The Missing Launch Log
A spaceport’s launch log has vanished. Four shuttles—Aster, Bolt, Comet, and Drift—each launched exactly once, one at a time. All three surviving clues are true.
Bolt launches immediately before Drift.
Aster launches before Bolt.
Comet launches neither first nor last.
Which shuttle launches second?
No specialist knowledge is needed. The illustration is decorative; every clue is written above.
Need a Hint?
Treat Bolt and Drift as an adjacent pair. Try placing that pair in slots 1–2, 2–3, and 3–4.
Reveal Answer & Explanation
Comet launches second.
The Bolt–Drift pair cannot occupy slots 1–2. Aster must launch before Bolt, but there is no earlier slot.
The pair cannot occupy slots 2–3. Aster would have to be first, leaving Comet last, which the third clue forbids.
The pair must occupy slots 3–4. Aster and Comet fill the first two slots. Comet cannot be first, so Aster is first and Comet is second.
| Position | Shuttle |
|---|---|
| 1 | Aster |
| 2 | Comet |
| 3 | Bolt |
| 4 | Drift |
Bolt is immediately before Drift, Aster is before Bolt, and Comet is neither first nor last. All conditions hold. Testing all 24 possible orders yields exactly this one solution.
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This free social puzzle was developed with AI assistance and checked for a unique solution. Its artwork is an illustration, not an actual physical product. Read our AI Disclosure.