Forget rockets — Longshot wants to fire cargo into space from a gun. See it at TechCrunch Disrupt 2026
Longshot Space Technology is developing a ground-based gun to accelerate cargo towards space, aiming to offer an alternative to rockets, which carry only a small share of their total mass into orbit. The Alameda startup says it can build on earlier multi-injection gun research, using staged bursts of high-pressure gas to propel projectiles, and has raised about $20 million.
Its current test gun is 70 feet long and six inches wide, and has reached speeds of up to Mach 4. Longshot plans to test a 140-foot gun, then build a 328-foot version that could extend to about 3,000 feet and launch 220-pound payloads at Mach 8. In the nearer term, military contracts for hypersonic testing could help fund development; the article does not establish when or whether the system will carry cargo into space.
- Longshot is developing a ground-based gun to accelerate payloads.
- Its planned system targets 220-pound payloads at Mach 8.
- Military testing contracts could support the technology’s development.
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Rockets carry their fuel and engines with them, so much of their mass is used to get the rest into orbit. Longshot Space Technology is exploring a different approach: accelerate cargo along a long ground-based barrel using successive bursts of high-pressure gas.
The Alameda company’s work draws on earlier research into guns that use several injections of gas to build speed. It is testing the idea on a smaller scale, while considering longer versions and possible military contracts for high-speed testing. The approach matters because it could offer another way to send equipment upwards, but it remains uncertain whether it can deliver cargo to space.
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The strongest fair case each way — we don't pick a winner.
The case for
A gun-based launcher could offer a more efficient way to send some cargo towards orbit, reducing reliance on rockets that devote much of their mass to fuel and hardware. If staged gas propulsion can scale as Longshot expects, it might support frequent, lower-cost launches, while military testing contracts could help fund development and provide useful technical experience.
The case against
The concept remains far from demonstrated: the reported tests have reached Mach 4, while the planned system would need to reach Mach 8, and the article gives no timetable or evidence that it can deliver cargo into orbit. Building a much larger gun and ensuring its payloads survive the extreme acceleration could prove difficult, so the projected efficiency and cost advantages remain uncertain.