Forget rockets — Longshot wants to fire cargo into space from a gun. See it at TechCrunch Disrupt 2026
Longshot is trying to build a gun big enough to make space data centers a reality.
Rockets are notoriously unreliable, requiring near-perfect precision to reach orbit. Alternative methods such as space elevators, centrifuges, or tethered chains have been proposed, but Jules Verne's gun concept remains a viable option. Longshot Space Technology, a California-based startup, aims to utilize this idea with a ground-based gun system.
CEO Mike Grace and CTO Nato Saichek believe the technology already proven in WWII and 1960s research can be adapted for modern space launch needs. The company has secured $20 million in funding to develop multi-injection guns, capable of accelerating projectiles to hypersonic speeds. Currently testing a 70-foot gun near Barstow, California, Longshot plans to build increasingly larger guns, culminating in a 3,000-foot-long, 328-foot-tall gun.
These guns could accelerate 220-pound payloads to Mach 8, enabling space launches at a projected cost of $50 per kilogram. While challenges remain in site selection and payload modifications, Longshot aims to make space access affordable and competitive with emerging satellite industries.
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