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 FAA's Office of Commercial Space Transportation (AST) is developing crew safety guidelines for reusable launch vehicles (RLVs) that cover qualification and training, environmental systems and human factors. The guidelines currently address only flight crew members and avoid the thornier issue of passenger safety, according to Ken Wong, an aerospace engineer with AST.
The organizers of the $10 million X Prize competition expect a winner this year, according to spokeswoman Diane Murphy. The purpose of the X Prize is to jump-start the suborbital space tourism industry by promoting innovation and competition. Twenty-seven teams from seven countries have entered the competition since 1995, when it was established, according to Murphy. "This year we do expect to have a winner," Murphy said during a presentation at FAA headquarters in Washington Feb. 9.
NASA officials defended the agency's decision to cancel the final servicing mission to the Hubble Space Telescope (HST) during a teleconference Feb. 9, emphasizing that the decision was based on safety considerations and will remain final.
