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.
Administrator Michael Griffin has tasked NASA's Exploration Systems Mission Directorate (ESMD) to begin this year laying the conceptual groundwork for the first human landing on the red planet. Last year was considered the "year of the moon," when NASA did a great deal of planning and justification for its lunar exploration architecture. Griffin considers 2007 the "year of Mars," according to NASA officials.
NASA's Phoenix lander has run over budget because of problems with the radar altimeter the spacecraft will use for its landing on Mars in May 2008, although program officials are now confident that they have fixed the situation.
The U.S. Army is soliciting proposals from industry for the next phase of the Threat Agent Cloud Tactical Intercept & Countermeasure (TACTIC) program, which is developing technologies to pro-actively identify and neutralize chem/bio agent clouds and reduce the need for troops to carry heavy protective gear.
