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.
PARIS — The European Commission has awarded SES Astra a contract to host a second payload for Europe’s Egnos Global Positioning System augmentation service. Astra’s European rival, Eutelsat, also is believed to have bid for the award.
ENGAGE!: The short-takeoff-and-vertical-landing F-35B engaged its lift system in flight for the first time on Jan. 7 during a test sortie from Naval Air Station Patuxent River, Md. Test pilot Graham Tomlinson engaged the shaft-driven lift fan at 5,000 feet and 210 knots, slowed to 180 knots, then accelerated to 210 knots and converted back to conventional-flight mode. The Stovl propulsion system was engaged for 14 minutes. On subsequent flights the aircraft will fly progressively slower, hover and eventually land vertically.
Orbital Sciences Corp. finished the year in a flourish with three contracts—a pair of broadband satellites from Swedish-based startup OverHorizon and Avanti Communications, and Intelsat’s IS-23. The OverHorizon satellite, a Ku-band unit to be delivered in early 2012, will be supplied jointly with Thales Alenia Space, which will provide an onboard processing payload. The deals gave Orbital Sciences four telecom satellite awards for 2009 and Thales Alenia five.
