Top all-time · #458
Winchell Chung
Personal blog · projectrho.comsciencewriting
Winchell Chung's personal blog at projectrho.com covers science and writing. Since 2008, 125 different Hacker News readers have linked it 208 times, most often “Atomic Rockets of the Space Patrol, or “So You Wanna Build a Rocket?””. No feed was found, so read it on the site itself.
Sometimes recommended · 14 of 40 sampled comments recommend it?
Why HN links it
HN readers link it as the reference for realistic spaceflight and space-combat physics, especially the Atomic Rockets pages, and for fusion and rocket engine figures.
- Recommended for · 14 comments
- Called the most comprehensive resource and 'full of good stuff'; one commenter says 'usually well-researched'.
Summarised by Claude from a sample of 40 HN comments that link here. Each comment is marked recommending, critical or neutral (citing without judging); how this works.
Most-linked posts?
- Atomic Rockets of the Space Patrol, or “So You Wanna Build a Rocket?”9 people · 9 mentions · first linked 2014-06-13
- /public_html/rocket/spacewardetect.php5 people · 7 mentions · first linked 2014-06-13
- Nukes in Space5 people · 5 mentions · first linked 2015-05-16
- Torchships – Atomic Rockets (2012)5 people · 5 mentions · first linked 2017-05-31
- Atomic Rockets4 people · 5 mentions · first linked 2014-09-11
- /public_html/rocket/spacewardetect.php4 people · 5 mentions · first linked 2012-09-29
- Atomic Rocketships of the Space Patrol or "So You Wanna Build a Rocket?"4 people · 4 mentions · first linked 2025-03-28
- /public_html/rocket/index.php3 people · 4 mentions · first linked 2012-09-29
- /public_html/rocket/reactionlessdrive.php3 people · 3 mentions · first linked 2014-11-24
- Realistic Spaceship Designs3 people · 3 mentions · first linked 2015-04-04
What Hacker News says?
Not the worst idea ever... tbh Project Orion: http://www.projectrho.com/public_html/rocket/enginelist3.php... Given what we have available to us. It gives us the most propulsive force. Lots of hard problems to solve :)
Comment linking /public_html/rocket/enginelist3.php
on “Freeman Dyson Has Died”Submitted Eldar Black Holes as a story · 320 points
HN discussionIf look at it the other way around: burning the reaction mass is the only source of energy you use to accelerate the reaction mass — it doesn't sound obviously optimal. Nuclear thermal, and nuclear/solar electric (aka ion) rockets achieve better specific impulse despite carrying separate weight for power. Some nuclear designs (e.g. Orion as johncolanduoni said) do have overlap between reaction mass and energy source…
Comment linking /public_html/rocket/enginelist.php
on “Philae Found”Submitted Worldbuilding as a story · 187 points
HN discussionProject Rho gives several compelling reasons why there ain't no stealth in space https://www.projectrho.com/public_html/rocket/spacewardetect...
Comment linking /public_html/rocket/spacewardetect.php
on “Relativistic Spaceship”Submitted Torchships – Atomic Rockets (2012) as a story · 60 points
HN discussionAtomic Rockets by a wide margin: http://www.projectrho.com/public_html/rocket/
Comment linking /public_html/rocket/
on “Ask HN: What is your favorite internet rabbit hole?”Submitted Drake's Radioglyph as a story · 11 points
HN discussionCan you prove an old crotcheteer wrong? Let's take a really simple example. I'd like to see information about "rocket engines." Just masses and masses of enthusiast information for/from a technical point of view. Think something like Atomic Rockets [1] but more technical and less sci fi. An example of the 'ethos' I'm talking about would be something analogous to Fredric Parker's videos about KIC 8462852 / Tabby's St…
Comment linking /public_html/rocket/
on “Does anyone remember websites?”Submitted Atomic Rockets as a story · 6 points
HN discussionSince you linked these pages, you and others also might find this interesting: http://www.projectrho.com/public_html/rocket/misconceptions.... In my opinion Atomic Rocket contains the most accurate discussion of hard science fiction I've ever encountered.
Comment linking /public_html/rocket/misconceptions.php
on “Spaceship Generator”Submitted Faster Than Light Starships as a story · 3 points
HN discussionThere are even KSP mods that let you build honest-to-god, as-Clarke-would-have-recognized-them torchships [0] - so if you want to deorbit by burning radial-in, you can certainly try! You might end up with reentry heating issues, but that's what burning retrograde with your torchship is for. Who cares about making the landscape glow for the next century, we've got fusion ! 0: http://www.projectrho.com/public_html/roc…
Comment linking /public_html/rocket/torchships.php
on “Kerbal Space Program 2”Submitted Realistic Designs N-Q – Atomic Rockets as a story · 2 points
HN discussionHere's the one with lots of basic math around the subject: * http://www.projectrho.com/public_html/rocket/basicdesign.php... These next two are in regards to dealing with heat in space warfare: * http://www.projectrho.com/public_html/rocket/spacewarship.ph... * http://www.projectrho.com/public_html/rocket/spacewardefense...
Comment linking /public_html/rocket/spacewardefense.php
on “What happens when you wring out a washcloth in space [video]”Submitted Atomic Rocketships of the Space Patrol or "So You Wanna Build a Rocket?" as a story · 2 points
HN discussionProject Rho has lay-person accessible detail on type of fusion reactions.[1] Well worth a read. The takeaway is, if we can't do D-T fusion, then don't even think about any of the other kinds. They're orders of magnitude harder. 1. http://projectrho.com/public_html/rocket/fusionfuel.php
Comment linking /public_html/rocket/fusionfuel.php
on “Compact nuclear fusion reactor is 'very likely to work,' studies suggest”Submitted Atomic Rockets of the Space Patrol, or “So You Wanna Build a Rocket?” as a story · 2 points
HN discussionActually we do know it would work. The fundamental physics are sound. A pusher plate can in fact transfer net positive momentum from a series of explosive shockwaves detonated aft of the pusher plate in the desired direction of travel. There’s plenty of video footage from the Hot Rod tests showing it working. https://youtu.be/Q8Sv5y6iHUM The hot rod test article was actually donated to the national air and space mus…
Comment linking /public_html/rocket/realdesigns2.php
on “Two potentially life-friendly planets found orbiting a nearby star”Submitted Preliminary Notes – Atomic Rockets as a story · 2 points
HN discussionhttp://www.projectrho.com/public_html/rocket/torchships.php assuming an epstein drive is possible yeah it opens up more or less direct brachistochrone trajectories between here and mars. Just wait until the planets align and burn.
Comment linking /public_html/rocket/torchships.php
on “Kerbal Space Program Acquired by Take-Two Interactive”Submitted Winchell Chung’s Atomic Rockets as a story · 2 points
HN discussionElon's space ideas scrapbook will have a few of these pictures in: http://www.projectrho.com/public_html/rocket/embarking.php
Comment linking /public_html/rocket/embarking.php
on “Starship Prototype Unveiled”Submitted Vulcan's Sun (1991) as a story · 2 points
HN discussionThere are no stealth satellites. It's impossible to hide in orbit due to power and cooling requirements. http://www.projectrho.com/public_html/rocket/spacewardetect....
Comment linking /public_html/rocket/spacewardetect.php
on “How fighter jets lock on, and how the targets know (2014)”Submitted Weapons For Space Wars as a story · 2 points
HN discussionYou can start here: http://www.projectrho.com/rocket/misconceptions.php
Comment linking /rocket/misconceptions.php
on “Notch's next game is an MMO”Submitted Atomic Rockets – Build your own spaceship as a story · 1 points
HN discussionOne thing I remember from those books is how they lay on their stomach during acceleration, whereas I believe all real life astronauts have been sitting, or on their backs: http://www.projectrho.com/public_html/rocket/images/deckplan... Which is also interesting given the recent (well... not even so recent now) discovery of the benefits of placing COVID patients in a prone position to ease breathing.
Comment linking /public_html/rocket/images/deckplans/Tintin5.jpg
on “SpaceX test flight of Starship SN-5 [video]”Submitted Atomic Rocket as a story · 1 points
HN discussion
