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 A160 Hummingbird vertical takeoff and landing unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) successfully conducted its first forward flight Jan. 29 in California, flying autonomously and climbing to an altitude of 1,200 feet. The Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) is developing the Hummingbird with prime contractor Frontier Systems, Inc. of Irvine, Calif. The program is budgeted at $17 million, with prototype demonstrations targeted for April 2003.
The absence of two major programs from the Missile Defense Agency's slate allows for increases in other programs, including the sea-, air-, and space-based boost-phase intercept programs, according to a senior defense official. The Bush Administration's fiscal year 2003 defense budget request includes $7.763 billion for missile defense programs, down slightly from the enacted FY '02 level of $7.775 billion.
A document on crew selection criteria for the International Space Station (ISS) released by NASA Jan. 31 officially opens the door for non-professional astronauts to make visits in the future. The criteria are the work of the ISS Multilateral Crew Operations Panel (MCOP), a body comprising members from the ISS partner nations, which will review all flight candidates.
