# What names would you choose for post scarcity space stations? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [August 15, 2022, 11:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-names-would-you-choose-for-post-scarcity-space-stations/969718 "2022-08-15T23:29:43Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![eburacum45](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/eburacum45/32/8690_2.png) [@eburacum45](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/eburacum45)\ **Post date:** [August 16, 2022, 8:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-names-would-you-choose-for-post-scarcity-space-stations/969718/21 "2022-08-16T08:46:59Z")
> [@Whack-a-Mole](#): > > Iain Banks’ spaceships names were much more…varied: > > - Bora Horza Gobuchul > - Irregular Apocalypse > - Prosthetic Conscience > - Just Read The Instructions > - A Series Of Unlikely Explanations > - You Would If You Really Loved Me > > …and so on. Note that the habitats and space stations in the Culture were generally much less comedic than the ship names, and were generally random assortments of letters that may be words in an unknown language (Vavatch, Chiark, Masaq) or descriptive (Phage,Tier, Pittance). Banks generally took the position that a spaceship can choose any name, humorous or otherwise, whereas a space station or habitat needs a little more …gravitas. ---
**Author:** ![eburacum45](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/eburacum45/32/8690_2.png) [@eburacum45](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/eburacum45)\ **Post date:** [August 16, 2022, 9:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-names-would-you-choose-for-post-scarcity-space-stations/969718/22 "2022-08-16T09:11:49Z")
Having said that, here are a few space station and habitat names from the Orion’s Arm universe. Since it is set in the future timeline of Earth, some of these are named using cultural referents we might be familiar with. Sagan, Clarke, Asimov, Roddenberry, Vishnu, Sita, Asherah, Conchobar, Cuchulain, O’Neill, McKendree, Bernal, Stanford, Curie, Payne, Franklin, Porco, Metropolis, Aleph, Beth, Daleth, Karoo, Serengeti, Groucho, Chico, Harpo, Zeppo, Gummo, Shemp… ---
**Author:** ![eburacum45](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/eburacum45/32/8690_2.png) [@eburacum45](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/eburacum45)\ **Post date:** [August 16, 2022, 9:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-names-would-you-choose-for-post-scarcity-space-stations/969718/23 "2022-08-16T09:39:22Z")
> [@engineer\_comp\_geek](#): > > Shippy McShipface. > > Because this is what you get when you let people name things. It would be Ring McRingface or Wheel McWheelface for a space station, surely. ---
**Author:** ![carnivorousplant](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnivorousplant/32/3563_2.png) [@carnivorousplant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carnivorousplant)\ **Post date:** [August 16, 2022, 3:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-names-would-you-choose-for-post-scarcity-space-stations/969718/24 "2022-08-16T15:10:43Z")
I might not feel comfortable traveling in a ship named after a guy killed in a ship accident. ---
**Author:** ![Just\_Asking\_Questions](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ba9def/32.png) [@Just\_Asking\_Questions](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Just_Asking_Questions)\ **Post date:** [August 16, 2022, 7:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-names-would-you-choose-for-post-scarcity-space-stations/969718/25 "2022-08-16T19:43:53Z")
> [@carnivorousplant](#): > > I might not feel comfortable traveling in a ship named after a guy killed in a ship accident. How about five guys? The USS The Sullivans. (yes the The is part of the name.) ---
**Author:** ![carnivorousplant](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnivorousplant/32/3563_2.png) [@carnivorousplant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carnivorousplant)\ **Post date:** [August 16, 2022, 7:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-names-would-you-choose-for-post-scarcity-space-stations/969718/26 "2022-08-16T19:58:59Z")
You’d have to ask the crewmen of The Sullivans. I wouldn’t be very hot about flying into or from Will Rogers airport, either. Naming an airport after a guy killed in a plane wreck! But then the air force did it frequently. Perhaps I’m superstitious. ---
**Author:** ![silenus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/silenus/32/166_2.png) [@silenus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silenus)\ **Post date:** [August 16, 2022, 8:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-names-would-you-choose-for-post-scarcity-space-stations/969718/27 "2022-08-16T20:17:11Z")
Better not fly into Chicago then. 😛 ---
**Author:** ![The\_Other\_Waldo\_Pepper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/the_other_waldo_pepper/32/12370_2.png) [@The\_Other\_Waldo\_Pepper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Other_Waldo_Pepper)\ **Post date:** [August 16, 2022, 8:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-names-would-you-choose-for-post-scarcity-space-stations/969718/28 "2022-08-16T20:24:42Z")
> [@carnivorousplant](#): > > I wouldn’t be very hot about flying into or from Will Rogers airport, either. Naming an airport after a guy killed in a plane wreck! At that, I always thought Virgin Airlines was kind of a weird choice; the selling-point connotation you’re going for is that you’ve — never actually done this before? ---
**Author:** ![Reeses\_Monkey](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/reeses_monkey/32/2885_2.png) [@Reeses\_Monkey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Reeses_Monkey)\ **Post date:** [August 16, 2022, 8:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-names-would-you-choose-for-post-scarcity-space-stations/969718/29 "2022-08-16T20:43:39Z")
How about flying into an airport named after the guy who fired all the Air Traffic Controllers? ---
**Author:** ![Buck\_Godot](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/buck_godot/32/6573_2.png) [@Buck\_Godot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Buck_Godot)\ **Post date:** [August 16, 2022, 10:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-names-would-you-choose-for-post-scarcity-space-stations/969718/30 "2022-08-16T22:16:27Z")
> [@silenus](#): > > Never mind. Brain fart. Both acceptable, if unusual, names. ---
**Author:** ![Exapno\_Mapcase](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/exapno_mapcase/32/1051_2.png) [@Exapno\_Mapcase](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Exapno_Mapcase)\ **Post date:** [August 17, 2022, 12:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-names-would-you-choose-for-post-scarcity-space-stations/969718/31 "2022-08-17T00:20:24Z")
Here’s Where You Can Hear Me Scream ---
**Author:** ![beowulff](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/beowulff/32/542_2.png) [@beowulff](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/beowulff)\ **Post date:** [August 17, 2022, 12:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-names-would-you-choose-for-post-scarcity-space-stations/969718/32 "2022-08-17T00:50:15Z")
K7 Discourse is a dick. ---
**Author:** ![carnivorousplant](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnivorousplant/32/3563_2.png) [@carnivorousplant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carnivorousplant)\ **Post date:** [August 17, 2022, 1:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-names-would-you-choose-for-post-scarcity-space-stations/969718/33 "2022-08-17T01:42:00Z")
Would Expano\_Mapcase and Buck\_Godot elaborate? Is this a \_ thing? ---
**Author:** ![Exapno\_Mapcase](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/exapno_mapcase/32/1051_2.png) [@Exapno\_Mapcase](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Exapno_Mapcase)\ **Post date:** [August 17, 2022, 1:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-names-would-you-choose-for-post-scarcity-space-stations/969718/34 "2022-08-17T01:57:20Z")
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**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [August 17, 2022, 2:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-names-would-you-choose-for-post-scarcity-space-stations/969718/35 "2022-08-17T02:22:30Z")
Bacon, Copernicus, Curie, Darwin, Einstein, Euclid, Franklin, Galileo, Mendel, Newton ---
**Author:** ![dtilque](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/d6d6ee/32.png) [@dtilque](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dtilque)\ **Post date:** [August 17, 2022, 2:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-names-would-you-choose-for-post-scarcity-space-stations/969718/36 "2022-08-17T02:32:11Z")
> [@eburacum45](#): > > Banks generally took the position that a spaceship can choose any name, humorous or otherwise, whereas a space station or habitat needs a little more > …gravitas. So how about: _Yes we have no gravitas_ _How much for the gravitas in the window_ _Standing behind the door when the gravitas was handed out_ ---
**Author:** ![dtilque](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/d6d6ee/32.png) [@dtilque](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dtilque)\ **Post date:** [August 17, 2022, 3:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-names-would-you-choose-for-post-scarcity-space-stations/969718/37 "2022-08-17T03:12:33Z")
More: _When your gravitas fails (and negativitas don’t pull you through)_ _What gravitas means to me_ ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [August 17, 2022, 5:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-names-would-you-choose-for-post-scarcity-space-stations/969718/38 "2022-08-17T05:44:20Z")
_Biscuits and gravitas_ ---
**Author:** ![carnivorousplant](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnivorousplant/32/3563_2.png) [@carnivorousplant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carnivorousplant)\ **Post date:** [August 18, 2022, 10:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-names-would-you-choose-for-post-scarcity-space-stations/969718/39 "2022-08-18T22:38:36Z")
Those are good. I would add Hawking. ---
**Author:** ![RickJay](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/bb73d2/32.png) [@RickJay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RickJay)\ **Post date:** [August 23, 2022, 12:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-names-would-you-choose-for-post-scarcity-space-stations/969718/40 "2022-08-23T00:41:58Z")
I’m fond of the idea of naming real spaceships after fictional ones, because they kind of inspired us. The problem is that unless we go mostly Star Trek, which would be boring (and a lot of ST ships are named after real ships - Enterprise, Yamato, Discovery, etc) most fictional spaceships with memorable or appropriate names have bad connotations. Event Horizon, well, you don’t want to serve on that ship. Same with Nostromo or Sulaco; you’d be scared all the time. Rodger Young served a fascists state. Is the Milano named after Alyssa Milano? Heart of Gold and Millennium Falcon are good though. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-names-would-you-choose-for-post-scarcity-space-stations/969718.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-names-would-you-choose-for-post-scarcity-space-stations/969718.md?page=3)