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 Bush administration and the House of Representatives appear to be headed for a clash over NASA’s fiscal 2009 authorization bill, due largely to the bill’s addition of three space shuttle flights to the baseline flight manifest. The full House passed the authorization (H.R. 6063) by a vote of 409-15 on June 18. The legislation authorizes $20.21 billion for NASA – $2.6 billion above the Bush administration’s request – including $1 billon to accelerate the development of the Orion and Ares vehicles. (See chart p. 7)
NPOESS WOES: Congressional auditors say that the beleaguered U.S. civil/military National Polar-orbiting Operational Environmental Satellite System (NPOESS) could see its price tag rise another $1 billion, to $13.5 billion.
SPACE SUPPORT: A new Gallup poll commissioned by the Coalition for Space Exploration shows that more than 52 percent of those surveyed would support an increase in space exploration funding. NASA’s current budget is less than 1 percent of the federal budget, or roughly 15 cents per day for the average taxpayer. Furthermore, 68 percent of respondents agreed that the benefits of the human exploration of space outweigh the risks. Gallup conducted the poll during April and May.
