Irene Klotz is Senior Space Editor for Aviation Week, based in Cape Canaveral. Before joining Aviation Week in 2017, Irene spent 25 years as a wire service reporter covering human and robotic spaceflight, commercial space, astronomy, science and technology for Reuters and United Press International. She also worked with Discovery Communications, Discovery News and was a founding member of Space.com.
Irene cut her teeth on the space beat at Florida Today newspaper, a business writer enchanted by the colorful entrepreneurs who wanted access to Air Force launch facilities and assets after commercial payloads were taken off the space shuttles following the 1986 Challenger accident. Commercial space remains the focus of her work, along with a keen interest in the search for life beyond Earth.
A graduate of Northwestern University, Irene is the 2014 recipient of the Harry Kolcum Memorial News and Communications Award, named in honor of the late Aviation Week managing editor and Cape Canaveral senior editor who was among Irene’s earliest mentors.
NASA managers on May 25 said shuttle Atlantis’ heat shield was in good shape for re-entry into the atmosphere, while a checkout of the orbiter’s landing systems showed no problems for the crew’s first landing opportunity at Kennedy Space Center, Fla., scheduled for early May 26.
KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, Fla. – Launch of a Delta 4 rocket carrying the first in a new series of U.S. GPS spacecraft was aborted seconds before liftoff late May 24 from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, Fla., just prior to main engine ignition. The problem was due to “an anomalous data signature” with the thrust vector control system on one of the two solid rocket motors mounted alongside the 206-foot tall rocket, United Launch Alliance (ULA) said in a statement.
Fresh off a stint as chief of staff for NASA Administrator Charlie Bolden, George T. Whitesides is picking up the reins as CEO at Virgin Galactic, the startup space tourism company that is part of Richard Branson’s Virgin Group.
