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.
An international coalition of helicopter operators, manufacturers and industry groups have joined forces with the FAA and other air traffic regulators from around the world to spearhead a new safety push aimed at cutting the helicopter accident rate by 80 percent over the next decade.
Space Exploration Technologies is going forward with a series of design and processing tweaks to ensure a successful outcome for the second launch this fall of its Falcon vehicle after a mishap board pinpointed a corroded aluminum nut as the only plausible cause for failure of the first launch on Mar. 24. The company also is upgrading the two-stage orbital rocket's health-monitoring software and more fully automating the launch process, according to Space Exploration Technologies (SpaceX) founder and CEO Elon Musk.
Fledgling commercial launch provider Space Exploration Technologies (SpaceX) is applying the lessons learned from the March failure of the first Falcon 1 rocket to the ongoing development of the EELV-class Falcon 9 follow-on, according to SpaceX Founder and CEO Elon Musk The Falcon 1 failure was attributed to a cracked aluminum B-nut on the outside of the rocket that corroded from exposure to the sea air during months of launch delays. The nut cracked at liftoff, allowing fuel to leak and start a fire.
