Rockets are notoriously challenging to design and operate, with physics imposing strict limitations on their construction. However, Longshot Space Technology, a startup based in Alameda, California, is exploring an alternative method: using a gun to shoot cargo into space. Co-founders Mike Grace and Nato Saichek believe that leveraging proven technology can address the pressing need for efficient space launches.
Innovative Approach to Space Launch
Longshot has raised approximately $20 million from venture investors to develop its unique launch system. Grace emphasizes the importance of balancing novelty with practicality in frontier technology, citing SpaceX as a successful example of scaling de-risked technology.
The startup plans to utilize multi-injection guns, originally designed for World War II and further researched in the 1960s, to replace the first stage of traditional launch vehicles. The concept involves a horizontal steel pipe equipped with high-pressure gas tanks that fire at precise intervals to accelerate projectiles to speeds reaching Mach 4.
Testing and Future Plans
Currently, Longshot is testing a 70-foot gun with a 6-inch diameter at its site near Barstow, California, capable of achieving near-hypersonic speeds. The company aims to construct a 140-foot-long gun with a 30-inch diameter at its Alameda facility, eventually expanding to a 328-foot gun that could reach 3,000 feet in length, making it the largest gun globally. This system is designed to launch 220-pound payloads at speeds of up to Mach 8.
