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.
U.S. Army Space&Missile Defense Command (SMDC) in Huntsville, Ala., has selected Orbital Sciences Corp. and TRW for Phase II of an effort to create more efficient, environmentally friendly target boosters for missile defense tests. In addition to being cheaper and easier to use, the new liquid-propelled boosters will be more representative of possible threats, according to Ballistic Missile Defense Organization (BMDO) spokesman Lt. Col. Rick Lehner.
With several potential options to choose from for boosting the International Space Station's crew from the current three people to six, NASA is awaiting further congressional action on its fiscal 2002 budget before it makes a decision. "Everything is on the table, and we have not closed off any potential paths," NASA spokesperson Kirsten Larson told The DAILY. "Whatever options we choose, they have to fit into our current budget constraints, which means that we are not footing the majority of the bill."
The 2001 Quadrennial Defense Review (QDR) report released by the Department of Defense (DOD) Oct. 1 lists the upgrading of space systems as one of six critical operational goals which will provide the focus for DOD's transformation effort. "DOD will pursue modernization of the aging space surveillance infrastructure, enhance the command and control structure, and evolve the system from a cataloging and tracking capability to a system providing space situational awareness," says the report.
