Longshot raises $20M to fire cargo into space from a gun

California-based Longshot Space Technology is developing a multi-injection gun to launch cargo into space and has raised about $20 million from venture investors. The company is currently firing a 70-foot, 6-inch gun that accelerates projectiles to near-hypersonic speeds, with plans for a gun up to 3,000 feet long to launch 220-pound payloads at Mach 8.

• Startup has raised about $20 million from venture investors
• Current gun: 70 feet long, 6-inch diameter, Mach 4 speeds
• Plans for a 3,000-foot gun launching 220-pound payloads at Mach 8
• Target launch cost is around $50 per kilogram