Naming your ships

[PaperAviator]

[Vehicle type]Mc[Vehicle type]face [Iteration of design]

 

Sorry, just kidding, I simply have different "topics" for different purposes of craft

[stosyfir]

I'll usually make a "space program" and use the standard convention. I will make multiple versions of each craft usually just slightly modified for it's mission. Ex. I'm using the Blue.. something mod (the new version of FASA more or less I forget what they're calling it these days) and all my "Saturn" craft are Kapollo (Kapollo I went to the min, Kapollo I went to minus, Kapollo III just got back from Olel (forget which mod added those two extra moons but I LOVE the new planets and moons in it - Olel on a polar orbit of kerbin and it itself has another moon). My interplanetary series will probably be Kiscovery (yeah I do the K-name cheese cuz it's fun!) But that'll be after Kapollo IV which is destined for Olel's moon. I need to figure out how to handle sending up a Rover first that'll probably just be called Argo (subassembly?) And my SSTO is the Kerban Flyer.

[RoadRunnerAerospace]

I generally name my launchers after the founders of rocketry, my second stages after famous physicists, and like, landers and stuff after whatever I want (trust me, there has been a probey mc probeface somewhere)

[Ty Tan Tu]

I suppose if I was smart, I would start with an ASCII character like the "!" and "#" and "&" for different classes because they show up at the top of the list when sorted alphabetically. So, as unimaginative as I am, I might end up with something like "& Duna Tanker Rover I".

Edited August 23, 2017 by Ty Tan Tu

[Chel]

In my military save, I name them after different letters (e.g. Z-1 means STOL mk1, Q-1 means tank mk1), and I have variations as well (like QT-1, which means ground transport mk1), and so on. It gets a little confusing sometimes, so after I've stopped using a craft, I rename it XE-(number), and then either delete it, or use it for target practice.

[ARS]

My ships is always named with 2 words, one of them is always something about sky, weather phenomenon or space. Example:

Starlight Dream

Grateful Sunray

Crimson Sunset

Hoshi Kaze (Star Wind)

[invision]

i find it hard to come up with names, i usually think its stupid or ill put too much thought into it and just never really name it.  finally i just name it "POD" just so i dont have to deal with it anymore lol

other names ive used

ghetto shuttle

SP-1  "space plane room for 1"

lander

rocket

probe

[RapitorJedasus]

With me I just generally take a color, then some word, usually a metal or something along the lines. A codename gen helped me decide what I wanted to name a couple.

One of the stations I have in LKO is named "Blue Quartz" and one of the planes I have that I use for joyrides and the like is named "Red Chrome".

[DunaManiac]

Some of my ships are named after scientists. Like "Newton Lab". Some are named after gods, like "Zeus", or "Selena". Sometimes I'm imagitive. Like "Skylifter" Others are just "Comsat 1" or, "Duna 1" 

Edited August 24, 2017 by DunaManiac

[Ten Key]

My naming conventions are all over the place, and tend to be a mash up of form, function, and whatever happens to be floating around in my brain at the moment. Because appearance plays a role, I don't normally name things until after the design is finalized. I occasionally become enamored with acronyms. 

Examples in the spoiler tab below. 

 

Spoiler

Aircraft

A-1, A-1a Dragonfly -- Unmanned glider.
X-1, X-1a Mayfly -- Rocket plane/glider, manned stratospheric flights.
X-2, X-2a, X-2b Starchaser -- Rocket plane, manned mesospheric flights, first crude attempts at launch timing for orbital rendezvous.
X-3 Valkyrie -- Crew recovery aircraft.
X-4 Overlord -- AWACS analog, stratospheric science platform.

Satellites/Probes/Robotic Landers

Exosphere Series 1 and 2 -- Sounding rockets.
Exosphere Series 3 -- Kerbin orbiter.
Exosphere Series 4 -- Mun flyby/orbiter.
Exosphere Series 5 -- Mun/Minmus orbiter w/integrated Kerbin return subprobe.
TAL-Con -- "Teleoperated/Autonomous Lander - Consolidated". Crude robotic lander developed in lieu of a manned lander for first manned Mun missions.
Firebird Series -- Various configurations of flyby probes, orbiters and landers for visiting Eve, Gilly and Moho. Also includes a "sun diver".
VESTA 1 and 2 -- "Volatiles Extraction and Sampling, Teleoperated/Autonomous" Mun and Minmus surface ISRU Experiment, in support of Project Hearthstone.

Manned Spacecraft

Addle Capsule -- Mk. 1 Command Pod. Named for the rocket that carried it.
Toucan -- Two person LKO spacecraft. Built around the Mk. 2 lander can. Also used as an unmanned docking target.
Wombat -- Mk. 1-2 Command Pod, used for both LKO and Mun missions. Later Mun configurations used the Fluorine Aspirating Upper Stage Thruster. I was proud of that one. 
Narwhal, Narwhal Orbital Laboratory -- Two person LKO science platform. The NOL is specifically built to grapple and study redirected asteroids. The forward EVA ladder arrangement gives it its name. Includes the "Nacelled Offset/Propulsive Escape" launch abort system. 
CS-1 Tumblehome -- Minmus cruiser, capable of supporting a crew of three for 120 hours. Takes its name from the shape of the battery stacks.

Launch Vehicles

Farlight 1, 2 and 3 -- Large, primitive rockets for early unmanned Kerbin/Mun probes, built on 1.25 meter parts. All solid first stage.
Addleburn 5-10 -- Solid rocket with small hypergolic upper stage. Used to launch the Addle spacecraft. Named derived from fuel source and engine arrangement.
Exo-lifter -- Farlight 3 rocket with all engines replaced with more advanced 1.25 meter parts. Vast improvement over original model.
Augmented Addleburn -- Addleburn 5-10 with additional SRMs tacked on. Used for polar orbiting Addle flights and later for the heavier Toucan spacecraft.
Kestros Alpha, Beta, and Gamma -- All solid first stage. Alpha based on 1.25 meter parts, Beta and Gamma on 2.5 meter parts. Features a flared "waist" between first and second stages. Used for both the Wombat spacecraft and unmanned fuel tenders. 
Javelin and Javelin Heavy -- 30 - 50 ton medium LKO lifter. 2.5 meter architecture. First stage consists of 12 "Kickback" SRBs. Supercedes Kestros series for most payloads. Autonomous upper stage allows for remote deorbiting.
Slipway Series -- Second stage 3.75 meter tank with quad Skippers, first stage 2.5 meter tanks, mainsails w/ soild and liquid strap ons. Noted for use of bi, tri and quad adapters. Used in two different configurations, one for the massive Tumblehome cruiser, and another for the robotic fuel tenders designed to support it. 

Manned Landers

Kerbanaut Exploration Gondola (KEG) -- Two person Mun lander built on the Mk. 2 lander can. Used in support of Project Touchstone.
Solitaire Lander -- One person Minmus lander built on the Mk.1 lander can. Used in support of Project Coldstone.
Prytaneum Lander -- Two person Mun lander built on the Mk. 2 lander can. Provides additional life support and scientific equipment over baseline KEG. Used in support of Project Hearthstone.

Stations

Kerbanaut Orbital Accommodator (KOA) -- Provided living space and sanitation services for two kerbanauts and fueling services for a KEG, in support of Project Touchstone Mun landings. Only payload of the Kestros Gamma rocket.
Exedra Station -- Supply depot in Minmus orbit. Provides propellant, monoprop, life support consumables and battery recharge services for the CS-1 Tumblehome. 

 

[purpleivan]

I often think about using pet names... well, I am now.

Snowy - currently in orbit of Eeloo.

Lucky - Crashed somewhere on the surface of Eve. crew presumed lost.

Rusty - Operational base on the surface of Duna, a redesigned version of its predecessor, Scruffy.

Scruffy - Status abandoned on Duna. Was a bit of a handful while passing through the planet's atmosphere (top kept poking out from behind the safety of the heat shield) and on arrival made a mess on the surface. Design couldn't be depended on for long duration trips after that, so was abandoned.

Tiddles 2 - Currently en-route to Laythe, a replacement for Tiddles 1, which after exceeding it's expected system lifetime, returned home to Kerbin. Current buried at the back of the administration block

Sparky 2 - Power module (upgraded version of Sparky 1) with 4 RTG's in addition to Sparky 1's 3 pairs of Gigantors. Currently en-route to a station in Mun orbit (Scamp)

Ginger - Fuel module consisting of a single Jumbo 64 with a Round-8 on top of it for some unknown reason.. also currently en-route to Scamp.

Scamp - Originally placed in a circular, 100km equatorial orbit of Mun, but has since been affected by gravitational anomalies generated by mascons that have perturbed this into 38 degree inclination with an AP of 92km and a PE of 0.05km. Both Sparky 2 and Ginger now have no chance of a rendezvous with Scamp.

Note: A rescue vehicle (Claw as Universal Docking and De-orbit Limitation Emergency System) is currently being prepared for delivery to Mun space in order to bring Scamp to heel.

Edited August 23, 2017 by purpleivan

[qzgy]

In my shuttle challenge save, I have a bit of a habit of naming certain things after certain people. Shuttles are usually polar explorers, with the exception of the two largest, which are named after the Endurance ship, sailed by Shackleton. Stations are geneticists, and ground stuff seems to be science fiction writers, as far as I can remember.

[ErevanGaming]

On 8/24/2017 at 5:02 AM, Ten Key said:

My naming conventions are all over the place, and tend to be a mash up of form, function, and whatever happens to be floating around in my brain at the moment. Because appearance plays a role, I don't normally name things until after the design is finalized. I occasionally become enamored with acronyms. 

Examples in the spoiler tab below. 

 

  Hide contents

Aircraft

A-1, A-1a Dragonfly -- Unmanned glider.
X-1, X-1a Mayfly -- Rocket plane/glider, manned stratospheric flights.
X-2, X-2a, X-2b Starchaser -- Rocket plane, manned mesospheric flights, first crude attempts at launch timing for orbital rendezvous.
X-3 Valkyrie -- Crew recovery aircraft.
X-4 Overlord -- AWACS analog, stratospheric science platform.

Satellites/Probes/Robotic Landers

Exosphere Series 1 and 2 -- Sounding rockets.
Exosphere Series 3 -- Kerbin orbiter.
Exosphere Series 4 -- Mun flyby/orbiter.
Exosphere Series 5 -- Mun/Minmus orbiter w/integrated Kerbin return subprobe.
TAL-Con -- "Teleoperated/Autonomous Lander - Consolidated". Crude robotic lander developed in lieu of a manned lander for first manned Mun missions.
Firebird Series -- Various configurations of flyby probes, orbiters and landers for visiting Eve, Gilly and Moho. Also includes a "sun diver".
VESTA 1 and 2 -- "Volatiles Extraction and Sampling, Teleoperated/Autonomous" Mun and Minmus surface ISRU Experiment, in support of Project Hearthstone.

Manned Spacecraft

Addle Capsule -- Mk. 1 Command Pod. Named for the rocket that carried it.
Toucan -- Two person LKO spacecraft. Built around the Mk. 2 lander can. Also used as an unmanned docking target.
Wombat -- Mk. 1-2 Command Pod, used for both LKO and Mun missions. Later Mun configurations used the Fluorine Aspirating Upper Stage Thruster. I was proud of that one. 
Narwhal, Narwhal Orbital Laboratory -- Two person LKO science platform. The NOL is specifically built to grapple and study redirected asteroids. The forward EVA ladder arrangement gives it its name. Includes the "Nacelled Offset/Propulsive Escape" launch abort system. 
CS-1 Tumblehome -- Minmus cruiser, capable of supporting a crew of three for 120 hours. Takes its name from the shape of the battery stacks.

Launch Vehicles

Farlight 1, 2 and 3 -- Large, primitive rockets for early unmanned Kerbin/Mun probes, built on 1.25 meter parts. All solid first stage.
Addleburn 5-10 -- Solid rocket with small hypergolic upper stage. Used to launch the Addle spacecraft. Named derived from fuel source and engine arrangement.
Exo-lifter -- Farlight 3 rocket with all engines replaced with more advanced 1.25 meter parts. Vast improvement over original model.
Augmented Addleburn -- Addleburn 5-10 with additional SRMs tacked on. Used for polar orbiting Addle flights and later for the heavier Toucan spacecraft.
Kestros Alpha, Beta, and Gamma -- All solid first stage. Alpha based on 1.25 meter parts, Beta and Gamma on 2.5 meter parts. Features a flared "waist" between first and second stages. Used for both the Wombat spacecraft and unmanned fuel tenders. 
Javelin and Javelin Heavy -- 30 - 50 ton medium LKO lifter. 2.5 meter architecture. First stage consists of 12 "Kickback" SRBs. Supercedes Kestros series for most payloads. Autonomous upper stage allows for remote deorbiting.
Slipway Series -- Second stage 3.75 meter tank with quad Skippers, first stage 2.5 meter tanks, mainsails w/ soild and liquid strap ons. Noted for use of bi, tri and quad adapters. Used in two different configurations, one for the massive Tumblehome cruiser, and another for the robotic fuel tenders designed to support it. 

Manned Landers

Kerbanaut Exploration Gondola (KEG) -- Two person Mun lander built on the Mk. 2 lander can. Used in support of Project Touchstone.
Solitaire Lander -- One person Minmus lander built on the Mk.1 lander can. Used in support of Project Coldstone.
Prytaneum Lander -- Two person Mun lander built on the Mk. 2 lander can. Provides additional life support and scientific equipment over baseline KEG. Used in support of Project Hearthstone.

Stations

Kerbanaut Orbital Accommodator (KOA) -- Provided living space and sanitation services for two kerbanauts and fueling services for a KEG, in support of Project Touchstone Mun landings. Only payload of the Kestros Gamma rocket.
Exedra Station -- Supply depot in Minmus orbit. Provides propellant, monoprop, life support consumables and battery recharge services for the CS-1 Tumblehome. 

 

 

On 8/24/2017 at 5:27 AM, purpleivan said:

I often think about using pet names... well, I am now.

Snowy - currently in orbit of Eeloo.

Lucky - Crashed somewhere on the surface of Eve. crew presumed lost.

Rusty - Operational base on the surface of Duna, a redesigned version of its predecessor, Scruffy.

Scruffy - Status abandoned on Duna. Was a bit of a handful while passing through the planet's atmosphere (top kept poking out from behind the safety of the heat shield) and on arrival made a mess on the surface. Design couldn't be depended on for long duration trips after that, so was abandoned.

Tiddles 2 - Currently en-route to Laythe, a replacement for Tiddles 1, which after exceeding it's expected system lifetime, returned home to Kerbin. Current buried at the back of the administration block

Sparky 2 - Power module (upgraded version of Sparky 1) with 4 RTG's in addition to Sparky 1's 3 pairs of Gigantors. Currently en-route to a station in Mun orbit (Scamp)

Ginger - Fuel module consisting of a single Jumbo 64 with a Round-8 on top of it for some unknown reason.. also currently en-route to Scamp.

Scamp - Originally placed in a circular, 100km equatorial orbit of Mun, but has since been affected by gravitational anomalies generated by mascons that have perturbed this into 38 degree inclination with an AP of 92km and a PE of 0.05km. Both Sparky 2 and Ginger now have no chance of a rendezvous with Scamp.

Note: A rescue vehicle (Claw as Universal Docking and De-orbit Limitation Emergency System) is currently being prepared for delivery to Mun space in order to bring Scamp to heel.

Woah guys, like the naming conventions you follow =)

[HerrCrazi]

I often use my 1st naming conventions rules, wich are quite basic :

• Rocket random name for my launchers. Ex : Ariane, Atlas, Kerbox, Fancy Tube, ect... I even had a launcher called "Dank space potato MK1"
• Probes named after their use. Ex : KEO Relay 1, SCANProbe HD2...
• Manned extra-planetary missions are named after existing ones (Voyager, Constellation, Apollo, etc).
• Other stuff is randomly named.

However I'm currently redefining my naming conventions since one month. I have my "own aerospace company" I called FAITO Aerospace Inc. (FAITO Aerospace Innovative Technologies for Orbiters, yeah, it's recursive ) and all my crafts are created using the same background conventions, such as flag, designs and naming. (This is why because I don't made SSTOs with FAITO conventions, cuz' Bill, the head of FAITO Aerospace definitely hate them¹ ). I also maintain two other "companies" : SRDC (Space Research & Development Center) and Jeb's Cars & Co, but FAITO is far most used. So here are my up-to-date new naming conventions :

FAITO Space Objects Naming Reference Mk2 :

The generic pattern of an object naming is :

<acronym of the use> - <class><version number>  ' <nickname> '  <full name>

where :

• The acronym is an acronym of the type of object, for example, MTV stands for Manned Transfer Vehicle. It's preceded by an X when the vehicle is under development. Some letters have special meanings I don't even remember here ^^
• The class is a letter used to make the difference between different vessels with the same use, ex, two different types of MTVs will be named "MTV A1" and "MTV B1".
• The version number starts at 1 or 0 for the prototypes, and has a major and minor field. Large changes increases the major field, otherwise the minor.  Ex : "MTV A1.2". There is never a final vessel holding a 0 major version number, as it's reserved for prototypes.
• The nickname is the "real" name of the vessel, the one you're likely to remember and use to speak about it. Nicknaming conventions are based on vessel type, see below.
• The full name is optional, usually it's the extended version of the acronym. If there is anything specific on this vessel, it can be precised here. Ex : automated vessel, VTOL, SSTO, ect...

Nicknaming conventions :

• Rockets : existing ones, or like existing ones. Usually from Antique mythology.
• Probes : Named after famous scientists (Hubble, Kepler, Newton, ect).
• Bases : Naming free ! Like plaques, I tend to name them after real places.
• Unmanned missions : Named from stars or constellations.
• Manned missions : Named after Polynesian stars and constellations
• Spaces stations : Named after Polynesian atolls
• Utility vehicles (manned) : Named after Polynesian things (usually plants or birds)
• Utility vehicles (unmanned) : naming free, assuming it usually fits also another category.
• Modules and other things that doesn't exist alone in space in a normal (non-failed) mission : various names, usually personalities, polynesian stuff, Greek letters or names, even funny names or memes.
• Kerbals : uses their own name btw.
• Plaques : Naming free. Depends of the context. Usually by existing cities.

Why FAITO uses Polynesian names? Mostly because mythologic references are over-used and not creative at all, in my opinion. Everyone use them, so I prefer using rare and never-sawn-before names

Usual meanings for letters I use in acronyms :

• X : prototype
• F : plane
• STS : space shuttle
• K : related to Kerbal / Kerbin. Ex : KSS for the stations around Kerbin.
• M : manned
• A : automated (using kOS)
• R : reusable
• W : weaponry (rare)
• B : boat
• KSM : submarines
• HKS : "His Kerbiness Service", ships bigger thant two floating debris
• Pz, T, or M with a number : tanks and armored ground vehicles (rare)
• T, G, J, C : Rovers, cars, trucks, Jeeps, and other ground stuff.
• L : launcher
• <nothing> : laze. Most common.

_{(1) The first and unique time I made a SSTO, piloted by Bill, it crashed and was really bad. I was totally a noob, but the bad feeling about "weird plane that goes in a place not designed for planes" still remains. I hate SSTOs. Grrrrrrr...}

Edited September 7, 2017 by HerrCrazi
making it more clear

[FungusForge]

I recently adopted acronyms and random numbers, but only for the first of a series, later models just get ever increasing numbers. I also have made up company abbreviations prefixing them.

So my current craft under this naming scheme are MI-BAR300 (Mycelium Industrial Big A55 Rover 300), AM-B21 (Arahas* Manufacturing Buggy 21), and my landships AM-44 (Arahas Manufacturing Model 44) and AM-45CX (Arahas Manufacturing Model 45 Cargo Experimental).

*Sahara backwards. Its what I decided named the desert and also where that particular company is based.

 

[Laie]

Most common are a, b, c or foo bar baz. Even the more meaningful names usually don't amount to much, like  Munshot. or Tanker NN (I stopped at revision IVf2, which was a good one). Brood Forse CCLVI (that was for saving Burberry). Die Rakete zu den Planetenräumen (SSTA). Barebone Duna.

[wumpus]

Don't expect much in the way of names, although descriptive names are good if you need to find an old one (I need to learn this better).  Some typical names:

rescue rocket (obvious)
love boat (for tourists).  Older kerbanauts (or perhaps those subjected to 1970s US TV reruns) will get this
munsmoon (for "place a satellite in mun's orbit)
cheap launcher (for "place a satellite in Kerbal Orbit")
munshot - for crewed mun missions
Skylab (initial space station)

Note that you can rename vessels, but I typically give the rocket the name I want the result to end up with (for things like satellites and space stations).  It makes it easier to find the right launcher in your save file.
 

[tomf]

I'm quite proud of the naming of Adam, which landed on Eve, Sam which is a Gilly orbiter and the Vall lander/orbiter pair of vallidator and valladiction