Beagle 2 is definitely my favorite. But then I'm (a) British and (b) a Blur fan, so I would say that.

Yeah, Sojourner was a great name. Pathfinder was fine too. But, y'know, I think there's too much of this unique naming (ESA is just as guilty of this). I was happier when the spacecraft were named in numeric series like the Mariners or Pioneers (or Mercury/Gemini/Apollo!), because 1) it emphasised the fact that there was an ongoing programme 2) you knew that all these craft had some sensible engineering commonality and they weren't hand-crafting a new spacecraft every time a launch window came up. (Which is precisely the wheel that ESA has re-invented with the ...Express series). But I guess I'm just an old space fogey.

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Skep-ti-cult® member #488-28303-790

That's also a possibility. ops:

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I was talking with someone today, and we were discussing the MER missions' rather, er, unsatisfactory names. We came up with some pretty cool alternatives. How about "Romulus" and "Remus"? Now THOSE would have been pretty cool names.

I've gotta say that's pretty cool, though few might understand the essential reference. It could be seen as hubris, though - after all, the rovers are actually the offspring of Earth.

Maybe an inoffensive programme name would be my favourite ('Mariner' is actually a rather bland name - it acquires resonance from the success of the Mariners themselves. And as for 'Surveyor', well... But it worked). Since we mentioned it earlier, I would be OK with Sojourner 2 and 3. (So there's no engineering commonality with Sojourner 1 - but it sort of says 'hey, Mars, we're here to stay').

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Skep-ti-cult® member #488-28303-790

Twins? Castor and Pollux.

Assuming that NASA cares (they might), 'Pollux' might raise a lot of cheap laughs on this side of the Atlantic... :roll: BigJim's idea was quite smart, though, since Romulus and Remus were traditionally the sons of Mars. Castor and Pollux were Zeus's boys.

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Skep-ti-cult® member #488-28303-790

MER gets my vote. Not that the other missions don't do real, important work, but there's just something to be said for two rovers on the ground, moving around and physically taking samples. But I'd've given them a name other than Spirit and Opportunity. Like, say, 'Bugs' and 'Tweety'. 'Sour Cream' and 'Onion'. 'Lucy' and 'Ethel'. I mean, our record with Mars isn't all that great, and you almost have to expect something to go wrong with a rover named Lucy...

oh, yeah. You´re right. Now I realize that the names are perfect.

I see. Forget about Pollux. But how about Rolls & Royce? :wink:

I think appealing to popular taste should mean something along the lines of Cagney and Lacey, Starsky and Hutch, Laverne and Shirley, Bob and Bing (hey - I like that one - The Road to Olympus Mons), Tom and Jerry, Ren and Stimpy, Itchy and Scratchy... Uh-oh, better stop there.

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Skep-ti-cult® member #488-28303-790

Well, Spirit/MER-A is on its way! The Delta 2 functioned perfectly. Now we settle down and wait.