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's current strategy of favoring large astrophysics missions such as the James Webb Space Telescope at the expense of smaller missions could be closing the door on future scientific discoveries, according to the National Academies' National Research Council (NRC). The NRC's Space Studies board performed a one-year survey of NASA's astrophysics portfolio at the agency's request to assess, among other things, how well it matches with the priorities of the National Academies' decadal survey, which polls scientists on their highest-priority research goals.
The U.S. Navy hopes to finally release its master plan for unmanned surface vehicles (USVs) within the next two months, according to service officials. The document's expected completion slipped from last year while the service wrestled with its overall USV strategy (DAILY, Aug. 20, 2006). Once the final draft undergoes internal review, the plan will be posted on the Internet.
FAA next month will lay out its five-year plan for continuing the integration of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) in the national airspace system and make it available for industry comment by April, according to Doug Davis, manager of FAA's Unmanned Aircraft Program Office.
