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.
During a recent industry day for the Future Cargo Aircraft program, the Army told prospective bidders that it is restructuring the contract to help speed the arrival of its replacement for the C-23 Sherpa. Under the new plan, the Army first will issue an engineering services contract to the winning bidder in June 2006, followed by an order for 22 low-rate initial production aircraft in January 2007. Under the previous schedule, the final downselect and contract award would not have occurred until the fall of 2007.
NASA's effort to fix the remaining areas of potentially dangerous foam insulation loss on the space shuttle's external tank is adjusting to the effects of Hurricane Katrina, according to Bill Gerstenmaier, the agency's associate administrator for Space Operations.
NASA has released a request for information to gauge the interest among commercial geosynchronous satellite operators in using the extra room on their spacecraft to host NASA science instruments. The first instrument that could fly under what NASA is calling the Geo-Quick Ride program is the 31-kilogram (68-pound) Multispectral Imaging System for the Thermosphere and Ionosphere (MISTI) instrument. Responses to the RFI, including a description of how MISTI would be accommodated, are due Sept. 26.
