Skip to content
The Mad Spaceball

The Mad Spaceball

Space Is a Serious Business. Let's Have Fun with It!!

  • The Mission Readiness Review Podcast
  • Opinion
    • Weekly Spatial Resolutions
    • Applications
    • The Space Operator’s Manifesto
    • Interesting articles
      • MH370
  • Lessons
    • DIY Space
    • Ground stations
    • History
      • NAZI Space History
      • Soviet Space History
      • Zulu
    • Imagery
    • Orbits
      • GEO
      • HEO
      • LEO
    • Spacecraft Sub-systems
  • Region Focus
    • China
    • Europe
    • India
    • Japan
    • Private Space
      • SpaceX
      • Virgin Galactic
    • Russia
    • USA
      • MDA
      • NASA
      • NOAA
      • USAF
    • Spaceball Central: About the Mad Spaceball

Search

Fun ways to learn space operations

  • FCC Satellite Learning Center
  • Gunter's Space Page
  • Kerbal Space Program (KSP)
  • Microsoft WorldWide Telescope
  • NASA's Eyes
  • NRO Junior
  • Super Planet Crash

Satellite images, imagery operators, and businesses

  • Astrium
  • Digitalglobe
  • Earth Shield Program
  • Earthgazer
  • ESA Observing the Earth
  • EUMETSAT–Metop
  • Hurricane Katrina Imagery
  • Images of Earth
  • Imagesat International
  • NGA: The National Geospatial-intelligence Agency
  • NOAA: National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
  • Rapideye
  • Skybox Imaging
  • The Telegraph images

Satellite Tracking

  • NASA's Interactive Satellite Viewer
  • Realtime Satellite Tracking
  • Spaceweather.com's Satellite Flybys site

Space Operations Strategy

  • Space Analysis and Theory

TMSB–Nuggets o\’ space knowledge

RSS Feed RSS - Posts

RSS Feed RSS - Comments

Interesting Blogs

  • Amitel
  • Space Industry Analysis | Ill-Defined Space
  • Décollage
  • Kevin Reviews Uncanny X-Men
  • Moon Zoo
  • Cinema Connections
  • hankheath
  • Bucket List Publications
  • Globe Drifting
  • Juju Films
  • Cyclone Center
  • Windows Phone Secrets
  • Eduthusiast
  • The Mad Spaceball
  • China in Space (closed)
  • SoraNews24 -Japan News-
  • this is... The Neighborhood
  • The Center for Climate & Security
  • GeoJames.co.uk
  • riotousrving

Author: John Holst

Ill-Defined Space is written by me, John Holst. ​If you’ve ever asked the following question, “What is this commercial space industry thing?” then welcome to my world. I will never have the answer to that question, but I do offer insights based on my industry experience and observations. I’ve tried defining, decrypting, deciphering, analyzing, and then translating the endless stream of the world’s space industry activities, policies, and press releases. I’ve experienced varying degrees of success in my attempts to do so. The upshot is that if you want thoughtful, occasionally useful, observations about the world’s space industry, then you may want to read my analyses. Boring, but potentially credibility-building information follows: I have a Master’s in Commercial Enterprise in Space through the Florida Institute of Technology. I was an undergrad at the University of Washington in Seattle, graduating from there with a degree in Journalism. My analysis of the space industry has been a definitive source for national lawmakers and departments, news outlets such as the Wall Street Journal, Financial Times, Bloomberg, and the San Francisco Chronicle, publications like National Geographic, and National Public Radio. It’s been published in The Space Report: The Authoritative Guide to Global Space Activity from 2014-2023 (here’s a link to a 1Q19 promo copy). You can also see my work in Quilty Analytic’s series of LEO Broadband Reports. ​ I’ve worked in the United States Air Force, Missile Defense Agency, Cobham, Space Dynamics Laboratory, the Space Foundation, and Quilty Analytics. I focused on space operations in the first few and conducted space industry research and analysis with the last two.

“Hold your fire.” SpaceX’s “Escape Pod”

When I first saw images of SpaceX’s test of their Dragon capsule’s pad abort test, the obvious nerd-quote going through my mind was “Hold your fire. There’s no lifeforms.” Which was true for the test. And if you don’t get the reference, please just search on the net, roll your eyes, and sigh. For the […]

Read More “Hold your fire.” SpaceX’s “Escape Pod”

Amazoom? Blue Origin launches a rocket

Blue Origin is one of those rocket companies that’s been fairly secretive in its activities. But it’s very difficult, unless you’re Russia or China, to secretly shoot a rocket 307,000 feet (58 miles) into the sky. But launch is just what Blue Origin did last week, on 29 April. The company not only tested the rocket, […]

Read More Amazoom? Blue Origin launches a rocket

Another Apollo moment from Space Watch

Wow–apologies for how this looks. The resulting format is because I’m being forced to use WordPress.com’s “New” editor. Because they automatically re-direct me to the new page, I can’t even see the layout as I type. I have about four lines that I can see in their provided text editing box. The user experience isn’t […]

Read More Another Apollo moment from Space Watch

Search The Skies for Objects Out to get You

One of my favorite sites, TheVerge.com, covered this year’s SXSW (South By SouthWest) activities. They posted this article about an application NASA and Planetary Resources released during SXSW for public downloading. The application, called Asteroid Data Hunter (ADH-not the greatest name), will allow people to upload images of the stars. Then the application will sift […]

Read More Search The Skies for Objects Out to get You

Another 50th Anniversary Apollo Moment, with Gemini

Here’s another article I wrote this month in “Space Watch.” The article is about the Gemini 3 (GT-3 for Gemini/Titan-3) mission flown by Gus Grissom and John Young. It’s an important mission for Apollo, as most Gemini missions were intended to be, full of interesting tests for processes, technology…and food. This latest article shows the hungry […]

Read More Another 50th Anniversary Apollo Moment, with Gemini

Posts navigation

Older posts
Newer posts

Archives

Search

Enter your email address to subscribe to this blog and receive notifications of new posts by email.

Join 173 other subscribers
Follow The Mad Spaceball on WordPress.com
Blog at WordPress.com.
Amitel

Your Friend in Telecom

Space Industry Analysis | Ill-Defined Space

Concerning the activities, business, and outcomes of the space sector (and more).

Décollage

Experiencias de un madrileño en París.

Kevin Reviews Uncanny X-Men

Kevin O'Leary Reviews Every Issue of Uncanny X-Men from the 1960s to the Present

Moon Zoo

A Zooniverse Project Blog

Cinema Connections

It's like a never-ending "6 degrees of Kevin Bacon" game

hankheath

Essays on work, life, and recreation

Bucket List Publications

Indulge- Travel, Adventure, & New Experiences

Globe Drifting

Global issues, travel, photography & fashion. Drifting across the globe; the world is my oyster, my oyster through a lens.

Juju Films

Cutting edge Multimedia Programming

Cyclone Center

A Zooniverse Project Blog

Windows Phone Secrets

by Paul Thurrott

Eduthusiast

Technology + Education + New Media

The Mad Spaceball

Space Is a Serious Business. Let's Have Fun with It!!

China in Space (closed)

News and analysis on China's space programme

SoraNews24 -Japan News-

Bringing you yesterday's news from Japan and Asia, today.

this is... The Neighborhood

the Story within the Story

The Center for Climate & Security

Exploring The Security Risks of Climate Change

GeoJames.co.uk

riotousrving

Smile! You’re at the best WordPress.com site ever

Privacy & Cookies: This site uses cookies. By continuing to use this website, you agree to their use.
To find out more, including how to control cookies, see here: Cookie Policy
  • Subscribe Subscribed
    • The Mad Spaceball
    • Join 147 other subscribers
    • Already have a WordPress.com account? Log in now.
    • The Mad Spaceball
    • Subscribe Subscribed
    • Sign up
    • Log in
    • Report this content
    • View site in Reader
    • Manage subscriptions
    • Collapse this bar