Jeff has been involved in aerospace journalism since the mid 1990s. Prior to joining Aviation Week, Jeff served as managing editor of Launchspace magazine and the International Space Industry Report. He has been the editor and chief of Aviation Week's Aerospace Daily & Defense Report since 2007 and has been a regular contributor to Aviation Week magazine. He received his B.A. from the College of William & Mary in Williamsburg, Va.
The Congressional Budget Office (CBO) is raising questions about NASA’s ability to develop its follow-on Ares/Orion human spaceflight systems on time and on budget, given the agency’s recent history and fiscal tribulations. Under its Constellation program, NASA is planning initial operating capability (IOC) for the Ares I rocket and Orion spacecraft in March 2015, and has a 65 percent confidence level of making that target. (See charts pp. 6-8.)
Space Exploration Technologies Corp. (SpaceX) expects to begin commercial flights of its newly announced reusable DragonLab spacecraft in 2010, and is in negotiations with potential customers for room on the vehicle.
DRAGONLAB: Space Exploration Technologies Corp. (SpaceX) announced Nov. 4 that it is developing a new reusable spacecraft called DragonLab, which will accommodate pressurized or unpressurized experiments and be launched on the company’s upcoming Falcon 9 rocket. The spacecraft can provide a platform for on-orbit experiments, according to SpaceX, and will allow for payload recovery. The company plans to hold a DragonLab users workshop Nov. 6 to give potential customers the opportunity to learn more about the system and ask questions.
