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.
AsiaSat 5 has begun commercial service operations at 100.5 deg. E. Long. following its in-orbit checkout after an Aug. 12 flight on an International Launch Services Proton from Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan. The Space Systems/Loral 1300 satellite, with 26 C-band and 14 Ku-band transponders, is taking over pan-Asian services currently provided by the 13-year-old AsiaSat 2 from the same location. The traffic transfer is to be completed in a few weeks, says Hong Kong-based Asia Satellite Telecommunications.
Preliminary results from Europe’s Planck cosmic background observer show data quality to be as good or better than expected. The mission, launched May 14, undertook a preliminary all-sky survey from its position at the second Lagrange Point on Aug. 13 following instrument checkout and adjustment. The initial two-week survey, covering nine 15-deg.-wide strips—one for each frequency—was intended to verify the stability of the instruments and the ability to calibrate them during the long periods needed to meet accuracy requirements. Routine operation began on Aug.
The European Space Agency is testing a miniature solid-state gyro sensor that it says will be the smallest ever flown in space. The sugar cube-size gyro uses micro-electromechanical systems (MEMS)—a technology already widely employed in the automobile industry that allows moving parts or sensors to be incorporated on a single silicon chip, saving space and weight and improving reliability.
