DIY 45 foot cannon

Years ago a guy had a contract with the Navy, I believe, to use a cannon to launch research devices into space. As I remember it was several times cheaper then using rockets.

I don't remember the guy's name but he later had a contract with Iraq to build a super cannon and was assassinated in Belgium, allegedly by the Israeli Secret Service.

Yup, that was the guy.

I've read about this stuff before. It seems like a good idea, but the conse nsus seems to be that "it (is) impossible to reach a stable orbit without a n active payload which performs orbital correction burns to change the shap e of its orbit after launch." So, the payload would have to have thrusters and delicate instrumentation but still be able to survive a 5000 G launch. Sounds difficult. Considering though the cost of conventional rockets and t he orders of magnitude emissions reduction of using a cannon, this is a nic e idea.

How would anyone get a shot out through the miles-deep trash in Earth's orbit nowadays, anyway?