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.
NASA released a request for proposals (RFP) for a robotic servicing mission to the Hubble Space Telescope June 1, which agency leadership continues to favor heavily over a shuttle servicing mission. During a presentation to the National Academies' Space Studies Board and Aeronautics and Space Engineering Board in Washington June 1, Ed Weiler, NASA's associate administrator for space science, said the release of the RFP does not constitute a decision to proceed with a robotic servicing, but is necessary to keep the option open.
Italian defense company Finmeccanica S.p.A. is developing a long-range projectile for 76-millimeter naval guns capable of precisely striking and disabling boats without injuring crew onboard.
NASA's solar-powered Mars Exploration Rover (MER) "Opportunity" has begun periodically entering a power-saving "deep sleep" mode overnight to allow more operations during the day. Opportunity entered deep sleep on May 27, after a trial run on May 6. The new sleep mode is enabled by a software upgrade transmitted to both rovers in April. Opportunity has managed only one to two hours of activity on many recent days while examining the stadium-sized "Endurance" crater.
