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.
Space Exploration Technologies' (SpaceX) Falcon 1 vehicle has been delivered to its launch complex at Vandenberg Air Force Base, Calif., for a series of preflight tests leading to an expected launch in late November or December.
NASA's Mars Exploration Rover (MER) Spirit is suffering from a steering problem that may eventually force mission controllers to permanently disable their ability to lock the direction of two of its four steerable wheels. The two front and two rear wheels of the six-wheeled rover are used for steering. When not in use, the actuator motors that steer the wheels act as brakes to prevent unintended direction changes. The steering motors for the right-front and left-rear wheels failed to respond to commands sent on Oct. 1, according to NASA.
A mishap investigation board (MIB) is citing lax discipline on the part of Lockheed Martin workers and poor oversight by both the company and NASA as primary causes of the September 2003 handling accident that severely damaged the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's (NOAA) N-Prime satellite.
