What to watch
- Its front advances at the same rate as the LWSS and MWSS.
- The larger body needs a wider viewport to inspect comfortably.
- It is useful for studying repeated spaceship motifs.
Spaceships
Heavyweight spaceship
HWSS
The broadest of the classic lightweight, middleweight, heavyweight trio.
The HWSS completes the classic orthogonal spaceship sequence and makes it easy to compare body width against the same c/2 velocity.
HWSS completes the classic c/2 spaceship trio
The heavyweight spaceship has period 4 and moves orthogonally at c/2. It is the broadest of the lightweight, middleweight, heavyweight spaceship family, so it works best after the user has already seen LWSS.
Spaceships13 cells7 x 5 boxperiod 4
- Category
- Spaceships
- Period
- 4
- Movement
- c/2 orthogonal
- Population
- 13 cells
- Bounding box
- 7 x 5
- Known since
- 1970
How to use it
Use it after LWSS and MWSS to compare a complete spaceship family.
Compare this pattern with its family
Open the pattern in the lab, reduce the speed, and use single-step mode when a phase change is hard to see. The green preview marks births in the next generation; red outlines mark live cells that will die.
Fast answers
Common questions about Heavyweight spaceship
What does HWSS mean?
HWSS means heavyweight spaceship, the broadest member of the classic LWSS, MWSS, HWSS orthogonal spaceship trio.
What is the period and speed of HWSS?
HWSS has period 4 and moves orthogonally at c/2, like LWSS and MWSS.
Why search for HWSS RLE?
A user searching for HWSS RLE usually wants to copy the exact pattern into another Life tool. The page should first confirm the pattern facts and behavior.
Next experiments
Compare nearby patterns
Move between similar structures to see which facts change: box size, lifespan, extinction, motion, and final ash.
Middleweight spaceship
A wider c/2 spaceship with a larger body than the LWSS.
- Size
- 6 x 5
- Lifespan
- 4
Glider
The smallest spaceship and the standard signal in Life.
- Size
- 3 x 3
- Lifespan
- 4
Loafer
A small orthogonal spaceship with an unusually slow c/7 speed.
- Size
- 9 x 9
- Lifespan
- 7