This company is building a 10-km-long cannon to launch satellites
Longshot Space, a startup from California, wants to send satellites into orbit using a giant 10-kilometer-long cannon instead of rockets.
Their goal? Make launching stuff into space way cheaper and more frequent—think shooting payloads at Mach 23 straight into low Earth orbit.
The idea takes inspiration from old-school projects like Project HARP but aims for modern efficiency.
How it works—and why it matters
The cannon uses high-pressure gas canisters along its barrel for extra thrust, a method called shock-impingement.
To handle the crazy heat from blasting through the atmosphere, payloads will be wrapped in special materials that burn away and protect what's inside.
CEO Mike Grace hopes this tech will drop launch costs to just $10 per kilogram and eventually allow multiple launches every day—making space access faster and more affordable than ever before.