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 U.S. Missile Defense Agency's (MDA) Terminal High-Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) ballistic missile defense program conducted a nonintercept flight-test at White Sands Missile Range (WSMR) in New Mexico June 26 The endoatmospheric test was intended to provide engineers with performance and aerodynamic data for the lowest altitudes at which the system might be called on to intercept a missile.
Shuttle prime contractor United Space Alliance (USA) says the ongoing strike of roughly 570 shuttle workers that began June 14 has not yet had any impact on the scheduled launch of Endeavour on STS-118 Aug. 9. Endeavour is scheduled to roll out from its hangar to the Vehicle Assembly Building on July 2, three days ahead of schedule, according to USA spokeswoman Tracy Yates. "We continue to operate under our strike contingency plan," Yates told The DAILY. "So far things are going safely, smoothly and on schedule."
Eager to do its part to alleviate noise-related growing pains in the air transportation system, NASA’s restructured Fundamental Aeronautics program has aggressive goals for making future subsonic and supersonic aircraft quieter. But with its slimmed-down budget, the aeronautics directorate is looking to other parties to bring its technologies to flight test and fruition.
