This thread regarding shuttle replacement got me thinking. If we add to our existing fleet, or create new designs, what should the names of those vehicles be? What would you name the next few craft? Right now I can’t decide; continue with nouns and verbs, or pursue another tack. Or perhaps something honoring the astro/cosmonaut heroes who have since made the ultimate sacrifice in this magnificent pursuit? What do you think?
This is a slight hijack, but I’ve been wanting to get something off of my chest. After Challenger was lost someone wrote a letter to the Los Angeles Times saying that he thought it was appalling that NASA would name the “next shuttle” Atlantis, considering that Challenger fell into the sea.
I wrote a reply to his letter saying that Atlantis was delivered to NASA in April 1985, and made her first flight in October 1985. So Atlantis was already named and flown before Challenger crashed. The Times did not see fit to print my letter. As far as I know, the guy who was outraged that NASA would name a Shuttle Atlantis after losing Challenger in the ocean still has no idea of the chronology and is still outraged.
Thanks for letting me get that off of my chest.
What about “Argo”?
I’ve always been partial to the reuse of Apollo names.
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Eagle*
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Intrepid *
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Odyssey *
Lets see here,
Helios, Enigma, Falcon, Explorer, Levithan, Titan to name a few.
Aquarius, Yankee Clipper, Antares, Orion, America.
I like the idea of mythical heroic names, names of important or distinctive sailing ships of old, etc.
Names of stars and constellations seem appropriate.
I don’t know about naming in honor of lost Astronauts/Cosmonauts - maybe. They do that in Star Trek occasionally and in “2010” the Russian spacecraft was called the Leonov.
I’m not sure they’d ever name a spacecraft “Bob” 
What are you talking about? Bob is a perfectly crumpulent name for a spacecraft.
Constitution, just like Enterprise was supposed to be named, before all those Trekkies started their letter writing capaign.
Well, I’d like to see NASA take names from some of Iain Banks’ Culture novels. Even though it would never happen, shuttles with names like Gray Area or No More Mister Nice Guy would be cool, man.
Actually, I kind of like Enterprise or even Excelsior.
I think Constitution would be good.
Theres something funny to me about the fact that the Enterprise isn’t/wasn’t even capable of space flight. Poor trekkies.
When they named the Endeavor, they had a competition among elementary and middle school students to come up with the new name, and submit some sort of project.
I had a group that entered, and the name we picked was, in fact, Endeavor. We weren’t the winners, though, since our project blew. (I don’t even remember what it was.) I think about half the teams that entered picked Endeavor.
Dr. J
How about “Yamato”? Or “Keep On Truckin’”? Perhaps “Mars or Bust in 2143!!!”
I like Magellan, or Ericson…I like the idea of useing famous explorers.
How’s about all the NASA employees put their own names in a hat, and then draw a winner?
How about Beagel?
Or Beagle
Either way. :o
*Grissom’s Phoenix
Von Braun’s Wings
Goddard’s Angel
Einstein’s Vision
Rising Star*
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Liftoff, of the Space Shuttle Theodore Irwin Finklestein…