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.
Thales Alenia Space and EADS Astrium expect to submit the first commercial bids for their Alphabus 12-18-kw., 6-8-metric-ton large telecom satellite by the first or second quarter of next year, and to have an initial order by mid-to-late 2010, according to Thales Alenia officials. Backed by funding from the European Space Agency and French space agency CNES, Alphabus is aimed at helping the European satellite makers compete with top-of-the-line U.S. telecom satellites like Boeing’s 702 and the Space Systems/Loral FS1300, which can serve requirements up to 20 kw.
IN MEMORIAM: Dr. Rodger Doxsey, head of the Hubble Mission Office at the Space Telescope Science Institute in Baltimore, Md., died Oct. 13 in a local hospice after a prolonged bout with cancer. The New York native was 62. Doxsey oversaw Hubble Space Telescope science operations at the institute, working closely with the scientists operating the telescope, its designers at NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center, and the astronomers around the world who relied on the observatory for their research. Doxsey first came to the institute in 1981, nine years before Hubble’s launch.
BOMBS AWAY: The U.S. Air Force has awarded ITT Corporation a $39.3 million contract to manufacture, test and deliver weapon release systems for F-16 aircraft used by the U.S. and allied nations. An initial order of $10.7 million has already been authorized, for production of 49 BRU-57/A smart racks plus spare components. The indefinite delivery/indefinite quantity award includes options to produce additional racks and spare parts scheduled to be awarded to ITT during the next three years.
