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.
Preparations continue smoothly for the scheduled July 13 launch of NASA's space shuttle Discovery from Kennedy Space Center in Florida, the first shuttle mission since the loss of Columbia in February 2003. Liftoff is scheduled for 3:51 p.m. EDT. The launch countdown officially began at 6 p.m. EDT on July 10, which marked T-43 hours. "All our hardware and systems are performing nominally," NASA Test Director Pete Nickolenko said during a press conference July 11. "We're currently tracking no technical issues."
Although FAA has made progress recently in managing its troubled air traffic control acquisition programs, challenges remain for the agency as it seeks to keep pace with projected demand, according to a new report from the Government Accountability Office. FAA has spent $43.5 billion on airspace modernization since the early 1980s and plans to spend nearly another $10 billion through fiscal 2009. The effort has suffered from cost, schedule and performance problems and has been on GAO's list of high-risk programs since 1995, the report says.
ITT Night Vision and Northrop Grumman both submitted proposals July 11 for the Army's Omnibus VII night vision goggle procurement, which provides for up to 360,000 new goggles. The Army has purchased NVGs in large "omnibus" procurements since the 1980s. Omnibus VII will be the biggest yet, according to Larry Curfiss, ITT Night Vision's vice president and director of business development. An award is expected by September.
