Orbit · Explore

Space · by Hana Choi · 2026-10-05

What I wish I knew before trying rockets before coffee

> Tiny progress is still progress.

That line sounds cheesy, but it got me thru the part where rockets stopped feeling new.

I know this is a tiny sample size, but after 8 attempts the pattern is pretty clear. When I keep the setup simple, I actually follow through.

I tried this in Toronto with a friend and we both noticed the same thing: the social part mattered more than the perfect plan.

Would love to hear how other people handle this. I am especially curious about the version that works on a tired weekday, not just on an ideal Sunday

85 sparks · 34 comments

Comments

Aisha Rahman · 27 likes

This is the kind of useful internet I still show up for. A little friction removed goes a long way

Valeria López · 2 likes

good clarification — I read it differently at first

Isha Menon · 17 likes

I love this. It feels practical without pretending life is neat

Hana Choi · 4 likes

yep, the boring details matter

Lucas Dubois · 2 likes

That is a good boundary

Beatriz Sousa · 13 likes

What would you change if you started over? For me it came down to the recipe

Rapid Comet · 12 likes

agree completely. The simple version is underrated. That is where the boring checklist helps

Pixel Baker · 1 likes

@de_otter You just saved me a bad purchase

Rafael Almeida · 12 likes

this is adorable and oddly motivating. I noticed teh same thing in Jakarta

Chloe Davis · 8 likes

Great point, especially the part about trying. Honestly, the simplest version wins for me

Pablo Martín · 8 likes

There is probably a middle ground here. It sounds small, but the practice run matters

Avery Johnson · 8 likes

I would push back gently on the coffee part. It sounds small, but the practice run matters

Budi Santoso · 8 likes

I am mostly here for the follow-up. This would have saved me a lot of trial and error

Sara Hosseini · 1 likes

yep, the boring details matter

[deleted] · 8 likes

wonderful detail. It makes the whole thing feel real

Martina Fernández · 0 likes

Kind of wild how often makes is the whole issue

Priya Nair · 8 likes

I wonder how much of this depends on timing. I appreciate when people separate evidence from speculation

Angel Reyes · 7 likes

Love the tiny experiment energy. The the corner shop detail changes the whole answer

Aoi Ito · 4 likes

This is adorable and oddly motivating

Oliver Smith · 5 likes

@solar_river Short answer: yes. Long answer: also yes

Chloe Davis · 4 likes

There is a hidden assumption here that not everyone shares. I would test it for 8 days before deciding

Rohan Mehta · 3 likes

I wanted to like this, but the before argument is weak. I keep a note about astronomy for exactly this reason

Minji Kim · 3 likes

I needed the reminder to start smaller

Ren Suzuki · 3 likes

I love this. It feels practical without pretending life is neat. It sounds small, but the first draft matters

Felix Weber · 3 likes

Really good advice, and it feels doable. I am curious whether telescopes still feels good next month

Gentle Rider · 2 likes

This feels like advice from a patient friend. The Lagos example makes it feel concrete

Sofía Hernández · 14 likes

The Tuesday test is undefeated

Huy Le · 1 likes

I laughed, but you are not wrong

Mina Chowdhury · 1 likes

glad you shared it; small wins count. A little friction removed goes a long way. Nature keeps being stranger then the simplified diagram

Oussama Alaoui · 1 likes

my version of this was messier, but the conclusion was similar. The low-effort version is probly the keeper

Solar Coder · 1 likes

Fair point, but I had the opposite experience. For me it came down to the practice run. Nature keeps being stranger then the simplified diagram

Maya Putri · 0 likes

short answer: yes. Long answer: also yes

Élodie Favre · 1 likes

Anecdotally, this tracks with what I have seen. That is the kind of detail beginners miss

Nour Ali · 0 likes

My first thought was cost, then time, then whether I would remember to do it. The beautiful constraint is probably the real story