What to watch
- Run it for four generations to see the translated phase.
- It moves horizontally in the default orientation.
- The tail cells repeatedly clean up the debris they create.
Spaceships
Lightweight spaceship
LWSS
The smallest orthogonal spaceship.
The LWSS shows that spaceships can move straight across the grid, not only diagonally. It is a basic component in Life signal design.
LWSS is the smallest orthogonal spaceship
The lightweight spaceship has period 4 and moves orthogonally at c/2. It is the cleanest first comparison after the diagonal glider because it moves straight across the board.
Spaceships9 cells5 x 4 boxperiod 4
- Category
- Spaceships
- Period
- 4
- Movement
- c/2 orthogonal
- Population
- 9 cells
- Bounding box
- 5 x 4
- Known since
- 1970
How to use it
Use it to compare diagonal and orthogonal movement.
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 Lightweight spaceship
What does LWSS mean?
LWSS means lightweight spaceship. It is the smallest classic orthogonal spaceship in Conway Life.
What is the period and speed of LWSS?
LWSS has period 4 and moves orthogonally at c/2.
Why do people search for LWSS RLE?
They usually want a portable text version to paste into Golly, LifeWiki, or another Life viewer. This page helps verify the pattern behavior before that handoff.