Name a spacecraft
Whether you’re European or American, your space agency needs you to help rename a spacecraft. Europe first; the ExoMars rover is approaching another milestone in its long and complicated story, and it’s still five years from launch. ExoMars – ESA’s first rover – is now due to launch in 2013, carrying a suite of instruments including several focussed on the search for life on the red planet. As designs progressed, it became clear that the only options were dramatically reducing the scope of the mission, or building a larger, more expensive rover that will launch on a larger rocket. Somewhat to my surprise, ESA went for the more ambitious option, but they still need the approval of the politicians later this year.
Speaking to BBC News Online’s Jonathan Amos, ESA boss Jean Jacques Dordain explained it needs a new name. Perhaps being more honest than he intended, he explained
I am asking [my officials] to find a different way to define ExoMars because if we say ‘this is ExoMars’, for most of the ministers it means ‘over-cost’. And this is not over-cost because we are not speaking at all of the same mission; it is a completely different mission. This is to try to make ministers understand that this is not over-cost.”
Let’s hope no politician in Europe reads BBC News Online. Meanwhile, NASA is asking the public to rename GLAST, the Gamma-ray Large Area Space Telescope. Any ideas?
on February 9th, 2008 at 2:16 pm
Brilliant! So if we want to double the funding for a telescope, all we have to do is think of a new name. Or if a ground-based astronomy project comes in at double the cost, we just call it something else.
Can anyone think of a new name for Gemini?
on February 11th, 2008 at 5:07 pm
Which is worse, the ministers going “Ahh, so this is the Rover that youv’e scaled up and need more money for?” or “Ahh, so this is the rover you’ve scaled up, renamed so we think the old one never got off the ground, and now needs more money?”
Yeah…that works.
on February 11th, 2008 at 10:46 pm
I suppose we could name it Richard Branson? They might not be smart enough to know the difference.
Or Patrick or Chris.
on March 1st, 2008 at 6:05 pm
Well, a name I don’t like is Jeremy and well throbing sex machine just doesn’t work with it at all so I good wholesome name Ciaron is pretty good stands out from a crowd it pulls the girls. Yeah call it Ciaron and not that inferior English spelling mistake with the K, though on the sideline call it Oran it is a good name too and might actually work. Still if a German wants to name who wants it call it Helmut Muncher he’s a architect in Cologne fine man even though it looks a bit rude in English
on September 27th, 2008 at 2:20 am
NASA is asking the public to rename GLAST, the Gamma-ray Large Area Space Telescope. Any ideas?
Largst / Large Area Ray Gamma Space Telescope