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.
CREWS ASSIGNED: NASA has assigned crews for the STS-127 space shuttle mission and the Expedition 19 International Space Station (ISS) mission. Targeted for 2009, STS-127 will deliver the final components of Japan’s Kibo laboratory to the station. Mark Polansky will command Endeavour, with Marine Corps Lt. Col. Douglas Hurley piloting, along with mission specialists Navy Lt. Cmdr. Christopher Cassidy, Thomas Marshburn, David Wolf and the Canadian Space Agency’s Julie Payette. Expedition 19 will double the size of the ISS crew, expanding it to six people.
In its fiscal 2009 budget request, NASA has reduced its Mars exploration budget approximately $1.1 billion through FY ‘12, as compared to the run-out numbers from the agency’s FY ‘08 request. NASA’s fiscal 2009 request for Mars is $386.5 million, which is down $167 million from the FY ‘08 enacted level, and down $208.3 million from the level projected for FY ‘09 in the FY ‘08 request.
SAN JUAN: General Dynamics has received a $25.4 million firm-fixed-price delivery order for the fiscal 2008 docking selected restricted availability of the USS San Juan (SSN 751) at the Naval Submarine Base, New London, Conn. The contract includes options that could bring its total value to $28.7 million. Work should be completed by May 2008. Naval Sea Systems Command in Washington, D.C., is the contracting activity.
