Warsaw’s Satellite Cowboys Herd Constellations for Hire
By Syed John
Orbital mechanics freelancers now babysit fleets of cubesats like digital cowhands.
Poland quietly nurtured a niche: satellite shepherds who monitor dozens of cubesats for clients across five continents. They call themselves "constellation cowboys" and juggle collision avoidance alerts while sipping espresso in Żoliborz lofts.
Space startups can't afford 24/7 operations centers, so they outsource to these freelancers who built dashboards that resemble stock trading terminals. A single operator can nudge satellites, file debris avoidance requests, and send smug emails to insurers.
Space may be the final frontier, but it already has gig workers. The cowboys like it that way—they'd rather wrangle satellites than attend defense conferences. I can't blame them.