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.
A prototype weather sensor whose development problems have contributed to the National Polar-orbiting Operational Environmental Satellite System's (NPOESS) woes is entering thermal vacuum testing, according to Raytheon. Raytheon is developing the Visible Infrared Imager Radiometer Suite (VIIRS) to measure sea surface temperature and ocean color. Development problems have pushed delivery of the flight-ready sensor to NPOESS prime contractor Northrop Grumman from an original target of fall 2005 back to 2008.
NASA's Mars exploration program is in the middle of a strategic regrouping effort as it continues grappling with the nearly $3 billion five-year cut contained in the Bush administration's fiscal 2007 budget request, which has left it unable to make firm plans for missions beyond 2016. In response, the agency has formed an ad hoc group to draw up plans for the next 10 years of Mars exploration. That group's work should be completed this summer, according to Mars Program Lead Scientist Michael Meyer.
The U.S. Air Force last month completed a restructuring of the Space Based Surveillance System (SBSS) Pathfinder satellite program to address tens of millions of dollars in cost growth while maintaining its planned December 2008 launch date.
