The Space Technology That Could Change History Forever

Data centers are drawing increasing scrutiny for their rising consumption of power and resources, triggering widespread concern about their environmental footprint and sustainability.

Rising Data Center Power Strains Grids and Resources

Data centers' energy consumption is rapidly escalating, with Baiju Bhatt observing a dramatic rise in power drawn by data centers in recent years. By 2028 and 2029, the projected gigawatt usage is set to explode, adding to the already substantial demands seen in 2023. This surge in energy requirements places immense strain on existing power grids, raising fears about whether the current infrastructure can meet future needs without comprehensive restructuring.

Shawn Ryan notes that many Americans are increasingly concerned about the amount of energy data centers are using, echoing fears about power grid resilience and reliability. The issue extends beyond electricity; the cooling of these massive facilities demands vast quantities of water. This need raises significant worries about water depletion, damage to water quality, and rising utility costs for local residents. Ryan highlights how people's water and electric bills have been affected, and also mentions first-hand accounts of communities facing water pollution and aquifer depletion tied to data center operations.

Data Centers Need Vast Real Estate and Compete For Natural Resources

Constructing and operating these installations is a vast real estate challenge. Baiju Bhatt describes data center expansions as fundamentally involving the procurement of land and vital natural re ...

Sun-synchronous Orbit Enables Continuous Solar Power Surpassing Terrestrial Panel Efficiency

Baiju Bhatt explains that satellites are positioned in polar, sun-synchronous orbits—also called terminator orbits—where they are illuminated by the sun almost continuously. This continuous sunlight allows solar panels installed on these satellites to generate more power per unit area than solar panels on Earth. Traditional solar energy is already among the most affordable forms of energy production; by putting solar panels in sun-synchronous orbit, energy output is further increased, making the technology even more economical.

Big Iron Satellite Integrates Dual-Purpose Architecture for Maximum Efficiency

Each Big Iron satellite is massive—larger than a football field and weighing around 15,000 kilograms. Every satellite produces about a megawatt of power, enough to supply roughly 800 homes. This quantity of power is significant in the context of data center operations. Bhatt emphasizes the unique design: Instead of filling the top of the rocket with stacks of satellites, the entire upper stage of the rocket itself transforms into the satellite, eliminating redundant components and reducing overall orbital mass.

Inside each Big Iron satellite are five racks of high-performance computing hardware, such as Nvidia NVL72 processors. The satellite is also equipped with six high-bandwidth laser links designed to transmit data to other satellites in the constellation or down to ground stations, supporting fast, flexible communication.

Space Heat Dissipation Uses Radiative Transfer, Eliminates Water Cooling

Bhatt addresses a crucial challenge of running data centers in space: cooling. Unlike on Earth, where heat is dissipated through conduction, convection (e.g., fans), and sometimes radiation, in the vacuum of space only radiative heat transfer is available. To tackle this, the rocket’s shell, or fairing, unfolds and serves as a giant radiator, emitting thermal energy into space. This design eliminates the need for traditional water-based cooling equipment. Additionally, residual propellant from the ammonia-based fuel tanks used for orbital maneuvering can recirculate through GPU cooling loops, helping transfer heat to the radiator panels for efficient dissipation.

Constellation of 20,000 Big I ...

The company aims to revolutionize space access by building rockets designed for reliability, manufacturability, and cost-efficiency, focusing on modular, dual-purpose components throughout the system.

Developing the Clydesdale: A Reliable, Producible Gas Generator Cycle Rocket Engine

The core of the new rocket is the Clydesdale engine, a gas generator cycle engine specifically designed for ease of manufacturing and robustness, rather than maximizing performance from the outset. Each Clydesdale engine produces 300,000 pounds of thrust, which Baiju Bhatt points out is enough to hurl 50 Ford F-150 trucks to orbit—a scale of power that is difficult to imagine.

The gas generator, a central element of the engine that drives the turbo pumps, was quickly developed and tested at NASA's Stennis facility. The team built this critical component from scratch in under five months, and their first earnest test was recently completed. The emphasis for the Clydesdale is not immediate high performance but swift, reliable production to bring orbit delivery capability online as quickly as possible.

Launch Vehicle: 86m Tall, 4.7M Diameter, Transports 15 Metric Tons to Leo

The launch vehicle is 86 meters tall with a 4.7-meter diameter, deliberately chosen to push the boundaries of road-transportable rockets. Propelled by liquid oxygen and methane and constructed from stainless steel, the rocket is designed to deliver data centers—up to 15 metric tons—to low Earth orbit (LEO).

The rocket's booster stage is equipped with nine Clydesdale engines, while the upper stage employs a single Clydesdale to insert payloads into orbit. This shared engine architecture between stages not only streamlines production but also simplifies maintenance and refurbishment.

Modular Design Ensures Every Rocket Part Serves Dual Purposes to Maximize Efficiency and Reduce Mass

A hallmark of the vehicle's design is modularity and multifunctionality—every component is engineered to serve more than one purpose, minimizing redundancy and mass.

The rocket's fairing, serving as an aerodynamic shell during ascent, transforms into a radiator once in orbit. Instead of each satellite requiring its own radiator, the nose cone structure is reused as a large, effective radiator, saving weight and complexity.

Ammonia propellant tanks, initially intended for orbital maneuvering, also double as GPU cooling systems in space. Residual amm ...

Orbital Computing to Match Terrestrial Data Center Costs By 2031

Baiju Bhatt describes a vision in which orbital compute becomes cost competitive with terrestrial data centers by 2031—or sooner, if possible. As terrestrial compute costs climb, Bhatt anticipates that orbital compute costs will decline through economies of scale and continuous improvements in reusability. The fundamental challenge is to achieve cost parity for a GPU hour in space versus on the ground, despite the apples-to-oranges differences in physics and infrastructure requirements. Terrestrial computing depends on real estate, power, and cooling systems, while orbital compute relies on rocket structures, methane-fueled engines, and multi-year orbital deployments. Economic viability requires maximizing the proportion of revenue-generating equipment relative to the mass devoted to structural and propulsion systems. The goal is to achieve an entire vehicle design where parts perform dual roles, limiting weight and reducing costs.

Target for Orbital Launch Is 2028, Requiring Accelerated Aerospace Timelines Through Focused Execution and Mature Technology Selection

The company aims for its first orbital launch in 2028, demanding both an accelerated timeline and extreme focus. Bhatt highlights key milestones, including engine hot-fire testing by mid-2027 and booster testing between 2027 and 2028. Achieving this rapid pace requires a philosophy centered on hands-on capability—"the best way to get good at building rockets is by building rockets." Instead of extended planning, the company prioritizes proven technologies and mature designs to meet aggressive deadlines, always focusing on the most direct, minimum path to a working product. The design prompt starts with one question: How can cost parity with ground-based computing be achieved as efficiently as possible?

Trailhead Facility Design Enables Rapid Rocket Deployment Through Parallel Operations

The Trailhead facility concept supports high-frequency orbital data center launches. Each Trailhead includes five launch pads, with four active at any time while one is under refurbishment. This setup supports launching rockets every two minutes, provided weather allows, ensuring readiness for frequent sun-synchronous orbital insertions. Each Trailhead can be constructed for approximately $1 billion and is designed to deploy up to 660 megawatts of computing capacity annually. The use of sun-synchronous orbits allows for consistent booster return to the same site, streamlining refurbishment and enhancing reusability. Multiple Trailhead facilities in U.S. coastal regions ...

Baiju Bhatt, drawing on his lifelong exposure to aerospace through his father’s career at NASA, has observed the transformation and stagnation of the space industry. He recalls that as a child, NASA seemed more like a museum showcasing historical achievements, raising the question of why meaningful progress had slowed. These reflections ultimately informed the founding of Cowboy Space, a company devoted to building independent space infrastructure and enabling broad commercial activity beyond government programs.

Space Industry Reliance on Single Entities Limits Commercial Access to Orbit

Government-Controlled Space Access Limits Independent Commercial Activities

For the majority of recent history, access to space has been dominated by government-driven programs, with pricing, missions, and progress dictated by shifting political priorities. This dependency means that as government interests waver, so do the resources and momentum behind space activities, stifling long-term progress and deterring widespread industry participation. As Bhatt points out, the industry has largely operated “for the government, by the government, at government pricing,” perpetuating cycles based on public-sector whims rather than sustainable commercial incentives.

Cowboy Space Develops Independent Launch Capability and Orbital Infrastructure to Break Dependence on Monopolistic Access Providers

Bhatt observes that consolidation in the private sector has also become a barrier, with a single major company controlling most orbital access and prioritizing its own missions. To break this dependence and foster a commercially vibrant space environment, Cowboy Space is developing independent launch capability and orbital infrastructure. Their vision includes operating a data center in space and building an energy grid that supports a variety of corporate uses, enabling companies to pursue their own missions and self-betterment without being beholden to external agendas. Bhatt stresses this infrastructure allows people to build and profit in space in the “most American of senses”—through their own initiative and enterprise.

Creating Sustainable Commercial Incentives in Orbital Operations Beyond Government Cycles

Sustainable commercial incentives and free-market participation are essential for the long-term prosperity of the orbital economy. When only governments or monopolistic providers control space access, true economic abundance and opportunity remain out of reach. Bhatt envisions a generational shift where young people see viable careers and entrepreneurial opportunities in space, driven by recurring, market-based reasons to operate and innovate beyond simply executing government-driven missions.

Big Iron Express Provides Launch Services For 18-ton Payloads To Low Earth Orbit

Opening Orbital Access to External Companies Fuels Space Commerce and Innovation

Cowboy Space introduces the Big Iron Express, a new launch offering capable of sending third-party payloads of up to 18 tons into low Earth orbit. This launch service explicitly opens orbital access to external companies, lowering the threshold for commercial participation and encouraging new business models, research projects, and technological advancements beyond government or singular corporate interests.

Launch Service Availability Crucial to Financial Sustainability and Economic Abundance In Space

Bhatt emphasizes that regular, diversified launch options are crucial to financial sustainability and economic abundance in space. If only one entity controls the gateway to orbit, it prevents the development of a robust economy and stifles innovation. The success of Cowboy Space’s business and the larger vision for the industry depend fundamentally on expanding who can d ...