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.
NASA has picked Lockheed Martin to support agency systems at Johnson Space Center and elsewhere that are used for training astronauts and conducting human spaceflight missions, awarding the company a contract with a potential total value close to $1 billion. The new Facilities Development and Operations Contract (FDOC) replaces the Mission Support Operations Contract and incorporates portions of the work performed under the Space Program Operations Contract currently held by United Space Alliance.
The second Mercury flyby of NASA’s Messenger probe has filled in more blanks that should help scientists understand the closest planet to the Sun, and other rocky planets as well. The October flyby produced imagery and other data of terrain previously unseen at such close quarters (AW&ST Oct. 20, p. 59). New information from the Mercury Laser Altimeter (MLA) matches high-resolution imagery collected by Messenger and by Mariner 10. This should enable scientists to correlate high-resolution topography measurements with high-resolution images for the first time.
NASA has awarded United Space Alliance (USA) the Integrated Mission Operations Contract, signaling a continuing partnership between the agency and the company for operation of the Mission Control Center at Johnson Space Center in Houston. The award is valued at $206.5 million for the three-year base period, which could grow to $371 million if a fourth option year and variable work content are fully exercised. The sole-sourced contract will support JSC with flight operations work for the Constellation and International Space Station programs.
