Rockets have long been the go-to method for launching payloads into space, but Longshot Space Technology is proposing a radical alternative: firing cargo into orbit from a gun. The startup, based in Alameda, California, is working on multi-injection gun designs that can accelerate projectiles to near-hypersonic speeds. The company envisions a 10-kilometer-long, 10-foot-diameter gun capable of launching 220-pound payloads at speeds of Mach 8, for a mere $50 per kilogram.

CEO Mike Grace and CTO Nato Saichek are confident that this technology can significantly reduce the cost of space launches, with the potential to scale up to launch satellites at a fraction of the cost of traditional rockets. Longshot is already generating revenue by performing hypersonic testing for the U.S. military and sees its guns as a key part of the infrastructure for testing the next generation of U.S. interceptors.

However, the company faces challenges in finding suitable worksites for its ambitious projects. Despite this, Grace is optimistic, stating, 'If you want to practice shooting down a Chinese or Russian hypersonic missile, wouldn’t it be nice not to pay $30 million for that?'

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