Jonathan McDowell

Jonathan McDowell is a British-American astronomer who works at the Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics located in Cambridge, Massachusetts. He is a highly respected researcher who works on data analysis for advanced X-ray astronomy missions.

Despite his background in astrophysics, McDowell is best known to the public for his meticulous tracking of artificial satellites, space debris, and rocket launches. He independently maintains a massive, highly trusted database of orbital spaceflight data called Jonathan's Space Report.

McDowell is the author of "Jonathan's Space Report," a highly detailed and regularly updated newsletter that has cataloged global space launches and satellite data since 1989. It is considered an essential resource for tracking both classified and unclassified space missions.

He cross-references leaked amateur observations, international government data, and official tracking metrics to pinpoint the orbits of secret military satellites. His unmatched ability to track these objects has made him the go-to expert for journalists whenever a mysterious rocket launch or falling debris event occurs.