Author Topic: ITS (Formerly known as MCT) Names?  (Read 97577 times)

Offline Mongo62

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ITS (Formerly known as MCT) Names?
« on: 07/17/2014 06:28 pm »
This is obviously long-term speculation, but maybe it's not too early to start thinking about naming conventions for MCT.

I am not sure about the BFRs. They would be unmanned, and presumably designed to operate on an airline-like schedule. This would suggest "tail numbers" but no actual names. On the other hand, routine reuse suggests that the BFR fleet would be fairly small, maybe in the low double digits. So names would not be too unheard of.

As for the MCT vehicles themselves, they would certainly be deserving of individual names. They would be designed for long lifetimes (decades?) involving repeated lengthy voyages from Earth to Mars and back to Earth, carrying cargo and passengers.

I also expect a process of improvement, with successive classes of MCT. It is traditional that a specific class of named vessel be given related names. The first MCT classes might be one of the following:

Names of Mars scientists:
the Asaph Hall
the Giovanni Schiaparelli
the Percival Lowell
the Hermann Struve
the Michael Malin
the Steven Squyres

Names of SF writers famous for their Mars stories:
the Edgar Rice Burroughs
the Stanley G. Weinbaum
the Ray Bradbury
the Kim Stanley Robinson
the Ben Bova

Giovanni Schiaparelli's Martian features:
the Mare Erytraeum
the Syrtis Major
the Mare Cimmerium
the Solis Lacus
the Memnonia
the Hesporia

Martian Volcanoes:
the Olympus Mons
the Ascraeus Mons
the Pavonis Mons
the Arsia Mons
the Ceraunius Tholus
the Elysium Mons

And of course many other types of geographical features are available.

Other possibilities might include famous fictional Mars residents (John Carter, Tweel, Aelita, Marvin, etc.), or important SpaceX people (Elon Musk, Gwynne Shotwell, Tom Mueller, etc -- although this might be too self-promoting).

Any other ideas about possible MCT names?
« Last Edit: 09/28/2016 09:25 pm by Chris Bergin »

Offline Jim

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Re: ITS (Formerly known as MCT) Names?
« Reply #1 on: 07/17/2014 06:30 pm »
Botany Bay

Offline Nomadd

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Re: ITS (Formerly known as MCT) Names?
« Reply #2 on: 07/17/2014 06:34 pm »
Barsoom Express.
Those who danced were thought to be quite insane by those who couldn't hear the music.

Offline Mongo62

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Re: ITS (Formerly known as MCT) Names?
« Reply #3 on: 07/17/2014 06:35 pm »
Botany Bay

Yes we KHAANNNN!!!

Re: ITS (Formerly known as MCT) Names?
« Reply #4 on: 07/17/2014 06:36 pm »
I'd pass on the Botany Bay, wouldn't want to end up on Ceti Alpha 5, that place is a hell hole! Personally I would like it tobe named simply, The BFR...

Offline Robotbeat

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Re: ITS (Formerly known as MCT) Names?
« Reply #5 on: 07/17/2014 07:00 pm »
LeVar Burton.
Chris  Whoever loves correction loves knowledge, but he who hates reproof is stupid.

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Offline Spaniard

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Re: ITS (Formerly known as MCT) Names?
« Reply #6 on: 07/17/2014 07:01 pm »
Neburo

Never built rocket :-P

Offline Robert Thompson

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Re: ITS (Formerly known as MCT) Names?
« Reply #7 on: 07/17/2014 07:16 pm »
The Nitron

Offline Robert Thompson

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Re: ITS (Formerly known as MCT) Names?
« Reply #8 on: 07/17/2014 07:17 pm »
Could add H.G. Wells

Offline WylieC

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Re: ITS (Formerly known as MCT) Names?
« Reply #9 on: 07/17/2014 07:30 pm »
To the SF writer group I would add:

The Robert A. Heinlein  and   The Arthur C. Clarke

Offline JasonAW3

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Re: ITS (Formerly known as MCT) Names?
« Reply #10 on: 07/17/2014 07:32 pm »
Two names.

    The first is "Bob", because, Bob.

     The second, (And admitedly more serious) "The Raymond Bradbury"
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Offline mheney

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Re: ITS (Formerly known as MCT) Names?
« Reply #11 on: 07/17/2014 08:01 pm »
If you're looking at SF authors, you've got to include Asimov, for "The Martian Way", if for nothing else.\

Offline Mongo62

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Re: ITS (Formerly known as MCT) Names?
« Reply #12 on: 07/17/2014 08:33 pm »
So for SF authors that have written well-known works involving Mars, the list so far would be:

the H. G. Wells
the Edgar Rice Burroughs
the Stanley G. Weinbaum
the Robert A. Heinlein
the Arthur C. Clarke
the Isaac Asimov
the Ray Bradbury
the Kim Stanley Robinson
the Ben Bova

There are plenty of other writers who have written at least one well-known Mars story, including A. N. Tolstoy (Aelita -- 1922), C. S. Lewis (Out of the Silent Planet -- 1938), H. Beam Piper (Omnilingual -- 1957), Gordon R. Dickson (The Far Call -- 1978), Greg Bear (Moving Mars -- 1993), Stephen Baxter (Voyage -- 1996), William K. Hartmann (Mars Underground -- 1997) and Geoffrey A. Landis (Mars Crossing -- 2000).

Offline CuddlyRocket

Re: ITS (Formerly known as MCT) Names?
« Reply #13 on: 07/18/2014 10:07 am »
Any other ideas about possible MCT names?

Looking at your original list, you've got names of Mars scientists; names of SF writers famous for their Mars stories; names of Giovanni Schiaparelli's Martian features; names of Martian Volcanoes; names of famous fictional Mars residents and names of important SpaceX people. Do I have to name the common theme here? :)

You could style them after some desirable or appropriate attribute - Discovery, Courageous etc - although no doubt there has been some vessel or other with the same name (there have been a lot of ships). There could be the boring SpaceX One, SpaceX Two etc (good for advertising), perhaps jazzed up a little (SpaceX Clipper, for example).

I'd run a competition for the names; or alternatively sell the naming rights - the name of the first craft to Mars will go down in history, which is a good marketing opportunity - as after all, a Mars colony will need financing!

Offline woods170

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Re: ITS (Formerly known as MCT) Names?
« Reply #14 on: 07/18/2014 10:39 am »
Silly thread. Way premature.

Besides, SpaceX doesn't give individual names to their individual spacecraft.

Offline Robotbeat

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Re: ITS (Formerly known as MCT) Names?
« Reply #15 on: 07/18/2014 12:34 pm »
Landis is a good one. Both a Mars scientist and a decorated scifi author.
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Offline Bob Shaw

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Re: ITS (Formerly known as MCT) Names?
« Reply #16 on: 07/18/2014 12:44 pm »
A pretty exceptional lack of women on any so far (and remember, 'Mars Needs Women!') so here's my first female name for the list:

Chloe Angeline Stickney Hall

If you don't know who she is, try Mr Google - and read some Sagan.

The second female on the list, without whose sacrifice (albeit not by her choice) none of this discussion would be happening at all is a certain mongrel bitch called Laika.

And, of course, Valentina Tereshkova. And Sally Ride!
« Last Edit: 07/18/2014 01:07 pm by Bob Shaw »

Offline JasonAW3

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Re: ITS (Formerly known as MCT) Names?
« Reply #17 on: 07/18/2014 12:53 pm »
How about The Robert Goddard
or The Werner VonBraun
My God!  It's full of universes!

Offline Bob Shaw

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Re: ITS (Formerly known as MCT) Names?
« Reply #18 on: 07/18/2014 01:04 pm »
Further names which might be considered include:

Santa María
Pinta
Niña

Offline Bob Shaw

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Re: ITS (Formerly known as MCT) Names?
« Reply #19 on: 07/18/2014 01:06 pm »
How about The Robert Goddard
or The Werner VonBraun

Well worth considering, but Von Braun has a certain Nazi-ness which still sticks; and why not Korolev?

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