Cowboy Space reveals 86-metre Big Iron rocket plans
Cowboy Space has unveiled plans for Big Iron, a new medium-lift rocket, as launch providers face concerns that demand may outstrip supply. The announcement adds another prospective launcher to a crowded field, though the company showed little hardware and remains behind several rivals approaching launch.
The rocket is planned to stand 86 metres tall and use methane-fuelled Clydesdale engines: nine on the first stage and one on the second. Cowboy Space is targeting a first launch before the end of 2028. The report also notes that winter weather may delay the European Space Agency’s Themis reusable rocket test, while Virgin Galactic has moved its new Apeiron rocket plane to Spaceport America ahead of testing.
In short
- Cowboy Space revealed plans for its 86-metre Big Iron rocket.
- The company aims to launch it before the end of 2028.
- Winter could delay Europe’s Themis rocket test.
Explained simply
Medium-lift rockets are designed to carry satellites and other cargo into orbit, between the smaller payloads of light launchers and the heavier loads of large rockets. Companies are developing new launch vehicles as governments and commercial operators plan more satellite missions, although building and testing a rocket takes years.
Cowboy Space is a prospective launch provider, and Big Iron is its planned rocket. Its methane-fuelled engines are intended to power two stages, which separate during flight to carry the payload towards orbit. The company is entering a field that includes rivals already closer to their first launches, so whether Big Iron can be built and flown on schedule will affect how much new launch capacity becomes available.
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Originally published by Ars Technica as “Rocket Report: Winter is coming for Themis; Cowboy Space adds iron to the fire”.