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.
CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. — NASA Administrator Charles Bolden and Commerce Secretary Gary Locke will co-chair a Cabinet-level task force to construct “an economic development action plan” for Florida’s Space Coast, the White House announced May 3.
CAPE CANAVERal, Fla. — The first flight of Space Exploration Technologies’ (SpaceX) Falcon 9 rocket will fall behind the targeted May 14 launch of space shuttle Atlantis on the STS-132 mission. The California-based firm, which holds NASA contracts for Falcon 9 development, demonstration and cargo delivery missions to the International Space Station, had been targeting a “no earlier than” May 8 launch date on Cape Canaveral Air Force Station range schedules.
KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, Fla. — NASA’s Kennedy Space Center launch team and the six-member STS-132 crew have completed a practice countdown for shuttle Atlantis’ targeted May 14 liftoff on what is expected to be the orbiter’s final space mission. The Terminal Countdown Demonstration Test (TCDT) ended at 11:05 a.m. EDT on April 24 — a day later than planned due to delays moving the shuttle from the Vehicle Assembly Building to Launch Pad 39A. Rollout was postponed two days due to weather concerns.
