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 U.S. Dept. of Homeland Security yesterday awarded Northrop Grumman $55.4 million for the third and final phase of the government's program to assess the feasibility of installing infrared countermeasures on commercial airliners. Rival BAE Systems expects to receive its own Phase III contract within the next day or two, according to a company spokeswoman.
NASA Associate Administrator for Exploration Scott Horowitz addressed rumored increases in the development cost of the Ares 1 Crew Launch Vehicle Aug. 4, saying that NASA has decided to spend more on the rocket's initial development to avoid billions in life-cycle costs later. The cost to develop the Ares 1, a larger derivative of the space shuttle's solid rocket booster (SRB), is rumored to have risen from $1 billion to as high as $3 billion.
NASA's Exploration Systems Mission Directorate is trying to shape a low-cost space nuclear power research program to ensure that the technology will be ready when needed for future long-duration explorations of the moon, Mars and elsewhere. Following the deferment of the Prometheus space nuclear power and propulsion effort last year, there has been "almost no funding" available for nuclear research at NASA, Associate Administrator for Exploration Scott Horowitz said during the Mars Society's annual conference in Washington Aug. 4.
