Longshot Develops Gigantic Hypersonic Gun to Launch Cargo into Space

Image: A multi-injection gun built by Longshot Space Technology is fired at a test site in California. · Source

Longshot Space Technology is building massive guns to launch payloads into orbit, aiming to dramatically cut space cargo costs and serve hypersonic military testing.

Traditional rocket launches are costly and inefficient, with much of the rocket's weight failing to reach orbit. Seeking an alternative, Longshot Space Technology, a startup based in Alameda, California, is reviving the century-old idea of launching payloads into space using a giant gun. The company's approach builds on multi-injection gun technology originally developed for military use, enabling projectiles to receive multiple boosts while traveling down the barrel.

Currently, Longshot operates a 70-foot-long, six-inch diameter gun at its Barstow test site that can accelerate projectiles to near-hypersonic speeds. The company plans to soon test a larger 140-foot, 30-inch diameter gun at Alameda, followed by an even larger 328-foot gun of the same diameter. Their long-term goal envisions constructing a gun approximately 3,000 feet long and nearly 10 feet in diameter capable of firing 220-pound payloads at speeds approaching Mach 8.

Such a system could serve dual purposes: one immediate application is hypersonic testing for the U.S. military, allowing affordable and rapid testing of missile interceptors by firing projectiles that simulate enemy hypersonic weapons. This approach could considerably reduce testing costs compared to traditional methods.

Ultimately, Longshot aims to launch cargo into space by firing payloads at velocities around five kilometers per second, sufficient for orbital insertion if the payload has onboard propulsion. However, achieving this requires extremely large guns, about six miles long and almost 10 feet wide, posing logistical challenges in finding suitable sites.

CEO Mike Grace points to the affordability and reusability of this technology, estimating launch costs as low as $50 per kilogram, vastly more economical than current rocket launches. This could enable new markets, such as orbital data centers, to become financially viable. While spacecraft design will need adaptation for gun launch conditions, such cost savings make the concept potentially transformative for space logistics.

Longshot's innovative work was highlighted at TechCrunch Disrupt 2026, showcasing its potential to reshape space access through a blend of proven artillery technology and futuristic ambition.