Reminds me greatly of Gerald Bull's cannon launching system. 
He was a renowned expert in military cannons. He did serious experimental work on launching satellites this way from a location in Canada. He sought funding to take his ideas to the next stage but was apparently blocked by U.S. interests. To survive he took a contract from Saddam's Iraq. The Israeli Mossad did not like it and told him if he continued he would be killed, which they did a few months later