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.
With NASA in the final stages of preparation for the space shuttle's return to flight, the Boeing Co. is anticipating reductions in its shuttle work force by year's end, as well as the imminent shutdown of an operation in Palmdale, Calif., that builds external tank disconnect valves.
Honeywell is looking at a combination of technologies to make its T55-series engines more resistant to sand contamination as it positions itself for the upcoming competition to provide the engine for the Navy's CH-53X heavy-lift helicopter. After several hundred hours of use in sandy environments such as Iraq, contamination can cause the smaller blades in helicopter turbine engines to wear down to a "nub," according to Rich Douglas, directory of military propulsion for Honeywell's engines division.
Scheduled budget cuts to NASA's Integrated Financial Management Program (IFMP) could delay its completion until as late as 2011, according to program officials. IFMP saw its budget cut by $41.5 million in fiscal year 2005 and is scheduled to lose another $8 million in FY '06 and $11 million in FY '07. All told, the cuts equal roughly 20% of the program's budget over the next four years.
