BFR/BFS/ITS Naming speculation thread

[mikelepage]

I wonder if Musk will name them all after Culture worldships?

After science fiction writers...

Semantically, he's already started naming ASDS's after Culture worldships, so if the PTP vision comes to pass there are going to be a lot of floating launch platforms in semi-sheltered bays, and they'll want those names for that.

One new thing that any naming system has to deal with is the potential for mixing and matching between ships and boosters, the same way you mix and match between pilots and vehicles.  Which is what makes me think the ships will be named after people, and given Elon's love of big Sci Fi, I think it will be BFS Banks, BFS Asimov, BFS Heinlein, BFS Adams, BFS Clarke, etc.

The boosters will generally remain in a given location, so I think they will be named after the location (e.g. BFR Chicago, BFR Melbourne etc).  For locations with more than one booster it might be BFR Boca Chica I, BFR Boca Chica II, etc.

And Big *Falcon* Spaceship/Rocket is fine for classrooms.

[tdperk]

BFS Chesley Bonestell.

It's gotta happen.

[oiorionsbelt]

Boomerang F%@king Rocket.

[darkenfast]

First ship on Mars: The Robert A. Heinlein!

[Cheapchips]

While I'm all for the Culture references, having the first ship to land on Mars be called Meatf#@ker probably isn't the best idea. 

[QuantumG]

While I'm all for the Culture references, having the first ship to land on Mars be called Meatf#@ker probably isn't the best idea. 

I wouldn't put it past Elon though... would you?

[Zed_Noir]

While I'm all for the Culture references, having the first ship to land on Mars be called Meatf#@ker probably isn't the best idea. 

I wouldn't put it past Elon though... would you?

The Golden Rule for space vehicle naming is in effect! 

The One with the most gold gets to make the rules. Gold is the number of voting shares in this case.  Is the SX CTO I reckon. 

[pietro]

The first BFS that lands on Mars should be called "The Elon Musk" so that history gives proper attribution to the Man:). OFC he would not do that so it is upon us to make it happen ;)

[mikelepage]

The first BFS that lands on Mars should be called "The Elon Musk" so that history gives proper attribution to the Man:). OFC he would not do that so it is upon us to make it happen

If all his plans come to pass, I don't think there's any doubt he will be recognised.  Forget the first Mars ship.  The first Mars city will be named after him.

I think it's better that those who inspired the journey be recognised with ship names.

[octavo]

The first BFS that lands on Mars should be called "The Elon Musk" so that history gives proper attribution to the Man:). OFC he would not do that so it is upon us to make it happen

If all his plans come to pass, I don't think there's any doubt he will be recognised.  Forget the first Mars ship.  The first Mars city will be named after him.

I think it's better that those who inspired the journey be recognised with ship names.

According to the new Star Trek show, Musk is rated alongside the Wright brothers and Zephram Cochrane!

[Oersted]

Elon Musk email sent to all SpaceX employees in 2010:

Subject: Acronyms seriously suck.

There is a creeping tendency to use made up acronyms at SpaceX. Excessive use of made up acronyms is a significant impediment to communication and keeping communication good as we grow is incredibly important. Individually, a few acronyms here and there may not seem so bad, but if a thousand people are making these up, over time the result will be a huge glossary that we have to issue to new employees. No one can actually remember all these acronyms and people don’t want to seem dumb in a meeting, so they just sit there in ignorance. This is particularly tough on new employees.

That needs to stop immediately or I will take drastic action—I have given enough warnings over the years. Unless an acronym is approved by me, it should not enter the SpaceX glossary. If there is an existing acronym that cannot reasonably be justified, it should be eliminated, as I have requested in the past.

For example, there should be no “HTS” [horizontal test stand] or “VTS” [vertical test stand] designations for test stands. Those are particularly dumb, as they contain unnecessary words. A “stand” at our test site is obviously a *test* stand. VTS-3 is four syllables compared with “Tripod,” which is two, so the bloody acronym version actually takes longer to say than the name!

The key test for an acronym is to ask whether it helps or hurts communication. An acronym that most engineers outside of SpaceX already know, such as GUI, is fine to use. It is also ok to make up a few acronyms/contractions every now and again, assuming I have approved them, e.g., MVac and M9 instead of Merlin 1C-Vacuum or Merlin 1C-Sea Level, but those need to be kept to a minimum.

(https://mannerofspeaking.org/2015/12/17/acronyms-can-seriously-suck/)

[rakaydos]

While I'm all for the Culture references, having the first ship to land on Mars be called Meatf#@ker probably isn't the best idea. 

Until it starts reading your mind *glaces nervously at Neurolink* it's still the GSU Grey Area.

[RDMM2081]

I like something along the lines of either a "Cosmos" or "Galactic" (possible "Galactus") family of BFRs.

I was reading the SES-11 Article this morning and had a little coffee deprived daydream about the Saturn V when it got to the history portion of the story.  It got me thinking that the Saturn V was the biggest rocket ever, and signified in some way an ability to reach all the way to Saturn!  The BFR will be opening an entire new availability to the entire Solar System/Cosmos/Galaxy(too far fetched?) and should have a name that reflects that.

Aside from the family of rockets being named one thing, I can also see how the individual boosters might be named whimsical things, people and companies have been doing that for years, see Virgin America's 747 Cosmic Girl also SpaceX ASDS both having individual names.  The point I'm trying to make is for naming the BFR family of vehicles one thing, and the individuals, well, individually.

[Lar]

Another one for Lar to delete is Kilroy Was Here. A fictional rocket ship that crashed on return to Earth.
Fairly optimistic compared to some of his other names.

Not deleting names in this thread, however silly.

Did delete some namecalling just now, though. BETEO[1][2] please.

I have to give a cheer or 3 (rah, Rah RAH!)[3]  for the RAH[4][2] as the first ship to land on Luna and the RB[5][2] as the first on Mars

1 - Be excellent to each other
2 - INE[6], so I will make up acronyms and initialisms as much as I want... as an IBMer, it's my duty, in fact.
3 - See what I did there?
4 - Robert A. Heinlein
5 - Ray Bradbury
6 - I'm not Elon...

[llanitedave]

Actually, "Be Excellent To Each Other" is as good a name for a ship as any.

[bob the martian]

Actually, "Be Excellent To Each Other" is as good a name for a ship as any.

"The Excellent Adventurer"

[Semmel]

I am not so fond of naming threads .. but here is my suggestion:

Magellan

Because we expect the ship to come back.

[biosehnsucht]

Actually, "Be Excellent To Each Other" is as good a name for a ship as any.

"The Excellent Adventurer"

While we're at it ... 'Bill S. Preston, Esquire' and the 'Ted "Theodore" Logan', 'Princess Elizabeth' and 'Princess Joanna', along with one or two (take your pick) named 'Station', and of course 'Rufus'.

[Dave G]

[Long EZ]

I suggest the "X9". Apple appropriated the letter "i" for its probucts; SpaceX should build on the "X". So it would be the X9 booster and the X9 ship.