Space Business Podcast #133 - Mike Grace, Longshot Space: Building Space Cannons

Space Business Podcast

My guest this week: Mike Grace, Founder and CEO of Longshot Space. Longshot is developing a kinetic launch system, using a multi-injection gas-powered cannon to send payloads to orbit at significantly reduced costs. Mike explains the engineering behind the technology, its economic advantages, and the challenges of creating a system capable of high-velocity launches.

🕰️ Timestamps:

00:00 - Countdown & podcast intro

02:04 - Elevator Pitch

03:37 - Mike’s Bold Pitching Style

05:58 - German heritage

08:46 - Gerald Bull and Project Harp

10:35 - More historical references

15:12 - Longshot Space's kinetic launch system

16:15 - Technical details

19:26 - Challenges and innovations of the technology

27:16 - Single-stage to orbit feasibility

34:24 - Limitations of Rockets

35:47 - Kinetic launch and target orbits

36:59 - Kinetic launch from the Moon

39:21 - Gas handling and launch frequency

48:00 - Longshot's Vision for the Future

01:05:05 - Sci-Fi Favorites

📍 About the Guest:

Mike Grace, Founder and CEO of LongShot Space. After serving in the Army Mike studied economics and found himself, inexplicably, doing an astrobiology internship at NASA Ames. That ended up turning into a job, a wife, a master’s degree in genetics, and several stints at aerospace and biotech startups.

Mike enjoys board games and wearing inflatable t-rex costumes to events where they are not really appropriate.

🔗 Connect with Mike:

🤝 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mike-grace-03452614/

🔗 Follow us:

X: https://www.x.com/podcast_space

🤝🏻LinkedIn : https://www.linkedin.com/company/space-business-podcast/
🌐 Other Socials: https://linktr.ee/spacebusinesspodcast

🔗 Follow Raphael:

🔷LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/raphaelrottgen/

🌐Instagram - https://.instagram.com/raphael_space/

◇ Twitter/X - https://x.com/RaphaelE2MC

To Learn more about Space & the Space Economy:

1. "To Infinity" – Raphael’s Revised Introduction to the Space Economy
   This book provides an insightful look into the space economy, its current trends, and future opportunities.
   📚 https://a.co/d/6jIQ2LO
2. edX/EPFL's Space Economy MOOC
   This course offers a detailed understanding of the New Space Economy, covering key concepts and market developments.
   🎓 https://www.edx.org/course/new-space-
3. Space Business Newsletter
   📬 https://spacebusiness.substack.com/