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.
The existence of water on the Moon has been imagined, inferred and discussed for decades. But now it has been unequivocally confirmed in an unexpected place—possibly everywhere in the uppermost layer of the lunar surface—and it means a whole new set of challenges for engineers working on methods for future astronauts to extract lunar resources.
China’s first mission to Mars is on hold for 26 months following a last-minute decision by the Russian space agency Roscosmos to postpone launch of its Phobos-Grunt probe. Originally set for launch on a Zenit rocket from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in a planetary window opening Oct. 6, the mission was delayed until the 2011 Mars launch window, apparently because of problems with the return vehicle that was to bring back samples from the Martian moon Phobos, according to Ma Yongping, deputy director of the Beijing Aerospace Control Center.
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.
