Naming scheme for your ships! (0.24 edition)

[nerdboy64]

Mine is rather complicated, but I'll try to explain. First, every craft is given a class based on its function. The current ones are as follows, but I can add more if I need them:

• C - Civil Transport - An airplane which is designed to carry kerbals.
  
• T - Transport - A plane designed to carry a nonliving payload.
  
• J - Jet Aircraft - Any jet-powered aircraft that doesn't fit a more specific classification.
  
• HS - Hybrid Spacecraft - Anything which launches horizontally, flies like a plane, and ends up in space, regardless of staging.
  
• R - Pure Rocket - Launches vertically and uses only rocket engines.
  

If the craft is unmanned, an "A" for autonomous is placed before the classification as well.

Then, each craft is given a numerical model based on the number of engines it has. For example, a jet aircraft with two of only one type of engine would be a J-20. Why a zero at the end? If there are more planes of this class, they would be J-21, -22, and so on. If a craft has more than one kind of engine, things get complicated. An SSTO with two jets and one rocket would be an HS-210, assuming it is the first of that class. If there are more than ten models in a given class, an additional hyphen is inserted so the eleventh SSTO with two jets and one rocket would be an HS-21-10. Technically, this doesn't allow for engine counts in the double digits, but I've never built something with that many anyway.

For craft still in development, a lowercase "p" is appended to the model code to mean "prototype." Prototypes are numbered separately from released models, so a J-10 and a J-10p are not the same aircraft.

Finally, I like to give each craft a whimsical name based on what it does. My jets are usually named after birds, my SSTOs after Greek mythological figures, and my rockets something pseudo-scientific that produces a humorous acronym (Ex: "Duna Extended Research Platform," which is abbreviated to "DERP").

Some examples from the Fusion Aerospace catalog:

• C-20 Pigeon - A twin-engined jet airliner
  
• J-21p Pelican II - Second prototype of a twin-engine flying boat
  
• HS-210 Photon - Small SSTO with two jets and one rocket
  
• HS-830 Hercules - SSTO with 8 jets and 3 rockets (It's quite the unwieldy brute to fly)
  
• J-30 Heron - Three-engined airliner. It's under the "J" class because "C" hadn't been invented when I designed it.
  

[alacrity]

My naming schemes are all missions specific.

all ships for a specific mission get a prefix name

duna missions - Ares

jool mission - Janus

Min/Minus Mission - Lupus

Then the ships get mythos names depending on function

Ares Olympus is the Duna main base

Ares cornucopia are the resupply probes dropped to surface

Ares Argo is the station orbiting Ike as the primary return refueler and orbital support station

Ares Chariot is the Kerbal delivery vehikle from kerbin to duna

Ares Omphalas is the duna to kerbin return vehikle

the Janus(jool) mission was a mapping mission with a primary master vehikle to act as on orbital station once arriving at tylo with 5 subordinant unmanned probes launched from it after attaining its orbit to fully map all the Joolian moons.

so naturally the Mother ship is named Janus Overlord and the probes are the Minions (T,P,B,L,and V)

haven't fully designed my Eeloo trip so still mulling over names.

Alacrity

[loknar]

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:

ARS- = this prefix is present in all my ships (stands for Arstotzka; Glory to Arstotzka!)

-OW- = one way mission

-LDR- = lander

-ROV- = rover

-SST- = space station

-BSRV- = this is a new addition. Stands for Base + Rover

As for the name of the ship itself, at first I used english terms like Discovery, Insight, Vanquisher,etc. Then I switched to Latin & Greek since I found them more appealing.

Names like: Eurydice, Ares, Bucephalus, Athena, Atlas, Aphrodite, Helios,etc

Suffixes:

-I, -II, -III = for example, the ship had a failure and I had to make improvements to it, it would automatically be designated as II, III and so on.

So using the above pattern, I come up with names like:

ARS-ROV Atlas I - my mini rover on the moon

ARS-BSRV Aprodite I - it's yet to be launched to Eve

ARS-LDR Eurydice - already did a successful round-trip from Kerbin to Minmus

ARS Helios - now doing a sun orbit at 10M KM altitude (pretty awesome)

So would you mind sharing yours?

Only:

-The service module is called "mission service" with suffixes with the version of the module.

-Then Lander, Orbiter, Rover, SpaceVan with the destination indented. With suffix I, II based on the design revision.

Those names are edited after launch because I try to have multi-purpose designs; those names are not ship file names.

Returning Kerbals must have the correct papers when they come back to base. Papers please!

Glory to Arstotzka!

[PwnedDuck]

I really just name missions after what they do e.g. Eeloo manned return mission or Vall polar orbit probe. Stations are named after the planet they orbit then Alpha through Omega. Only bases have 'names', based on geographic features from the real equivalent of the body they're on e.g. tranquility base on the mun.

[nanotyrano]

For me, I either name them by the first thing that comes to mind that sounds cool, or what it actually does.

An example would be my pointless rover for navigating Kerbin's terrain (don't ask) named the Kerbinial Explorer Mk 4.2. I do version numbers for every small adjustment I make, and I also add a change log in the vehicle description.

[Umlüx]

my ships are usually named after minor planets or asteroids or whereever they got their names from.. (Eos, Thekla, Bilkis, Rhea...)

probes are named after their target, sometimes with a little sillly sound to it (Adam, DREStroyer, Jooligan, MOHOwk, EELOOminati...)

[Pipcard]

A series of spacecraft is denoted by a name followed by a number.

(ex. Dawn-3 is the third probe mission to the Eve-Gilly system)

For launch vehicles:

"Onion Stick" (for 1.25 m rockets); "Bottle" (for 2.5 m rockets)

followed by Type-# (version number) and the number of boosters (solid or liquid) or cores (example: the Falcon Heavy has 3 cores)

Edited September 30, 2013 by Pipcard

[Herbert McCheese-Wang]

I just use a cool name like 'Virgo', 'Consitution', 'Aenead' and then add I, II, III etc. after each prceding design's mission is done/explodes.

[nuclearpower13]

I've kinda standardized my ship names.

The K Series followed by a number (K-19) are ships that contain a manned crew.

The Verna Series are modeled after the Soviets Venera lander probes. I've landed 2. One on Eve and the other on Duna (which didn't end well).

[SofusRud]

I name my craft after characters from Lord of the Rings. Actually it's more the i name the vehicle concepts really.

For example my Jool probe dispersal craft/space tugs are named "Smaug" with the current version being the Mk-4

[Geckgo]

At least its easier to keep track of names in KSP than it was in X. The last time I played X2, my naming system got so complex that I didn't even have room for an actual "name", just a complex serial number so I knew which ship I was telling to do what.

[0jam3290]

Most of my labels vary, but most of the time for probe it's [Type]-[Orbital Destination]-[Model Designation and Orbiter Number]_[Mission Name]. Example: CommSat-GSO-A1 or EP(Exploration Probe)-MKO-A1 VARS (Van Allen Belt Research Satellite/Station). For my Inter Planetary probes it's [Model Name]-[intended Destination]_[Craft Role]-IP. Example: Hermes-Moho EP-IP/DS or Thor-Jool/Laythe AtL-IP. For my Mun/Minmus Landings, I just call it by the Program name and mission number/designation. Example: Aphrodite (Munar Program) 5A (Crew lander), 5B (2nd Crew lander), 5R (Rover lander).

[shoveycat]

My ship names are all over the place, i've got no real system. My saved craft is a mess. Although, typically with planes, its a combination of 1 or 2 letters, a vaguely related word, and a number (AD-Floyd, A-19 Arrowhead)

[briansun1]

mine is

name of craft+letter+letter + # +letter

X=space

V=Atmospheric

#= design order

#+x=military

#+v=Aid ship

#+z= station

example

Light scramble interceptor (LSI) XV-1x

[Yuri Kargarin]

I just name them by how I feel fit, sometimes by famous scientists/philosophers or Mocks of other IRL spacecraft (ie. Voyager=Traveller)

[StarVision]

My ships names vary. I've tried several methods but they never fit. My next method, which I think I'll like is using names from here, followed by roman numerals (I, II, III).

I'm thinking of maybe adding a prefix for clarifacation. If so they'd probably be something like these:

Rover - ROV

Lander - LNDR

Interplanetary - INTP

Plane - PLN

Probe/ satellite - SAT

Base - Base (probably a suffix)

So some of my ships could be like: LNDR-Challenger IV, Yorkshire Base, or ROV-Hathaway I.

Edit: And just for reference, One my current (and suprisingly successful) ships is called the "Maeybee III". It's a Mun lander that only has the # because of simple "Forgot struts" errors. So really I had no idea what I was doing and it worked.

Edited October 1, 2013 by StarVision

[Trann]

XXXSta-X = Space Station, the first 3 letters are the first three letters of the planet it orbits, Ker= Kerbin, Mun=Mun, Min=Minimus etc.

Mine uses a similar pattern but also adds a number to describe the station's orbit. Using yours as an example, KerSta-120 would have an orbit at 120km.

I've not discovered a reason to have more than one station at the same altitude. Yet.

[Hodo]

Mine uses a similar pattern but also adds a number to describe the station's orbit. Using yours as an example, KerSta-120 would have an orbit at 120km.

I've not discovered a reason to have more than one station at the same altitude. Yet.

Yeah neither have I. Most I have needed is 2 in orbit, basically opposite sides of the world from each other at all times. But right now my one in the current save game I am working on. Trying what I call "Hardcore", no reverts if it crashes it crashes. Only killed 2 Kerbals so far.

[AkiraSpace]

I name my crafts after characters from Katsuhiro Otomo's manga and anime Akira. For example:

Tetsuo Space Capsule

Kaneda Low Gravity Capsule Lander

Kaori Mun Lander

Nezu Lander

Chioko Space Station

The Masaru Space Probes

[Firenexus13]

All i ever do is add SAT to my satellites.

my ships are mostly called stuff like the ship i used for an Apollo remake:

The Nexus Z Class Medium Lander/Tug.

For the (Failed) Operation Minimus, i used:

The Nexus Y Class Light Lander/tug.

So i make my ships in backward alphabet order, then i will use:

The Nexus Class 1 Light/Medium/Heavy Lander/Tug/SSTOplane/SSTOrocket.

[rodion]

I name my crafts after characters from Katsuhiro Otomo's manga and anime Akira. For example:

Tetsuo Space Capsule

Kaneda Low Gravity Capsule Lander

Kaori Mun Lander

Nezu Lander

Chioko Space Station

The Masaru Space Probes

That's really cool, but what happens if you run out? Despite the length, Akira didn't have that many named characters, did it? Maybe you could eke it out with the characters from Domu or Fireball, or something, if comes to it. The general idea of the naming scheme is very appealing, though. Maybe it could be done with War and Peace or some other epics. All aboard the KSS Pierre! Oh God, it's heading right for the Napoleon!

[Trann]

Trying what I call "Hardcore", no reverts if it crashes it crashes. Only killed 2 Kerbals so far.

The only way to play!

(mostly because I didn't discover quicksave or reload until much, much later; why start using it now?)

[Longsok]

I name my ships like so, (name of design)+(destination)+(descriptor). For landers, the name is some sort of tea that is related some how to the destination. For orbiters, names relate to their purpose. For example, My Pisces orbiters are a knock off of the Gemini Missions and I named my recon satellites after the roman goddess of wisdom.

[TheGripenSaidWhat?]

I split it up naming into two different trends but try to keep it simple.

First, I organize the ship by a XXX-XXX-XX Code to keep it organized in the VAB or SPH. First group is the range of the craft/where it is designed to operate. If a ship can operate anywhere from Kerbin to Minmus, for example, I'll put K>mM. Anything that is designed for interplanetary will get either INTP or an abbreviation of the planet that it's going to. Second, is the class of ship that it is abbreviated to a four character callsign. Shuttles are SHTL, rockets are RKTS, and so on. The final group is the maximum crew supported, if any. Probes get PRBE while everything else has C# according to how much it can hold.

For the flavor name, all classes of vehicle get their own animal assigned with a couple exceptions. Rovers both manned and unmanned get dogs, Aerial contraptions get birds, Satillites and probes get insects, Rockets are more random although I'm leaning towards fish as a play on the whole Space is Not an Ocean trope.

[Exothermos]

My SSTOs that I share get some sort of "A" name, just for differentiation and a recognizable theme. But Before they are shared, they usually have some sort of goofy or descriptive name on my save. "Clippy McCheater", the "Hopeless" series, "Speedy Box", and "The Exploderator" come to mind.