The Space Cowboys take over for the previously named Skeeters, which served as the franchise’s nickname from 2012-20 while an independent club, and in 2021 for its first season the Astros’ Triple-A affiliate, the team announced in a Jan. 30 news release.
The new brand links the themes of the Astros and the Greater Houston area, as Texas’ largest city and the home of the Johnson NASA Space Center, along with the cowboy narrative that has been popular in literature, TV and films for over 100 years, according to the release.
“We are excited to be launching the new identity for our Triple-A affiliate, the Sugar Land Space Cowboys,” said Anita Sehgal, Astros senior vice president, marketing and communications, in the release. “Today represents a new chapter of professional baseball in Sugar Land and the next step to take as the team moved from its independent ball roots to affiliated Triple-A baseball. Our goal was to clearly reflect a strong connection to the Astros family but also stand out as a unique identity aligned with the vibrant, progressive and family-focused values of the city of Sugar Land community.”
The Astros have announced “Orion” as the official mascot of the Sugar Land Space Cowboys, a cosmic space dog of the species “Canis Cosmicus.”
The primary logo features a Space Cowboy donning a traditional cowboy hat, a bandana, and a blast shield over his face peppered with space dust. The color palette and gradient feature light blue, navy, orange, gray and black notes inspired by a shot of the horizon of the earth from space, according to the release.
