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Lisping at JPL (2002)

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Resurfaced independently across 13 calendar years, with breakout response in 4 of them.

submissions
22
submitters
19
observed span
2008–2025
peak thread · 307 comments
307 pts
latest 20+ return · 2025-05-22
169 pts

Submission timeline

2007–2026

One slot for every year since HN launched. Height is that year's peak points; orange marks a 100+ point or 50+ comment breakout. Select a bar to open its strongest thread.

First comments on top threads

HN comment order

I've read this story a couple times as it's popped up on the internet in different places. I've enjoyed it each time because it promises that lisp is an uber-powerful and easy (?) language. I'm always curious though: what's the other side of the story? Why is lisp always rejected? I started programming seriously (for money) in 2009, and when we needed a language we went with python because it had better math/science libraries than Java and much more libraries…

maliker·307-point thread·

Author here. This pops up on HN regularly, which I'm happy to see, but it's pretty dated at this point. Here is a more recent update: https://blog.rongarret.info/2023/01/lisping-at-jpl-revisited... And, as always, AMA.

lisper·169-point thread·

". . . we're confusing best practice with standard practice. The two are not the same." I'm going to print this on a Louisville Slugger and bring it to architecture and design meetings.

Here's the paper that summarizes the results of the Remote Agent flight experiment ("RAX"), which is the project Erann was working on at the time: www-aig.jpl.nasa.gov/public/papers/rax-results-isairas99.ps The stuff about integrating a Lisp executive/planner and the rest of the C flight software is in section 4.1. It's for sure none of this flight software is in Lisp any more. Additionally, I would be highly surprised if any shred of the ground software that supports it is in Lisp. Both flight and…

mturmon·97-point thread·

The first top-level comment from each of the four biggest threads, in HN’s own order. Excerpts are shortened; open a comment for full context.

Breakout years
4

100+ points or 50+ comments

Total points
972

reference only — not used in Hall rules or ranking

Total comments
572

reference only — not used in Hall rules or ranking

Every submission

DateTitle as submittedByPointsComments
2008-09-15The Rise and Fall of Lisp at the Jet Propulsion Lab.First breakoutspydez8272
2011-02-13The rise and fall of Lisp at the Jet Propulsion Lab (2002)gsivil9736
2011-11-12Lisping at JPLllambda100
2012-03-29Lisping at the Jet Propulsion LabJach11
2014-07-04Lisping at JPL (2002)luu12019
2015-04-28Lisping at JPLchristianbryant10
2015-09-08Lisping at JPL (2002)mmphosis30
2015-10-04Lisp at the Jet Propulsion Lablicorna20
2015-10-21The end of Lisp at Google (2002)bcantrill21
2016-10-21Lisping at JPL (2002)pedrodelfino50
2017-02-12Lisping at JPL (2002)gkya7137
2018-02-20Lisping at JPL (2002)tosh20
2018-04-20Lisping at JPL (2002)tosh10
2018-05-11Lisping at JPL (2002)tosh221
2020-01-18Lisping at JPL (2002)Hall induction · Best threadsandinmyjoints307307
2020-09-11Lisping at JPL (2002)tosh30
2021-01-23Lisp at JPL (2002)segfaultbuserr40
2021-08-08Lisping at JPL (2002)susam50
2021-08-09Lisping at JPL (2020)signa11569
2022-11-22I cant even say the word Lisp without cementing my reputation as a crazy lunaticdgan30
2023-07-27Lisp helped debug a $100M Spacecraft 100M miles awaybehnamoh60
2025-05-22Lisping at JPL (2002)Latest 20+ point returnadityaathalye16989