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.
A new report from the General Accounting Office (GAO) endorses the U.S. Defense Department's plan to unify its Unmanned Combat Air Vehicle (UCAV) programs under a single joint office, while cautioning DOD not to allow new multi-mission requirements to outstrip funding. In an effort to integrate requirements and promote competition, DOD decided to merge the separate Air Force and Navy UCAV efforts under a single office scheduled to be in operation by the end of this year (DAILY, March 27).
Most of NASA's solar-electric Helios unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) has been recovered from its crash site approximately 10 miles west of the coast of Kauai, Hawaii, as investigators begin their inquiry into what caused the aircraft to break up in mid-air on June 26.
NASA has again delayed the launch of the second of its twin Mars Exploration Rover (MER) spacecraft from Cape Canaveral, Fla., while Boeing attempts to once and for all resolve a problem with insulation on the Delta II launch vehicle. The original June 25 launch date was bumped to June 28 when inspectors discovered that part of a band of cork insulation above the forward attach point for the strap-on boosters was coming loose from the rocket's outer skin. The cork prevents ice formation on the rocket, which contains cryogenic fuels.
