Naming scheme for your ships! (0.24 edition)

[mangekyou-sama]

So I was curious with how you guys here in the forums name your ships and missions. Do you have any specific nomenclature patterns?

Well, here's my naming scheme:

Prefixes:

I've yet to decide on what prefix to use for .24.2

-OW- = one way mission

-ORB = orbiter vessel

-HPD = heavy payload delivery system

-LDR- = lander

-ROV- = rover

-SST- = space station

-EXP- = means that craft is still in experimental stages

As for the name of the ship itself, I tend to use less complicated names now. Back then I used Latin/ Greek names but I figured it would be easier to remember simple names instead.

Suffixes:

Mk.1,Mk.2, etc = for example, the ship had a failure and I had to make improvements to it, it would automatically be designated as Mk.1, Mk.2 and so on.

So would you mind sharing yours?

Edited August 2, 2014 by mangekyou-sama

[Firedtm]

Don't really put much thought it to it, i don't use prefixes or suffixes don't need them

i got 3 stations right now:

1 around kerbin - First Light

1 around mun - Second Light

1 around minmus - Third Light

as for ships its what really comes to mind.

Last stop to hell - my failed probe to moho

Apollo - First lander to mun - Failed to reenter orbit

The Newbe land - First ship to make orbit

[Sapphire]

I have a two-letter, three number scheme, then a single name afterwards.

For example... "PX-430 Firewalker".

PX implies that it's a probe, 430 implies that it's the fourth probe currently in service, and it's the 3rd version of said probe. And Firewalker just sounds fitting for a heatshield-based atmosphere-analyzing probe that incinerates before hitting the ground.

Other than that, I have...

LX - Lifter

UX - Utility-based

AX - Aircraft

SX - SSTO

RX - Rover

X - Interplanetary vessel

[Ralathon]

I mostly use naming conventions when building constellations. The constellation as a whole has a name based on a mythological character (Usually a titan from greek mythology). Sats in the constellation share the name of the constellation as a whole followed by an indication of orbit and launch index.

There are 7 standard orbits:

1 Equatorial orbit, indicated by Eq

2 Polar orbits at 90 degrees of one another, indicated by P1 or P2.

4 Inclined orbits at 45 degrees of Eq, indicated by I1 to I4

There are 3 sats in each orbit at 120 degree intervals. Their index is equal to the order of deployment.

So, for example, the 2nd sat in my first polar orbit in my Kerbin constellation is named "Astraeus P1 Sat2".

For manned ships or dedicated probes I don't have a strict naming scheme. I usually name my manned ships after great scientists or engineers (Von Braun, Laplace, Tsiolkovsky etc) and the unmanned craft after their function or looks (Spider ferry, Orbital tug, Eos constellation deployer etc)

[Captain Sierra]

Depending on which RP save file I am in, my prefix is [sSI] with a name. Then Mk #. the Mk # indicates version. The number is always roman neumerals. Then again, this is only for my SSI save file.

Ex.

[sSI] Orion SSTO crew shuttle Mk. IV

[sSI] Kethosat Mk. II

My historical space program, I make plays off real rocket names.

Eg. I made a chemistry joke out of the Mercury missions by naming them Gallium, the only other metal that is liquid at slightly over room temperature.

[Extemporary]

The numbering scheme that I've kept for several updates is thus:

(U for unmanned, M# number of crew)-(Initial of planet, initial of moon if applicable)-(Purpose: O for orbiter, L for lander, R for rover, S for station, B for Base) (Roman numeral) (Vaguely related name)

For example: M3-KM-L II Aquila

The names have no real rhyme or reason, except for stations. Those are named after various things to do with the Roman Empire. I just placed Hadrian Outpost in Minmus orbit, and I am currently planning the construction of Komnenos Station.

[JimmyAgent007]

for the first long while all my ships had "Death Trap" in them. It was tough work getting kerbals to fly in them back in those days.

[fatfluffycat]

K-The first letter to everyone of my rockets and planes

[Zaryulenko]

This is my non-completed scheme based often from the goal to achieve

ZS (its TZ for spanish but i traducted it to ZS to be reading easier) Zaryulentic Storm missions are Rover Based missions to Duna (And maybe un Moho soon)

Eseneo Series are used at Probe / Unmaned Refuel Depot station

Nightelant's Eye Series (Ojo del Nochelante... Own traduction to my own words Yay ) Are for Intensive detection-landing of Kethane and are based on a Scaner and a Lander that lands on good places to work.

OX-(XX) (XX stands for Build number and Type) Is for Delivering of Solar Panels

Corsair PROTOM-X (X ship version) Is used on Most of my actually out of service / Re-entered Orbital Tugs for Kerbin-Minmus range

And finally Rocketeer Titan Series (I hope i can put them on spacecraft exchange when i have enought time to do it )

RT-V1 Test Launcher

RT-V2M/H Heavy Launcher

RT-AP/BUS AP is an apollo style lander whit a can of Fried Chiken (Well i found a good flag whit KFC and KSP on reddit during the Migration)

And BUS is a 5-7 Crew Transport vehicle but it was refitted to achieve Orbit around Kerbin whitout expecting more

Thats what i have for now on my new Save file but some are also old ones still good for use.

[Awass]

I have pretty ridiculous names for my ships. I use asparagus staging for most of my rockets, so usually the word "Asparagus" finds its way into the name. My Moon rocket was named "Asparagus Super Heavy Munshot SRB". I called another rocket "Apsaragus-Pentaengine 1", and "Asparagus-Septaengine 1" is on the way.

[Flymetothemun]

I've tried many naming schemes, but nowadays I just organize them into programs and I remember what each program is for/contains.

[rodion]

Mine's strange and ad hoc, it basically goes: word I like + a zero + number indicating mass bracket + more zeroes indicating how many major revisions the craft has gone through; e.g. a lander called the Sassafras 0300 would be designed for heavy (bracket 3) work, which went through two (00) significant design revisions since the original design was put together. A two digit appendix is added in flight for the craft's serial number, so Sassafras 0300-04 would be the fourth craft of the type that was built and launched.

[Comrade Jenkens]

Mine are generally abbreviations followed by the KSP version that they were made in. They also have a variant number. X is for experimental.

E.G.

-LLV-19A (Light Launch Vehicle made in 0.19. Version 1)

-Co-21D (Corvette made in 0.21. Version 4)

-XL-180 (Experimental lander made in version 1.8)

[Felsmak]

I usually name mine after mythological characters.

[regex]

I just describe the craft, possibly adding a version number afterwards if I have an improvement and for some reason want to keep the older one.

Moho Mining Shack (it has a transfer stage to get to Moho)

Moho Survey Lander (transfer stage + lander + rovers)

ROCKET SHIP (it looks like an old-school "rocket ship")

Mun Home (transfer stage to Mun carrying a habitat)

etc...

Pretty boring but very easy to keep track of what stuff does and how far it can reach.

[Brapness]

It varies for me depending on how I feel. I have named particular designs that I use often, such as my standard interplanetary stage which is called 'Samson II' (Samson I was phased out after a design flaw caused the rear end to explode). I stopped using my standard low-g lander, which was called 'Ares', after numerous accidents which stranded Kerbals. I haven't yet found a design I like enough to become my new standard lander. Other than that my ships tend to be named after their purpose, such as 'refueller' or 'astronaut shuttle'.

I do name particular projects though; such as my grand tour 'Pegasus', or my multi-probe mission to Jool which was project Zeus, or a rover mission to Eeloo which was project Hades and my Bop base went by the name 'Project Tartarus'.

Edited September 29, 2013 by Brapness

[AfailingHORSE]

ISS - Imperial Space Ship (Civilian)\Imperial Space Station (all kinds)

IMS - Imperial Military Ship

IMS© - Imperial Military Ship (convict operated)

IDS - Imperial Diplomat Ship

[Tilion]

My craft are usually named either for its mission if a one-off or 'special' - stuff like 'KWX' for a weather sat, 'HabLab' for my first space station, 'Assay Explorer' for a Joolian Grand Tour IP mothership; there'll usually be the odd acronym thrown in like the 'DSN OLRIC Array' (Deep Space Network Orbital Long-Range Interplanetary Communications Array). Speaking of acronyms, my most recently named station is 'VAPORS' - the Very Accessible Perikee Orbital Refuelling Station - I nearly had to properly engage the grey matter for that one - for a moment.

Then I've got the full programs & projects - they usually follow classic naming conventions such as the third flight of a Vanguard Orbiter on a Scout Rocket will be 'Vanguard VS-3' - if there's a problem I might need to launch a repeat mission as 'Vanguard VS-3A'. Some programs cover a wide range of craft, in these cases they have a second prefix character to denote the sub-program/strand - key among those for me is my 'Project Reach' which covers probe development and has six key, early-game classes of probe to be developed: R='Reach' Flyby Probe & Impactor / Rx='Explorer' Science Probe / Ri='Imager' Probe / Rs= 'Settler' Soft Lander / Rp='Pilgrim' Interplanetary Probe / Rw='Wanderer' Rover - from those I just add the launcher's letter and mission number, though the last three more advanced types each are named for their sub-program so we have 'Reach RS-4', 'Reach RxS-6', 'Reach RiS-3', 'Settler RsS-9', 'Pilgrim RpS-1' and 'Wanderer RwS-2'.

My lifter options are a bit of a mess, naming wise, coming up with new options and optimising things; but I try to have some method to the madness, keeping to the Stage I, II, III etc. format but with different named sub-assemblies as needed: 'Scout III-R4S' is a Scout lower/mid stage with 4 SRB's on radial decouplers, 'Scout II-A8' is a lower stage with 8 extra tanks & engines permanently attached. Planes and SSTO's similarly get either individual or program-based names.

When I need to come up with a new version of an actual orbiter/lander/spaceplane though I tend to either go with adding a numeral for a basic alteration, or adding a descriptive acronym such as 'Pronto CXRV' / 'Pronto CERV-II' -Crew Transfer & Resupply Vessel / Crew Emergency Rescue Vehicle, Type 2.

As you can see, most names are in English (or at least something close to it) but the ones I've named are from my post-update/lost-save 'reboot the solar system' mission program which I go through, trying to improve, every time a game-breaking version update happens (or whenever I want to restart on familiar ground). There's a great list of names from mythologies/ancient languages and especially bird names, of course, waiting for me ready for those next craft, programs & missions I want to take on - though matching things up is often a strangely trying task!

Edited September 29, 2013 by Tilion

[Accelerando]

all of my vessels are named for food, like jalapeño

[ENSP]

My first Post! Haha!

Well, my naming scheme is pretty terrible.

Integers 1-9 for version. Once version reaches 10 it is considered a dead mission. X is experimental testbed.

Some purpose names:

SPKL-TRX = Expendable crew, completely new design (that's supposed to work in theory)

HAMMR = High Apoapis and Mass Mission Re-entry : Essentially deploying parachutes at the last second, if any at that.

CELESTE = Near-Kerbol orbit. Very near.

ICARUS/SHMR = Flying into the sun, for whatever reason

BANGDINGOW = Slingshot maneuver. Named for their unreasonably high G practices.

KRKNFUD = Multi-launched, orbit-docked interplanetary ship

LUNA = Anything that has to do with the Mun

FKNGROUND = New design (That's not supposed to work)

CRUSADER = "To go boldly where no kerbal has gone before."

That's as far as I have, for original names. Save for LUNA.

[csanders]

for the first long while all my ships had "Death Trap" in them. It was tough work getting kerbals to fly in them back in those days.

Funny. A lot of my first ships, which I was sure would fail, had the word "death" somewhere in the title.

Now, most of my names are descriptive. When the prototype of my next design is fully functional, it will be GALA (Go Anywhere Land Anywhere). With the hopes of a GALAR series (the R is for Return). Even it's prototype name is descriptive.

Though sometimes I name ships if the resemble something. E.g. my phalanx lander, because the parachutes look like a wall of shields

[bigyihsuan]

Eh, I just put "Standard" in front of the mission type, then a revision number:

Example: Standard Mun Mission Mk1

[TheMontgomery]

Mine's pretty ad hoc at the moment, but it typically follows a formula with a given model name for some figure of Slavic mythology (Polish spellings or variants in particular, as a nod to my ancestry), and a letter/number combination usually consisting of some acronym for the ship's function, series number, et cetera. Occasionally I'll rename them in flight for specific missions.

For instance, the current generation of my all-purpose space tug/construction vehicle is the Kowal OCV (Orbital Construction Vehicle) Mk IV (Kowal being Polish for "smith"). My principal Mun/Minmus/Duna-capable landing vessel is the Jarylo XV-R (Exploratory Vehicle/Rover) Mk VI (Jarylo/Jarilo being the Slavic deity of vegetation and spring).

[mangekyou-sama]

With the hopes of a GALAR series (the R is for Return). Even it's prototype name is descriptive.

You forgot another A after R. Return Alive

[csanders]

You forgot another A after R. Return Alive

I thought that would be implied when I named it "Mark II"