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.
An engineering team led by the Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory (APL) is perfecting an air-breathing engine capable of propelling hypersonic missiles at speeds up to 4,700 mph. The dual-combustor ramjet (DCR) engine is being developed in support of the Navy's Hypersonic Weapon Technology Program, which is dedicated to developing and demonstrating hypersonic air-breathing propulsion technology for use in long-range missiles.
An analyst yesterday blamed NASA for suppressing the U.S. space launch industry and recommended stripping the agency of its operational role. "The underlying belief is central planning - that government should be in a commanding role," Robert Poole, director of transportation studies at the Reason Public Policy Institute, told conferees at the Cato Institute in Washington, D.C.
Rep. Dave Weldon (R-Fla.) yesterday called for a reassessment of U.S. technology policy towards China and Russia. Speaking at the Association of Old Crows Forecast to Industry Conference in Arlington, Va., Weldon said there is an urgent need for a reevaluation of U.S.-China relations, citing reports that China has engaged in war game scenarios involving the elimination of America's space-based assets.
