# Cowboy Space unveils Big Iron rocket to launch 20,000 AI data center satellites

Digest AI · Hardware & Compute · published 2026-10-28T11:40:45Z

Canonical: https://digestai.news/story/cowboy-space-unveils-big-iron-rocket-to-launch-20-000-ai-data-center-s

## Summary

Cowboy Space, a California-based company founded in 2024 by Robinhood co-founder Baiju Bhatt, announced its plan to deploy **20,000 AI data center satellites** in low Earth orbit (LEO). The project, called **Stampede**, relies on a reusable rocket named **Big Iron**, which doubles as the satellite itself after launch. Big Iron will stand **282 feet tall**, weigh **33,000 pounds**, and carry **five GPU racks** per satellite, delivering **1 megawatt of compute payload**—far exceeding SpaceX’s planned **Starmind** satellites, which offer **250 kW** each.

The rocket uses **Clydesdale engines** (nine in the first stage, one in the upper stage) powered by liquid oxygen and methane. Cowboy Space aims to launch **multiple times per day** from future launch sites called **Trailheads**, with the first Big Iron flight targeted for **December 2028**. The company also plans to offer commercial launches via **Big Iron Express**. Currently, Cowboy Space is testing its **Reason-1 satellite**, which demonstrates **laser-based power beaming** from orbit to Earth—a critical technology for space-based data centers.

## Key points

- Cowboy Space plans to launch **20,000 AI data center satellites** in LEO by 2028, each with **1 MW of compute power**
- Big Iron rocket is **282 feet tall**, reusable, and uses **methalox engines** like SpaceX’s Starship
- First launch slated for **December 2028**, with commercial payloads offered via **Big Iron Express**

## Why it matters

If successful, Cowboy Space’s Stampede constellation could enable **scalable, low-latency AI compute in orbit**, reducing ground infrastructure needs but raising questions about space debris and energy efficiency.

## Sources

1. [Cowboy Space unveils 'Big Iron' rocket to launch 20,000 AI data centers](https://space.com/space-exploration/launches-spacecraft/cowboy-space-unveils-big-iron-rocket-to-launch-20-000-ai-data-centers) (space.com, 2026-10-28)

## Cite

Digest AI, "Cowboy Space unveils Big Iron rocket to launch 20,000 AI data center satellites", 28 October 2026, https://digestai.news/story/cowboy-space-unveils-big-iron-rocket-to-launch-20-000-ai-data-center-s

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