Startup Unveils "Big Iron" Rocket Whose Upper Stage Is An Orbital Data Center

What happened: Cowboy Space Corporation, formerly Aetherflux and founded by Robinhood co-founder Baiju Bhatt, unveiled "Big Iron," a rocket whose upper stage is designed to stay in orbit as a megawatt-class data center. Key numbers: Rocket is 86 meters tall; nine Clydesdale engines at 300,000 pounds of thrust each, 2.7 million pounds Why it matters: Nothing has flown yet, and government customers want to see a completed rocket. The company says cost parity with terrestrial data centers and the FCC waiver are its own claims or requests, and SpaceX is the competitor looming over the effort. Coverage: 3 outlets in 24h

Cowboy Space Corporation, formerly Aetherflux and founded by Robinhood co-founder Baiju Bhatt, unveiled "Big Iron," a rocket whose upper stage is designed to stay in orbit as a megawatt-class data center.

Nothing has flown yet, and government customers want to see a completed rocket. The company says cost parity with terrestrial data centers and the FCC waiver are its own claims or requests, and SpaceX is the competitor looming over the effort.