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.
AXEL EXERCISED: NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory and the California Institute of Technology have designed and tested a small robot that can rappel off cliffs, travel over steep and rocky terrain and explore deep craters, according to the agency. Called Axel, the two-wheeled rover could be used on other worlds like Mars, or for terrestrial uses such as assisting in search-and-rescue operations.
GMD SUPPORT: The U.S. Missile Defense Agency has awarded Boeing a one-year, $250 million contract for Ground-based Midcourse Defense (GMD) maintenance and operations support. Awarded Feb. 2, the contract includes an option for 2010 and covers operator and maintainer training, supply chain services, on-site engineering support and technical data development, according to Boeing. The GMD system includes operational sites in Alaska, California and Colorado, as well as the Sea-Based X-Band radar system.
NASA has given prospective bidders until Feb. 27 to deliver proposals for conceptual design work on the Altair lunar lander the agency will use to return astronauts to the moon by 2020. Johnson Space Center in Houston expects to make multiple awards in the spring under the Altair Conceptual Design Contract effort. NASA issued a draft request for proposals (RFP) and held a bidders’ conference last month (Aerospace DAILY, Dec. 17).
