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.
Now that Dennis Tito, the first "space tourist," is back on the ground, some NASA and industry officials are still saying he shouldn't have gone to the International Space Station Alpha - at least not yet. There is a place for space tourism in manned space flight, but not while the station is still being built, a former astronaut and a current high-ranking NASA official said May 7.
Although they admit the business case is presently "insufficient" to support commercial operations, in the next decade NASA officials still hope to leverage industry into furnishing a second generation reusable launch vehicle (RLV) to replace the space shuttle. The space agency is currently evaluating proposed concepts from industry - which run the gamut of stages and configurations - and will begin downselecting candidates by late next year.
Based on the findings of the recent Space Commission report, the Air Force's Space and Missile Systems Center (SMC) eventually will be placed under Air Force Space Command, predicted Lt. Gen. Eugene L. Tattini, the center's commander. Tattini, who is three weeks from retirement, also said he believes the Air Force eventually will provide Air Force Space Command its own 4-star commander, rather than "dual-hatting" its commander.
