Cowboy Space Reveals Big Iron Rocket Specs; ESA Themis Flight Uncertain

Cowboy Space has revealed specifications for its Big Iron medium-lift rocket. The vehicle will stand 282 feet tall with a diameter of about 15 feet. It is powered by methane-fueled Clydesdale engines, with nine on the first stage and one on the second. The rocket will carry up to 18 metric tons to low-Earth orbit. The company plans to loft the vehicle before the end of 2028. Founder Baiju Bhatt started the company in 2024 under the name Aetherflux and rebranded it earlier this year. The rocket is named after a classic country-western song by Marty Robbins.

Meanwhile, the European Space Agency may not complete the first flight of its Themis reusable rocket demonstrator before the end of the year. Director Géraldine Naja made this statement on October 22, citing the harsh Scandinavian winter as a potential barrier. The Themis rocket uses a reusable methane-fueled Prometheus engine. Officials originally expected the first low-altitude hop test in 2022. Director General Josef Aschbacher said in January that the test would happen in the first quarter of 2026.