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.
Despite continued enthusiasm for the concept on the part of the Air Force, single-stage-to-orbit could sap critical resources from more promising approaches to advancing launch technology, according to United Space Alliance Chief Operating Officer and former shuttle astronaut Mike McCulley.
Government must assume a minimal role if it is to avoid causing the U.S. launch industry to lose further ground to international competitors, according to Ed Gormel, executive director of the Spaceport Florida Authority. During his remarks, made at the 38th Space Congress in Cape Canaveral, Fla. May 1, Gormel stressed the fact that "minimal" involvement "doesn't mean the government doesn't care. It's how the government functions in the business of either being a customer or a regulator.
Quick lifecycle turnaround in the microelectronics industry is resulting in avionics obsolescence based on supply shortages rather than technological advances. When avionics systems in aging military aircraft go in for repair, vendors are often unable to find appropriate replacement parts and must spend considerable time and money looking for substitutes.
