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 is shooting for a first crewed flight of its Orion Crew Exploration Vehicle in October 2013, according to a just-released draft request for proposals (RFP) for the Ares I rocket's upper stage. President Bush set a deadline of 2014 for the debut of the Orion, which will take over for the space shuttle as America's means of transporting humans to space. The shuttle is scheduled to retire in 2010, and NASA has been trying to accelerate the Orion's debut to minimize the gap.
The U.S. Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL) and Boeing are joining forces with Australia's Defence Science and Technology Organisation (DSTO) on a five-year hypersonic test program to be flown over the Woomera range in southern Australia.
Key aerospace groups say they approve of the White House's new national aeronautics research and development (R&D) policy, although group leaders stressed the need for the policy to be supported with funding. "We are thankful that the administration has recognized the importance of aeronautics in strong and forceful language," said John Douglass, president of the Aerospace Industries Association (AIA). "The challenge now is to make the financial commitment match the policy."
