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.
STANDARDS COMMITTEE RELEASES UAV SENSE-AND-AVOID STANDARD - The American Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM) International's unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) standards committee has released its first technical standard, which defines the requirements for an automatic "sense-and-avoid" system that would allow UAVs to detect and deconflict with other air traffic. Founded in 1898, ASTM specializes in the development of voluntary industry standards.
The V-22 Osprey has completed a seven-week operational assessment, a precursor to the crucial operational evaluation (OPEVAL) that is scheduled to begin in about six months. The operational assessment, or "pre-OPEVAL," began May 18 and concluded near the end of the week of June 28-July 2, said Ward Carroll, a spokesman for Naval Air Systems Command (NAVAIR), where the V-22 program is based.
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's (NOAA) Space Environment Center (SEC) appears to be on better footing following a budget scare last fall in which Senate appropriators threatened to eliminate the center's funding. Located in Boulder, Colo., the SEC monitors and forecasts space weather phenomena such as solar flares that can adversely affect spacecraft, aircraft, or ground-based electrical power and communications systems. It has a staff of 47 federal employees.
