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 damage done by Hurricane Frances to NASA's Kennedy Space Center (KSC) in Florida could jeopardize plans to return the space shuttle to flight in March or April, according to the agency. "We all know it's going to [make] some impact to the overall return to flight," NASA spokesman Allard Beutel told The DAILY.
Configuration changes and a lack of accurate analysis methods combined to doom NASA's Helios unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV), according to the just-released final report on its June 2003 loss. Built by AeroVironment Inc. of Monrovia, Calif., the 247-foot wingspan Helios was a highly flexible flying wing designed to demonstrate technologies for solar-powered, high-altitude/long-endurance (HALE) aircraft. It flew in two configurations - one designed for very high altitudes, one for long-duration flights.
With their Phase II obligations complete, competing teams led by Lockheed Martin and Northrop Grumman are awaiting a downselect decision to kick off the next phase of the Unmanned Combat Armed Rotorcraft (UCAR) program.
