About this episode
Nato Saichek discusses the unconventional approach of using a space gun for cheaper access to orbit.
Nato Saichek, cofounder and CTO of Longshot Space, joins South Park Commons Partner Jonathan Brebner to explain why rockets won the space race for the wrong reasons—and why a 15-kilometer space gun may be the most rational path to cheap access to orbit. Nato traces Longshot's origins from garage experiments with his cofounder Mike Grace, through building the world's largest operational cannon, to a first-principles reimagining of launch economics. He explains why $4 trillion in rocket investment locked civilization into a local optimum, how aerospace-grade hardware can be replicated for $5 in parts, and what it actually feels like to shoulder the weight of a deeply unconventional bet. Nato Saichek: https://www.linkedin.com/in/natosaichek/ Jonathan Brebner: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jonathan-brebner/ South Park Commons: https://www.linkedin.com/company/southparkcommons/ Apply to SPC: https://www.southparkcommons.com/apply Chapters: (00:00:00) - The 15-Kilometer Space Gun (00:06:27) - The History of Space Guns and Why the Idea Was Abandoned (00:09:33) - Why Rockets Aren’t the Best Solution (00:18:39) - The Story of Longshot Space (00:22:09) - Nato On Leaving His Dream Job…
People in this episode
Host: Jonathan Brebner
Guest: Nato Saichek
Topics covered
- space exploration
- rockets
- launch economics
- innovation
- entrepreneurship
Keywords
- space gun
- rockets
- Longshot Space
- launch economics
- aerospace
Mentioned in this episode
Organizations: Longshot Space, South Park Commons
More episodes of Minus One
- Why Great AI Companies Are Moving Beyond Tools | Amit Jain (Luma AI) · May 21, 2026 · 40 min
- The AI Cybersecurity Crisis Is Here | Nikesh Arora (Palo Alto Networks CEO) · April 30, 2026 · 49 min
- How Replit Is Enabling a New Wave of Million-Dollar Founders | Amjad Masad & Haya Odeh · April 23, 2026 · 50 min
- Anthropic CTO on AI Safety in the Age of Exponential Growth | Rahul Patil · April 9, 2026 · 45 min
- Elad Gil: Silicon Valley’s Most Dangerous Startup Advice · March 26, 2026 · 44 min
- What Gamma ($2B Unicorn) Learned that Most Founders Get Backwards | Grant Lee · March 12, 2026 · 36 min
Explore listener stats, chart rankings, contacts and more on the Minus One podcast page.