saving impact of these interceptions, noting they protect lives, infrastructure, hospitals, schools, and energy facilities. This deployment is a direct response to Russia’s ramped-up air campaign featuring increasing drone attacks throughout late spring and early summer 2025, which has included record-breaking mass strikes.
Recent significant attacks include a July 10 strike on Kyiv that killed two people and injured 28, and a massive attack the night before that used 728 drones and seven cruise and six ballistic missiles. These actions highlight Russia’s increasing manufacturing capacity for Geran drones and Ukraine’s challenges in mounting cost-effective defenses amidst ongoing conflict.
Source: Kyiv Independent
