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 fuel leak of "unknown origin" was responsible for the loss of Space Exploration Technologies' (SpaceX) Falcon 1 rocket shortly after liftoff on its inaugural flight March 24, according to company founder and CEO Elon Musk. Twenty-five seconds after ignition, the fuel leak caused a fire around the top of the main engine that cut into the first stage helium pneumatic system, Musk said in a statement. When pneumatic pressure dropped too low, the engine shut down 29 seconds into the flight.
NASA announced March 27 that it is reinstating the Dawn asteroid rendezvous mission, which the agency canceled earlier this month due to technical problems and cost overruns. Propelled by xenon ion engines, Dawn is to investigate Vesta and Ceres, two of the largest asteroids orbiting between Mars and Jupiter. The Orbital Sciences-built spacecraft is expected to launch in the summer of 2007, roughly a year behind its original schedule, and rendezvous with the asteroids in 2016.
The new request for proposals (RFP) for the Joint Cargo Aircraft (JCA) is largely the same as the draft RFP for the Future Cargo Aircraft (FCA) released by the Army last year prior to the Air Force coming onboard the program, according to competitor Raytheon.
