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.
Naval Air Systems Command (NAVAIR) intends to award follow-on study contracts to Lockheed Martin and Sikorsky as part of the VXX Presidential Helicopter replacement program, in anticipation of releasing a request for proposals (RFP) for the next phase of the program this fall. Lockheed Martin, Sikorsky, and Bell Helicopter delivered study contracts to NAVAIR earlier this year on how their candidate aircraft - Lockheed Martin's US101, Bell's V-22, and Sikorsky's S-92 - could be tailored for the executive transport mission.
"We get it," NASA Administrator Sean O'Keefe repeatedly said during a press conference in Washington, referring to the Columbia Accident Investigation Board's (CAIB) insistence that NASA must make fundamental changes to its culture to prevent more disasters like the Feb. 1 shuttle loss.
The final report of the Columbia Accident Investigation Board (CAIB), released Aug. 26, places heavy emphasis on institutional problems as contributors to the Feb. 1 disaster and recommends a thorough overhaul of NASA's safety infrastructure. "In four simple words, the foam did it," CAIB member Scott Hubbard said during a press conference in Washington, referring to the insulating foam from the shuttle's external tank that broke loose and damaged the orbiter's left wing shortly after liftoff on Jan. 16.
