GoKawiilLongshot Space Builds Giant Gas-Powered Cannon to Launch Satellites
Longshot Space is developing what it calls the world's largest gun, a cannon that uses successive bursts of compressed gas rather than traditional rocket fuel to hurl satellites into orbit. The barrel, eventually planned to stretch for miles, is designed to gradually accelerate payloads to the speeds needed to reach space. Company representatives say the ruggedized satellites they envision could survive the launch shock, though they acknowledge the method isn't suited for delicate equipment or people.
GoKawiil's interpretation of the reporting above, not reported fact.
Rockets waste most of their mass carrying fuel, so a gas-powered launch system could dramatically cut the cost of getting hardware into orbit by replacing propellant with mechanical force. If Longshot's approach proves viable at scale, it could open a cheaper, high-frequency alternative for deploying rugged satellites, reshaping how companies think about space access beyond conventional rocketry.
- Longshot Space is building a giant multi-stage gas cannon instead of using rocket fuel to launch payloads.
- The system relies on repeated gas bursts through a barrel planned to eventually span miles in length.
- The technology only suits hardened satellites, not fragile instruments or crewed missions.
Source: cnet.com — Jesse Orrall, 2026-09-08
Published there as: “World’s Largest Gun Aims to Shoot Satellites Into Space”
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