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.
As long as there is no recurrence of the hydrogen leak that scuttled the March 11 attempt to launch shuttle Discovery, NASA plans to proceed with its countdown to a March 15 liftoff, even if the cause of the leak hasn’t been determined.
The European Space Agency is proceeding with development of its ExoMars mission with an eye toward a 2016 launch, despite questions of funding and international participation that still loom over the program.
The costly two-year launch delay for Mars Science Laboratory (MSL) does offer a few fringe benefits for the mission’s science objectives, according to NASA. Development problems caused the ambitious rover mission to miss the 2009 Mars launch opportunity and refocus on 2011. The launch slip will cost an estimated $400 million, which brings the program’s total estimated lifecycle cost to $2.2 billion - $2.3 billion (Aerospace DAILY, Dec. 5, 2008).
