The Low Energy Beam and Ion Trap (LEBIT) Project aims to convert the high‐energy exotic beams produced at NSCL/MSU into low‐energy low‐emittance beams. A combination of a high‐pressure gas stopping cell and a radiofrequency quadrupole (RFQ) ion accumulator and buncher will be used to manipulate the beam accordingly. High‐accuracy mass measurements on very short‐lived isotopes with a 9.4 T Penning trap system will be the first experimental program to profit from the low‐energy beams. The status of the project is presented with a focus on recent stopping tests of 100–140 MeV/A Ar18+ions in a gas cell. © 2003 American Institute of Physics