American startup Cowboy Space, co-founded by Robinhood co-founder Baqer Bhatt, has unveiled an ambitious project named ‘Big Iron.’ This colossal rocket is designed to launch 20,000 data center satellites into orbit, specifically engineered to support artificial intelligence workloads. The initiative, dubbed ‘Big Sky Rising,’ aims to revolutionize the space industry by offering a novel solution for in-orbit computing.
‘Big Iron’: A Rocket That Becomes a Satellite
More than just a launch vehicle, ‘Big Iron’ is envisioned as an integrated system. Upon reaching orbit, its upper stage is designed to transform into a data center satellite itself. Cowboy Space is focused on maximizing efficiency by merging the launch and deployment phases of space infrastructure.
Technical Specifications and Grand Ambitions
The ‘Big Iron’ rocket boasts impressive dimensions, standing 86 meters tall with a diameter of 4.7 meters. It will be powered by Clydesdale engines, utilizing liquid oxygen and methane (methalox) propellant, similar in concept to SpaceX’s Raptor engines. The rocket’s first stage is intended to be reusable, capable of landing on a floating platform, mirroring SpaceX’s Falcon 9 operations. The upper stage, which becomes the satellite, will have a mass of approximately 15,000 kg and will deploy solar panels, extending to a length of 132 meters. A critical feature will be its cooling system: the payload fairing will double as a radiator to dissipate excess heat generated by powerful Graphics Processing Units (GPUs).
- Rocket Height: 86 m
- Diameter: 4.7 m
- Engine Fuel Type: Methalox
- First Stage Engines: 9
- Satellite Mass: 15,000 kg
- Satellite Length (with solar panels): 132 m
- Satellite Computational Power: 1 MW
Each of these orbital data centers is projected to be significantly more powerful than similar facilities planned by other companies, such as SpaceX’s Starmind project.
Massive Orbital Constellation and Future Plans
Cowboy Space plans to deploy a constellation of 20,000 such satellites, named Stampede. This ambitious undertaking will require approximately 20,000 launches, along with thousands of additional flights annually to maintain the system’s operational status. The company intends to conduct launches multiple times a day from its proprietary ‘Trailheads’ launch complexes. Additionally, the ‘Big Iron’ rocket will offer launch services to third-party clients under the ‘Big Iron Express’ service. Initial test flights are slated for December 2028. Cowboy Space is currently actively testing its Clydesdale engines, and its Reason-1 satellite is already operational in orbit, validating its energy transfer technologies.
