# Name The Space Station! **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [November 2, 2000, 7:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/name-the-space-station/39425 "2000-11-02T19:15:38Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![AtomicDog](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ac91a4/32.png) [@AtomicDog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AtomicDog)\ **Post date:** [November 2, 2000, 7:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/name-the-space-station/39425/1 "2000-11-02T19:15:38Z")
This morning, the first crew to actually occupy the International Space Station entered it, hopefully beginning the permanent presence of humankind in space. The callsign that the crew used was “Alpha”. I believe that the station needs a real name, and my favorite is one that reflects both the countries that have come together on this project. My choice is Space Station Asimov, to honor the Russian-American who, IMHO, is both the greatest Science Fiction writer and the greatest popularizer of science who ever lived, and who is my personal hero. I would like to see the nominations of other Dopers out there, and the reasons for their choices. ---
**Author:** ![Jack\_Batty](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jack_batty/32/3201_2.png) [@Jack\_Batty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jack_Batty)\ **Post date:** [November 2, 2000, 7:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/name-the-space-station/39425/2 "2000-11-02T19:55:02Z")
I think Astro-Battyland has a nice ring to it. ---
**Author:** ![Soup](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/977dab/32.png) [@Soup](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Soup)\ **Post date:** [November 2, 2000, 8:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/name-the-space-station/39425/3 "2000-11-02T20:12:20Z")
Pac Bell Space Station ---
**Author:** ![Palandine](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/958977/32.png) [@Palandine](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Palandine)\ **Post date:** [November 2, 2000, 8:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/name-the-space-station/39425/4 "2000-11-02T20:20:40Z")
I’m partial to Daedalus, myself. It’s got the mythology thing going for it, which harks back to the heyday of excitement about space exploration in the 60s (Apollo, Gemini), and it’s symbolic of the human desire to constantly reach beyond our limitations. Space Station Asimov isn’t bad, though. ---
**Author:** ![Balance](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/ccd318/32.png) [@Balance](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Balance)\ **Post date:** [November 2, 2000, 8:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/name-the-space-station/39425/5 "2000-11-02T20:24:05Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Palandine \* > I’m partial to Daedalus, myself. Beats the hell out of naming it “Icarus”, doesn’t it? 🙂 I could go for calling it Asimov–or Heinlein, for that matter. Clarke Station might be even better–are we allowed to name it after someone who’s still alive? ---
**Author:** ![Palandine](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/958977/32.png) [@Palandine](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Palandine)\ **Post date:** [November 2, 2000, 8:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/name-the-space-station/39425/6 "2000-11-02T20:31:59Z")
Balance, The Mir is Icarus 😃 And I know this is how rumors get started, but… …wasn’t there some unpleasantness a few years back about Clarke being a pedophile? “Good night, sweet Hubble, and a flight of angels sing thee to thy rest.” –Crow T. Robot ---
**Author:** ![Enderw24](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/ba9def/32.png) [@Enderw24](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Enderw24)\ **Post date:** [November 2, 2000, 9:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/name-the-space-station/39425/7 "2000-11-02T21:03:15Z")
Space Station Microsoft! [sub]well why not? It’ll get named that eventually.[/sub] ---
**Author:** ![sk8rixtx](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/858c86/32.png) [@sk8rixtx](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sk8rixtx)\ **Post date:** [November 2, 2000, 11:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/name-the-space-station/39425/8 "2000-11-02T23:21:45Z")
The Satallite of Love… what else? ---
**Author:** ![Ura-Maru](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/51bf81/32.png) [@Ura-Maru](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ura-Maru)\ **Post date:** [November 2, 2000, 11:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/name-the-space-station/39425/9 "2000-11-02T23:33:38Z")
[qoute] Space Station Microsoft! [/quote] What, you WANT it to crash? 🙂 Another vote for SOL, here . . . ---
**Author:** ![Strainger](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/strainger/32/244_2.png) [@Strainger](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Strainger)\ **Post date:** [November 2, 2000, 11:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/name-the-space-station/39425/10 "2000-11-02T23:47:18Z")
That was before we started working with all those Commie countries. 😉 Based on my experience as an engineer for one of the Space Station contractors, I propose **IFAUP**. That is, **I** ncredible **F** @#!ing **A** mount of **U** necessary **P** aperwork ---
**Author:** ![Strainger](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/strainger/32/244_2.png) [@Strainger](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Strainger)\ **Post date:** [November 2, 2000, 11:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/name-the-space-station/39425/11 "2000-11-02T23:49:36Z")
Quotes don’t work in the _reply_ subject either. What I was trying to say was, “Anyone remember when it was called ‘Freedom?’” ---
**Author:** ![Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bosda_di_chi_of_tricor/32/16845_2.png) [@Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bosda_Di_Chi_of_Tricor)\ **Post date:** [November 3, 2000, 1:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/name-the-space-station/39425/12 "2000-11-03T01:04:37Z")
\“Stepping Stone”–to the stars. “Gateway”–to the Universe.\ ---
**Author:** ![Balance](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/ccd318/32.png) [@Balance](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Balance)\ **Post date:** [November 3, 2000, 4:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/name-the-space-station/39425/13 "2000-11-03T16:33:01Z")
Palandine, I never heard such a rumor about Arthur C.–did I miss something? “Satellite of Love”…hmmm. Just one problem: Could we ever persuade a crew to go up there voluntarily? Bosda, I _really_ like the name “Gateway Station” (it has a nice, profound ring to it). ---
**Author:** ![Palandine](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/958977/32.png) [@Palandine](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Palandine)\ **Post date:** [November 3, 2000, 4:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/name-the-space-station/39425/14 "2000-11-03T16:39:25Z")
…wielded by the naked emaciated bodies of both Ann Landers and Dear Abby. > **[Scifi.com](https://www.syfy.com/scifi/sfw/issue63/news.html)** > > Visit Syfy.com I shouldn’t even need to be reminded of British journalism’s poor standards. Shame on me and apologies for even saying it was so. ---
**Author:** ![Guy\_Incognito](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guy_incognito/32/3920_2.png) [@Guy\_Incognito](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Guy_Incognito)\ **Post date:** [November 3, 2000, 5:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/name-the-space-station/39425/15 "2000-11-03T17:47:06Z")
How about “International House of Space Exploration”, A.K.A. “I-HOSE”? “Doc Sagan’s Cosmic Trailer Park”? “Habitrail for Humanity”? “The Zero-G Spot?”? “Timmy!”? ---
**Author:** ![monkeylucifer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f05b48/32.png) [@monkeylucifer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/monkeylucifer)\ **Post date:** [November 3, 2000, 5:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/name-the-space-station/39425/16 "2000-11-03T17:55:23Z")
How about **Nerd-topia**? ---
**Author:** ![teela\_brown](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/d9b06d/32.png) [@teela\_brown](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/teela_brown)\ **Post date:** [November 3, 2000, 9:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/name-the-space-station/39425/17 "2000-11-03T21:39:11Z")
“Hot Needle of Inquiry” ---
**Author:** ![quasar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/48db29/32.png) [@quasar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/quasar)\ **Post date:** [November 4, 2000, 2:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/name-the-space-station/39425/18 "2000-11-04T02:42:31Z")
Luna 2 Neo-Luna Cosmos Kubrick Osteoporosis 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Rysdad](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/7cd45c/32.png) [@Rysdad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rysdad)\ **Post date:** [November 4, 2000, 3:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/name-the-space-station/39425/19 "2000-11-04T03:04:05Z")
The Up High Thing. Seriously, I’d love to see it named after Asimov, Heinlein or Clarke. It should have a doorbell that, when pushed, says, “I’m sorry, Dave.” ---
**Author:** ![Saint\_Zero](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c4cdca/32.png) [@Saint\_Zero](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Saint_Zero)\ **Post date:** [November 4, 2000, 5:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/name-the-space-station/39425/20 "2000-11-04T05:36:55Z")
There’s always “Anvil” Leave out, Say, “Astrotanic” “Bob!”… Nah. “Underwritten Habitat Orbiting Heavenly” Or “Uh-Oh” for short… [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/name-the-space-station/39425.md?page=2)