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 recently passed House and Senate FAA reauthorization bills contain language that could benefit the helicopter industry, and helicopter advocates are optimistic that all the provisions will be retained when the two bills are combined in conference. The Senate overwhelmingly passed a $43.5 billion measure (S. 824) on June 12 that would reauthorize the FAA for three years by a vote of 94-0. The House passed a four-year $59 billion FAA reauthorization bill (H.R. 2115) by a vote of 418-8 the day before.
The Columbia Accident Investigation Board (CAIB) has identified a bolt mechanism that attaches the solid rocket boosters (SRBs) to the space shuttle's external tank (ET) as another possible source of dangerous debris during shuttle launches. Although the board hasn't changed its working hypothesis that a foam strike led to the loss of Columbia, this new finding could pose a catastrophic flight risk, according to CAIB member Maj. Gen. John Barry, director of plans and programs for Air Force Materiel Command.
During a meeting of the NASA Advisory Council (NAC) in Washington June 10, two members questioned Russia's explanation of why the Soyuz vehicle returning the Expedition Six crew to Earth landed nearly 300 miles from its expected landing site in northern Kazakhstan on May 3.
