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.
NASA is looking at refining the launch approval process for the space shuttle to make it easier and simpler for stakeholders to go on record with caveats to supplement their final go/no-go decision. "We ...have asked ourselves the question of whether our polling and our documentation process is as crisp as we would like it to be," NASA Administrator Michael Griffin said Aug. 16. "And in fact we're working on it."
BAE Systems has received its contract to enter Phase III of the Dept. of Homeland Security's (DHS) program to protect commercial airliners from shoulder-fired heat-seeking missiles, also known as Man Portable Air Defense Systems (MANPADS).
NASA on Aug. 16 completed the flight readiness review (FRR) for space shuttle Atlantis' next mission, STS-115, approving the orbiter for flight and setting the launch date for the afternoon of Aug. 27. "All members of the board were 'go' for launch," Associate Administrator for Space Operations Bill Gerstenmaier said at a news conference following the review.
