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.
Before the year is out, NASA's Orion team expects to finally answer the longstanding question of whether the capsule will be recovered on land or from the water when it returns crews to Earth. One of the key design trades involved is whether or not it's worth it for Orion to carry the 1,500-pound airbag system that would be required for touching down on land, according to Constellation Program Manager Jeff Hanley.
The U.S. Army has decided to halt the xBot ground robot program while it reassesses the ability of winning contractor Robotic FX to fulfill its responsibilities.
The NTSB is shining a spotlight on unmanned aircraft following its investigation of last year’s Predator crash in Arizona, and is calling for the FAA and Homeland Security Dept. to improve pilot training and procedures as they gear up to expand surveillance flights over U.S. borders. The NTSB’s investigation of the April 2006 crash of a Predator B near Nogales, Ariz., while flying a mission for U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) was the board’s first review of a UAV accident, and has yielded 22 safety recommendations for the FAA and CBP.
