They're not a multi-stage gun because they are eschewing combustion entirely. ...
Quote from: edzieba on 08/16/2023 12:20 pmThey're not a multi-stage gun because they are eschewing combustion entirely. ...In the demonstrator they built they used compressed air. I suspect for a launch at orbital velocity they will use rocket propellants.
The company raised a $1.5 million pre-seed round in April 2023; now, nearly 18 months later, Longshot closed a little over $5 million in combined venture funding and non-dilutive funding from the U.S. Air Force’s TACFI program. The new capital will be used to build a massive, 500-meter-long gun in the Nevada desert to push 100 kilogram payloads to Mach 5. The move to Nevada is needed; Longshot has built out a prototype from its facilities in Oakland, California, but a dense, urban location is not the best place to site increasingly large space guns. The Oakland prototype hit 4.6 Mach speeds, but going any faster will mean a longer tube and the use of highly combustible hydrogen gas.
Can they build a 500 meter gun anywhere near that cheaply???
...My pain point is this: can people stop trying to re-solve launch and actually build the “things” these guys want to get into space?
S3 interviewed the team this weekend.
Quote from: Cheapchips on 09/29/2024 08:20 amS3 interviewed the team this weekend.At 13:00, they mention building a 15 km long gun with a Mach 25 exit velocity that can fire a 2 m diameter projectile, weighing 3000 kg, with a 500 kg payload into orbit.Aiming for launch in 2028-2029 in Northern Australia, as its relatively unpopulated and the gun will be really loud.
At 13:00, they mention building a 15 km long gun with a Mach 25 exit velocity that can fire a 2 m diameter projectile, weighing 3000 kg, with a 500 kg payload into orbit.Aiming for launch in 2028-2029 in Northern Australia, as its relatively unpopulated and the gun will be really loud.
Delivery Day is here, and we’re thrilled to bring this custom unit to Longshot Space Technologies Corporation in Tonopah, Nevada. This project is more than just a build; it’s a collaboration to pioneer affordable, innovative solutions for Earth and beyond. 🌍🚀This delivery marks another milestone in our mission to redefine what’s possible in sustainable, compact living. The work we’re doing with Long Shot Space not only aligns with our vision but opens up new avenues for the future of affordable housing.
Tonopah, located in the Nevada desert, presents extreme temperature swings between scorching hot days and chilly desert nights—conditions that demand durable, insulated, and adaptable spaces. Longshot Space will be using our 800 sq. ft. expandable container home to provide their team with a comfortable work environment during long testing days. With built-in climate control and durable materials, the container home offers respite from the heat while providing ample space for meetings, equipment storage, and rest.
Into the Nevada desertFor Longshot’s desert base, the team chose a milelong strip of land near the airport in 3,000-person Tonopah, Nevada, about halfway between Reno and Las Vegas. Since the airport is still in use and Longshot’s land is nearby, the company needs Federal Aviation Administration approval to start building its next guns. Nathan Saichek, Longshot’s chief technology officer and a longtime aerospace engineer, said the team plans to test subsections of its next, bigger pipe on private land nearby while they wait.First, Longshot plans to build what Grace called a “minigun,” measuring 30 inches in outside diameter. Once they build two smallish segments, making sure that pressure-firing works and the rig inside the tube speeds up right, they plan to expand it to about 1,800 feet long, or longer. Their hope, Saichek said, is that the 1,800-footer will propel a 220-pound object — closer to the weight of an average satellite than the Oakland gun’s 300-gram payloads — to Mach 5 and work as a hypersonic tester. Saichek called the next Nevada gun an “intermediate stepping stone,” necessary for testing and proof-of-concept before the company would procure the vast amounts of money needed to build a version long enough — likely more than 10 kilometers — to actually send something to space.
Join us for a live-streamed demonstration of Longshot’s revolutionary space launch technology. We’ll be firing our very own gas gun (at low pressure) followed by a live Q&A with the team behind the tech.[0:35:40] Low energy test shot occurs using Nitrogen gas.[1:35:00] Talks about building a 10-20 km long Mach 15-25 space gun in Australia.[1:40:10] Possibly launch large payloads into space within 6 years.Time Space Gun Name Length (km) Diameter (m) Projectile Mass (kg) Cost ($/kg) Acceleration (G) [1:53:10] Baby Bear152~3,000300-400 (100-150 with H2 recapture)200-300[1:53:10]Mama Bear~205~40,000>50N/A[1:54:20]Papa Bear~3510~800,000>10<200[1:56:40] 100 m/s delta-v needed to circularise payload's orbit, could use a cold gas thruster/solid motor.
Progress report: At an investor day last week, the team showed off a 70-ft long prototype that accelerates payloads to just past Mach 4. Now, they are building a 180-ft version suited for military hypersonics, with testing at speeds above Mach 5. Weapons researchers today might pay $6M to $8M to put materials or components in that environment, according to Grace, who said his company could do it for $150,000.If that works, the big leap is a 12-mile gun to send 100-kg payloads into orbit.
Probably better suited to launching materials into space from moon. Only need DV of Mach5-6 and payloads like water in metal canistor don't care about high Gs so barrel can be short.
Quote from: TrevorMonty on 06/24/2025 09:49 amProbably better suited to launching materials into space from moon. Only need DV of Mach5-6 and payloads like water in metal canistor don't care about high Gs so barrel can be short.On the Moon (or any other vacuum environment) they can omit the barrel entirely and just use guide rails for the projectile. Longshot's accelerator is not a pressure-based multi-chamber gun.
Quote from: edzieba on 06/24/2025 01:04 pmQuote from: TrevorMonty on 06/24/2025 09:49 amProbably better suited to launching materials into space from moon. Only need DV of Mach5-6 and payloads like water in metal canistor don't care about high Gs so barrel can be short.On the Moon (or any other vacuum environment) they can omit the barrel entirely and just use guide rails for the projectile. Longshot's accelerator is not a pressure-based multi-chamber gun. But it is pressure-based
Impingement of what? Pressure. I’m aware of the pinching mechanism. It’s still pressure, force over an area. A way to try to exceed the usual limits. But it is most certainly pressure.
Quote from: Robotbeat on 06/25/2025 03:28 pmImpingement of what? Pressure. I’m aware of the pinching mechanism. It’s still pressure, force over an area. A way to try to exceed the usual limits. But it is most certainly pressure.Well, at the rawest level its particle impact based. Using particles in a gas just makes handling much easier (and minimises erosion), but you could be firing small metallic pellets to the same effect.The key part is it's not propelled by a pressurised gas in an enclosure pushing a slug. No enclosure is required if your external environment is already a vacuum - the gas only needs to be directed from a nozzle to the passing projectile (which with correct nozzle design can be done through free space, as with every rocket with a de Laval nozzle), and once it impinges you don't care where it ends up afterwards, beyond preferring it to remain behind the projectile to minimise drag. This means you do not need a barrel to contain the gas, because gas containment is not a factor in the accelerator's operation. It also means you are not limited to the speed of sound in that gas, so you don't need to mess about with hot Hydrogen as in light-gas-guns.
