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.
International Launch Services orbited the DirecTV 12 broadcasting satellite on Dec. 29 onboard a Proton M booster, marking its seventh mission of the year and confirming the operator’s successful rebound from a 2008 launch failure. ILS also signed 10 firm launch contracts in 2009, including several picked up from Sea Launch, which is struggling to exit Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection. On Dec.
SES has emerged as the successful bidder for ProtoStar 2, a telecom satellite put on the block by ProtoStar, an Asia-Pacific region satcom startup currently in Chapter 11. The Luxembourg operator paid $185 million in cash for the Boeing-built spacecraft, which carries 22 Ku- and 10 S-band transponders. SES plans to integrate the satellite, launched in May, into the fleet of its World Skies unit. Initially, it will provide incremental capacity for Asia, but World Skies President/CEO Rob Bednarek notes the company has other slots where ProtoStar 2 could be used.
Congress has extended government indemnification of commercial launches for three more years. The unanimous vote by senators as they worked toward passage of the health-care-reform measure on Christmas Eve makes government help available for U.S. commercial launch service providers hit by third-party liability claims growing out of mishaps on missions licensed by the FAA. The program was set to expire on Dec. 31. The measure requires no funding unless there is an accident triggering claims, and then only with additional congressional authorization.
