Longshot Space interview – Space cannon launcher
2 days ago
- #kinetic-launch
- #space-technology
- #innovation
- Longshot Space aims to build a 6-mile-long space cannon to launch payloads into low Earth orbit (LEO).
- The concept of using cannons for space launches dates back to Jules Verne's 'From the Earth to the Moon' (1865).
- Gerald Bull's Project HARP (1960s) achieved suborbital launches but lacked horizontal velocity for orbit.
- Longshot's design uses shock-impingement thrust, scaling up payloads to reduce heat and g-forces.
- CEO Mike Grace proposes three models: Baby Bear, Momma Bear, and Pappa Bear (up to 25 miles long).
- Longshot's approach could reduce launch costs to $10/kg, far cheaper than current rocket-based methods.
- A 30-inch prototype is ready for testing in Alameda, with plans for a larger facility in Tonopah, Nevada.
- Potential partnerships with companies like Impulse Space could enable cost-effective orbital delivery services.
- Investors include Sam Altman (OpenAI) and the U.S. Air Force, signaling confidence in the concept.
- Grace humorously acknowledges the high-risk, high-reward nature of the venture.