Hacker News Reader

> if we were to launch in 2076 at 0.2c, we could eventually launch something faster

If you never launch at 0.2c, you’re less likely to build the kit that launches something faster later.

I think you're thinking of the Lightspeed Leapfrog trope[1].

(In a more general sense, it's the inverse of the first-mover advantage: the law of the handicap of a head start[32])

Or: the early bird gets the worm, but the second mouse gets the cheese.

We launched the first Voyager in the 70s. 50 years on do we have anything catching up to it?

In 2076 we might.

> In fact there's a 'law' or 'paradox' that I can't remember the name of

The incessant obsolescence postulate.