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10:35 - More historical references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:
- "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
- 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-
- Space Business Newsletter 📬 https://spacebusiness.substack.com/
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