RENDERINGS: See plans for Hypersonic testing facility in Tonopah
Longshot Space Technology Corp. has big plans and the town of Tonopah is at the center of it all.
The company’s ambition is to build an experimental hypersonic/supersonic aerospace testing facility on leased land at the Tonopah Airport and it’s now taken another step forward in making that goal a reality. Longshot Space co-founder and CEO Michael Grace went before the Nye County Commission this week to secure a development agreement that helps pave the way for what Grace calls the world’s largest potato gun.
“The way people make things go really fast right now is with rockets,” Grace explained for the board, “We (Longshot) use electricity to compress gases… Initially, we’re going to go as quick and dirty as we can to get something built, so we can prove to the U.S. Air Force, so we can prove to the customers, that this a real thing, that it’s new, that it’s different and they should consider it strongly.”
Grace is aiming to create his hypersonic testing facility to aid the development of newly emerging technology. Longshot Space wants to conduct tests for private entities but Grace’s ultimate objective is to secure contracts with the U.S. government. The Tonopah Airport, close to the Nevada National Security Site, provides an ideal location for testing.
One of the main concerns voiced about the project relates to noise levels but Grace said this should not cause much disturbance to the community, comparing the sound to a thunderclap. In addition, the facility design will incorporate 10-foot-tall earthen berms along each side of the testing strip, to further dampen the sound.
When questioned by the public about environmental impact, Grace said his project, if successful, would provide an environmental benefit by giving companies and governments a cleaner option for reaching incredibly high speeds and launching things into space. He emphasized that traditional rockets come with a huge amount of emissions that can have harmful effects, stating, “I hope that the impact on the environment, not just locally but globally, will be a really good thing.”
As to the benefits that would come to the community of Tonopah, Grace did not shy away from acknowledging the inherent uncertainty of the project.
“How much business we’re able to draw in, how many people we end up employing locally, the tax revenue that is generated and potential tourism that is generated from the activities, really hinges a lot on my ability to convince some three-star general that this is something he wants to throw a significant contract to,” he conceded.
Despite this, Grace’s optimism remains undaunted and he has a deep belief in his project. “I don’t want to oversell anything, I can’t make any promises about the future success of my business. I’m just going to do everything I can to make it a success,” Grace added.
Commissioner Bruce Jabbour made the motion to approve the development agreement, with a second from Carbone. The motion passed with all in favor.
The land lease agreement associated with the project was approved in April at a price of $3,000 per month, with the condition that construction begin within a year of that approval and conclude by March 2027. Commissioners will review the project at least once every 24 months.
Additional details on the project can be found in previous coverage at pvtimes.com
Contact reporter Robin Hebrock at rhebrock@pvtimes.com
