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 Department of Defense's inspector general (IG) criticized the MH-47G Chinook Service Life Extension Program (SLEP) in a June 16 report, saying that Army Special Operations Command (SOCOM) has not done enough to ensure the helicopter's interoperability with other aircraft and SOCOM equipment.
Test pilot Mike Melvill conducted the world's first private space flight June 21, piloting Scaled Composites' SpaceShipOne into suborbital space after taking off from Mojave Airport in California. SpaceShipOne's carrier aircraft, the White Knight, took off with SpaceShipOne attached to its belly at 6:45 a.m. PDT. After an hour of climbing, SpaceShipOne dropped away and fired its hybrid rocket motor for approximately 80 seconds, reaching speeds above Mach 3 and a peak altitude of roughly 62 miles (100 kilometers).
If successful, the June 21 flight of Scaled Composites' SpaceShipOne could boost the fortunes of other suborbital space companies and finally pave the way for a viable space tourism market, according to analysts.
