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.
Chinese news agency Xinhua reported that China’s third human spaceflight mission blasted off Sept. 25 carrying three astronauts who will attempt the country’s first-ever extravehicular activity (EVA). The Shenzhou-7 spacecraft lifted off from Jiuquan Launch Center in northwestern China aboard a Long March 2F rocket at 9:10 p.m. local time, the news agency said. Taikonauts Zhai Zhigang, Liu Boming and Jing Haipeng are slated to orbit the Earth for three days before landing in their re-entry module.
The U.S. House of Representatives approved a waiver to the Iran, North Korea and Syria Nonproliferation Act late Sept. 24 that will allow NASA to continue buying space vehicles and services from Russia for support of the International Space Station after the space shuttle’s scheduled retirement in 2010. The legislation would extend the waiver from Jan. 1, 2012 to July 1, 2016, and was part of a continuing resolution that would fund NASA through March 6, 2009 at fiscal year 2008 levels. It passed by a vote of 370-58.
GROUND SEGMENT: Raytheon says it has completed acceptance testing of the data processing segment at the satellite operations facility for the National Polar-orbiting Operational Environmental Satellite System (NPOESS) three weeks ahead of schedule. The segment, which will deliver NPOESS weather and climate data to users, will first be used on the NPOESS Preparatory Project risk-reduction spacecraft. NPOESS ran billions over budget due to problems with its many sensors, particularly the Raytheon-led Visible Infrared Imager Radiometer Suite.
