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 Orbital Express mission is coming to a close and both spacecraft are expected to be decommissioned next week, according to the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA). A joint effort between DARPA, the U.S. Air Force and NASA, Orbital Express was launched in March on a three-month mission to demonstrate on-orbit satellite servicing techniques.
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and NASA are expected to release a draft request for proposals (RFP) for the next-generation Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellite (GOES-R) system later this month. Industry will be given time to comment, and the final RFP is expected in September, followed by a contract award for the first two spacecraft early next year, according to Stephen O'Neill, president of Boeing Satellite Systems International Inc. First launch is slated for late 2014.
The fiscal 2008 NASA budget approved by the Senate Appropriations Committee last week gives the agency a topline of $17.46 billion - $150 million above the Bush administration's request - which includes a number of plus-ups to various science programs. The topline recommendation is $1.175 billion above the FY '07 enacted level. The bill includes $5.655 billion for science, $554 million for aeronautics research and $3.972 billion for exploration systems. $4 billion for space shuttle
