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 Sept. 11 terrorist attacks in New York and Washington are not expected to delay the Ballistic Missile Defense Organization's (BMDO) test schedule, a BMDO spokesman told The DAILY. "We're going to adhere to our test schedule as it's currently planned," said Lt. Col. Rick Lehner. BMDO's next intercept test for its Ground-based Midcourse Defense Segment (formerly National Missile Defense) is scheduled for late October. A seeker test for the Navy Area system is also scheduled for the fall.
Onboard security systems provide only limited effectiveness against knowledgeable hijackers such as those who apparently perpetrated the Sept. 11 attacks, and cannot substitute for proper security on the ground, say aviation and security analysts. "There's not a whole lot of technology on the aircraft itself [for thwarting hijackers]," Dr. Dale Oderman, assistant professor of aviation technology at Purdue University and a retired Air Force colonel, told The DAILY.
In the wake of the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks, security has been stepped up at NASA centers across the country, with all but non-essential personnel asked to remain home. NASA spokesman Bob Jacobs said no decision has yet been made as to any permanent changes in NASA's security procedures. "The administrator recognized early that there was a need for comprehensive security coordination, which was why we recently named a security director for the agency," he said.
