Naming scheme for your ships! (0.24 edition)

[turbo917k]

Typically my naming describes the target planet and/or the type of project, combined with various numbers indicating some level of refinement. Eventually these become truncated to letters and end up morphing into a series of lifters that are saved as sub assemblies (particularly before installing Engineer Redux). So an E series lifter would indicate that it had successfully put a probe to Eve (a T series lifter was developed from a particularly successful temperature probe that went far). Some examples include,

Temp&goo-G-4 (probe with goo and a thermometer, G series lifter, iteration 4)

ScienceChuck-T-3 (all the science currently available, T series lifter, iteration 3)

MunSat-3 (probe for the Mun, variant 3)

T

[StrandedonEarth]

First flights of new (massive) designs are always called Widowmakers, with the generation numerical and iterations alphabetical, until they are successful. Thus the third tweak of my fourth clean-sheet design would be Widowmaker 4c.

Once it can make orbit more-or-less intact I will assign a name to the lifter, usually related to the size of the lifter. My go-to design is the Goliath, which can put my 100 ton tanker into LKO, with most of the lifter still attached. Without an economy, why use anything else?

Actual missions usually end up as "_______ Explorer", such as the Jool Explorer flagship mission from 0.22

[Sgt. Cookie]

That depends. Often I just give them simple names, like Mun Rover 1 or Comm Station 1-3. But sometimes, a more opulent name is required, such as my current station project that I've named Byzantium.

[KvickFlygarn87]

Whatever the heck I feel like.

[Runescope]

I name all of mine after Discworld characters and cities. For example my primary station is called the AM-Class. Someone thought this was a joke about having an AM Station, and asked if I had an FM Station too. The joke was purely unintentional, I assure you. The AM stands for Ahnk-Morpork, and I have two living areas, a high end one and a simple one, separated by fuel. Much like how the Discworld city is two living spaces separated by a river of what best could be described as "not water".

The stations all have their own names. The one around Kerbin is Lord Vetinari, the Mün has Lady Sibil and Minmus has Commander Vimes.

I designed a flying heavy Kethane mining & refinery rig using the Hooligan Labs blimp parts and named it the Belaphon, after the druid that was encountered in a cloud flying a giant rock. A heavy rover I named Detritus after the lumbering troll gaurd.

Things of that nature. I thought that the feeling of the Discworld fit quite well with the feeling of KSP for some reason.

[1096bimu]

Prefixes:

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

Unamed = one way mission

Unamed = lander

Unamed = rover

Unamed = space station

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

Body:

Sapce craft

Suffixes:

w5r3r5,w45serew,asdsfg = random typed stuff so it doesn't ask me to overwrite thing I don't want to overwrite.

[magico13]

I've been using various physicist names going in alphabetical order. Such as the Archimedes Launch Platform (Originally the Minmus Launcher) or the Brahe Munar Probe. Next up is Copernicus, probably a Munar Lander.

[ThatKerbal]

Usually like NASA Does.

Probes/Satellites = Usually Guardian or Stalker even Orion

Ships = Usually something like Along with their mission name something like Minmus 12 for mission Minmus 12 or Dunar 11 for mission Dunar 11.

Refueling/Docking/Rest Stations = Usually something like HOME or SPACEHOTEL or SPACEINN If your wondering about rest station, Is when im going on interplanetary missions outside of kerbins SOI and i may want to take a break so i dock my kerbals there until i'm done sometimes i have things to do or i wanna take a break and not have to launch all over again.

o

[Dean Harper]

I have a number of Programs for each type of craft. The first in each Program is designated I, when it accomplishes my current task I stop updating it and move onto II, and so on. For example, I am currently designing Icarus III as a SSTO Spaceplane. When that works, I might set myself a higher goal and move onto Icarus IV.

These are my current programs:

Planes: Icarus III

Manned rockets: Ascension VI

Unmanned orbital probes: Observer II *Discontinued*

Unmanned surface probes: Beholder IV

Manned landers: Explorer III

Space station parts: Spirit of Kerbin I

Occasionally I need to make a special variation of a design. In that case a letter representing the change is added to the end. For example, when Jeb crashed Explorer III on the Mun, I built a probe guided Explorer III-R to rescue him.

Edited January 5, 2014 by Dean Harper

[Snow Leopard]

I usually name my programs after what they do. For example, my LKO shuttle program is the SpaceGlider program. Smaller missions usually just have acronyms, such as MRP (Munar Rover Program). I save the nicer names for the ships themselves. For example, the shuttles have names like Innovation and Frontier. Rovers are named similarly, such as Perception and Intuition. Sometimes it can be fun to mimic real programs, with stations such as Munlab.

[Kenobi McCormick]

These days I name my rockets whatever comes to mind. Other craft are more specifically named. Starting with fixed wing craft:

Wright W-45(A-D): Basic little fighter jet. Later models revised into a half-assed just-barely-scrapes-into-orbit spaceplane. Modifications were pretty simple. Haphazardly replace turbofan with RAPIER, toss in an FT-400 fuel tank someplace, duck tape on some solar panels, reset CoL, and hope it doesn't explode on the runway. A D-model, which successfully made it to orbit, deorbited and landed back at the space center, is on permanent display outside the SPH. A C-model also sits at the Island Airstrip inside one of the hangars. It made it into space, too, but was unable to make it back to the space center. Ran out of fuel right before it hit the runway on the island.

Wright D-14(A-C): Designed from the getgo to be a spaceplane. Two RAPIER engines mounted A-10 style. Has a T-tail to ensure no wierdness happens with the engine exhausts. Works, too. Mostly. But it glides like a sodding brick so don't expect to land it shuttle style. A C-model, which achieved orbit, completed three full circuits and landed back on the runway sits on display next to the W-45D in front of the SPH.

Wright MB-22(A-D): Two engined medium bomber. Built just to screw around. Flies pretty good, will carry about 4,000kgs of munitions. Aircraft is equipped with a lazor computer so it can launch lazor missiles as well.

Wright HB-36(A-: Massive six engined bomber. Ended up with something positively silly when unladen. It has so much lift, so much power and weighs so little that it will fly level at just 27m/s, and it will fly straight up while accelerating at about three Gs. Will carry an entire full orange tank. Attempted to make a spaceplane out of the B-model, failed due to KSP joint wobble making it nearly impossible to take off while carrying the requisite amount of rocket fuel. This thing is also stupidly fast, will sustain 220m/s in level flight and 250m/s in level flight if it gets to that speed in a dive. Aircraft is equipped with a lazor computer so it can launch lazor missiles as well.

VC-4FCA: Ye olde F4U lookalike. only it's bright red. And has a WW1 German air force logo on the tail. Lol. Flies okay, about like an F4U in that regard, and it carries a decent amount of dakka. Armed with two .30cal Miniguns and can carry up to 1200kg of munitions.

FKK-201: Ye olde monoplane fighter. Think 30's-ish stuff. Flies like an absolute dream, and is armed similarly to the VC-4FCA. See it in action here!

Moving on to surface vehicles, we have:

Electric Go-Kart of Science! MkIII: Prototype early tier rover I built for my career save. Works okay, although it was designed for 0.22 so its scientific value is bollocks nowadays. Used mostly as ballast weights or a target.

Hot Rod Lincoln: Took the fuselage from an FKK-201, modified it slightly, popped it on a car chassis. Ended up with a pretty cool race car. Jeb's already bought one and now drives it to the space center. image!

JD-110: Got bored and decided to build a tractor. So's I did. This is actually the second one I built, using an internal combustion engine I made by cannibalizing bits and pieces of various Firespitter parts to generate its electrical power.

JD-110E: This is the first tractor I built. Worked okay. Powered by a forest of RTGs on the back. Mostly a proof of concept vehicle.

JD110T: Tracked variant of the JD-110. I have one parked outside the SPH in case I want to move the displayed aircraft around.

JD-150T: Heavier duty variant. Sturdier tracks, much muuuch larger frontal counterweight, WAY more battery. Nearly unstoppable this thing.

Space Truck of Science!: An improved rover I built, again for 0.22 career mode. Worked pretty cool, drove like a dream. Sat two kerbals and commanded a full compliment of science gear. Now obsolete, but only because of the changes to how Science works in 0.23.

Space Van MkII: A van I built recently using the doublewide RollKage cage. If I ever get around to starting a new career save one of these is getting shipped over posthaste.

Trailer MkI: Failed attempt at building a trailer. Stupid free-spinning docking washers that don't actually free-spin once you've hitched up.....

Edited January 5, 2014 by Kenobi McCormick

[Katojana]

i name mine after Katojana (Katojana Station, Katojana probe, etc), and my username is named after Katojana

[xrayfishx]

Having played KSP for over a year with approximately 1000-1500 hours put into it, I can do pretty much anything I want, but the one thing I can't do is giving my spacecraft proper names. I usually just think of the purpose of it and then abbreviate it. I also hate using names NASA or ESA already use; it is too unoriginal. So usually I end up with a world full of objects named GSLRCS n (Geostationary Long-Range Communication Satellite), LKOSRCS n (Low Kerbin Orbit Short-Range Communication Satellite), JGRP (Jool Gravity Research Probe), EMSGCEP (no idea what it is, any ideas?) and my personal favourite, DSATPIBCGRP v2 (I am fairly sure it had a meaning when I created it, but I might have just been messing with future-me). Other times I just take the easy way and use names like Moho Probe or Duna Lander.

Then I have a friend who thinks the best part of this game is being able to name an important Eve probe C**t Destroyer IV.

Then I see a lot of interesting names on these forums so I've always wondered how people come up with them.

Edited February 20, 2014 by xrayfishx
Merging this with an older thread made me look like a ******.

[purestevil]

The funniest craft names I've seen are from the late Sci-Fi writer Iain Banks:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_spacecraft_in_the_Culture_series

[TimePeriod]

I use D&D Terms, my latest creations follow the Goblonoid naming policy: Goblin, Kobold, Hobgoblin, Orc etc etc...

Next series is the various types of Beast-kind.

[Blackstar]

I tend to go with a combination of a mission registry and a name. Registry numbers are usually three letter acronyms based on the class of the vessel (i.e. which file in the VAB/SPH it's launched from) followed by a mission number that increments for each vessel of that class to be launched. OTV=Orbital Transport Vehicle, IEP = Interplanetary Exploration Probe, etc.

After starting a new save, I traditionally name my first 3 real (non-experimental) workhorse tugs OTV-101 Grissom, OTV-102 Chaffee, and OTV-103 White. Those three ships have different specialties and do most of the orbital assembly of whatever big mission I'm planning.

If I do a Mun mission, the ship to land there will often be named Collins, just because. After that, it's whatever random thing I feel like at the moment.

Oh, and I tend to create a big space station called Kerbin One even though I rarely use it for anything. The design varies wildly from one game version to the next depending on which mods I'm playing with, but it typically has plenty of habitation space, docking ports, and sometimes fuel reserves.

[Dynamo]

This has come up before on one or two threads. I also do not like stealing current names of spacecraft, it ruins my immersion and dedication to my own program. Stealing a name is as good as copying a ship, to me.

With that established, I decided to mimic the trend, using mythology as an inspiration. Real space programs often did name their missions after fabled figures, such as with Apollo, Mercury, and Gemini, and the planets are also named after Roman gods. In such spirit, I "simulate" Latin by modifying Latin-esque syllables, prefixes, and suffixes into compelling names, creating a original, yet inspired feel of the imperial power that Latin gives. For example, my IPV missions are all named with this system:

IPV-1: Astrium

IPV-2: Aletherium

IPV-3: Gatheriax

IPV-4: Talyos

IPV-5: Aurux

IPV-6: Tyberius

IPV-7: Vagus (Actual Latin translation for 'Wanderer')

Most of my inter-Kerbin vessels are simply purpose-named ('Crew Shuttle') or have unique ones outside the Latin convention.

Hope this helps! It doesn't have to be something deeply inspired, just find a topic or theme that resonates with you.

[Boomerang]

My manned missions, stations, bases, and deployment crafts are all just descriptively titled (ie: 'Mun Rover Trio' for the craft that ferries three rovers to the Mun). My only real naming scheme is for my comsats, since I use RemoteTech. Equatorial satellites are named for the body they orbit, then a letter denoting the order in which they're deployed, since I number other missions. So 'Mun A' is the first comsat deployed in MEO. Comsats in polar orbit are labelled as such, ie: 'Kerbin Polar A'.

[PUNiSH3R]

Mine go: Prefix - Model # - Dev Change followed by "nickname", which generally relates to the proposed use or some physical characteristic of the design.

Examples: LV-10F "Exeter", XR-19K "Albatross", IP-65 "Conestoga"

Prefixes:

CV - Land Vehicle (Land Vehicle, Electric, LPR & RCS)

EMR - EMergency Rescue (Vertical SSTO, Combined Cycle, Turbine, LPR & RCS)

FX - Atmospheric Flight (Turbine)

IP - InterPlanetary (Exoatmospheric, LPR & RCS)

KMU - Kerbal Maneuvering Unit (Ultra-small, Single Kerbal, RCS only)

KT - Kerbin Transport (In-Atmosphere Aircraft, Turbine, Heavy)

LV - Launch Vehicle (Transatmospheric, Staged, bipropellant LPR)

XJ - eXperimental Jet (In-Atmosphere Aircraft, Turbine, High Speed)

XR - eXperimental Ranged (In-Atmosphere Aircraft, Turbine, High Range)

XV - eXperimental Vehicle (Land Vehicle, Electric, LPR & RCS)

Development Changes:

F - Includes hardware/equipment for a 'Field' launch (e.g., disposable gantry, stabilizers)

K - Reworked fuel system for kethane fuel & turbine(s)

R - Research platform (Fuel consumption tests, service ceiling, reentry testing, abort mode tests, etc)

X - Work-In-Progress (WIP)

No Designator - Standard Model

From the above examples, the IP-65 "Conestoga" is a standard interplanetary tug, the LV-10F "Exeter" is a launch vehicle that comes with its own disposable gantry and the XR-19K "Albatross" is an experimental long-range atmospheric craft that has been retooled to run on kethane.

Base/station modules and resource extractors are named by location and sequence (e.g., KSSOne, Mun Base Ichi).

Oh the time we waste on this stuff...

[SuperBigD60]

I don't have any naming convention for my general spaceships, but my spaceplanes are all named after whatever fish they vaguely resemble (or whose name sounds cool)

[TerLoki]

I've got four separate schemes depending on what kind of craft it is. Each role has a different name, and then each successive iteration has a number. For example, my first successful Minimus lander was "Eve 2", and my current workhorse probe design is "Surveyor 7".

Capsules/Manned Landers:

Named for planets in the Kerbin system, initially based on the Mercury program. "Kerbin return" means that the capsule can separate and parachute land, "Orbital return" means it has to dock with another ship and transfer crew (Apollo-style).

Moho: One-man capsule, Kerbin return

Eve: Two-man capsule, Kerbin return

Duna: Three-man capsule, Kerbin return

Ike: One-man lander, Orbital return

Dres: Two-man lander, Orbital return

Tylo: Four-man lander, Orbital return

Probes:

Named for real-life probe series.

Pioneer: Lander

Surveyor: Orbiter

Mariner: Sample return lander

Voyager: Orbiter+Lander

Stations:

All named for constellations, each one has a different name. None made so far.

Multi-Part Ships:

Named for scientists, each one has a different name. Proof of concept was called "Dres 1", but the next one will be "Dyson".

[Tanner Rawlings]

sations are labeled as KSS (kerbin space station) then II, III and so on depending on how many have been in orbit or are in, LKO for any low kerbin orbit craft HKO for any high kerbin orbit and KSOI for any craft which can reach anywhere in the soi then IPC for interplanetary craft followed by a M or D or K for which planet it goes to (dres is Dr) landers are KL for kerbin lander or KML for Mun lander (first letter refers to parent body, and minmus is referred to as Mm)

[Lightning22]

The naming scheme in my present career mode generally follows a unique name followed by the iteration number, in roman numerals. As an example, before I could really make orbit, and really my first orbital craft were the Planetary Explorer-K (I-XII), but then certain craft have additional designations so, if something that is typically manned has a probe body on it, maybe for testing or a no-return mission, have a "D" designation at the end of the numerals, but then if it's built specifically as a probe, then probe will be in the name.

So to go through an abbreviated list:

Planetary Explorer-K,D (I-XII)

Deep Space Probe (I-V)

Munar Lander (I-IV)

Special designations:

D-Drone (Probe body added)

N-Nuclear Power plant added to to craft

NP- Atomic Rocket motor is used in craft

I-Ion engine is in the final stage

[Osprey]

I use D&D Terms, my latest creations follow the Goblonoid naming policy: Goblin, Kobold, Hobgoblin, Orc etc etc...

Next series is the various types of Beast-kind.

Someone after my own heart.

I use a mission naming convention borrowed from Nasa, that is to say use terms from mythology with a mission number. The twist for mine is, the deities I use are all from the Forgotten Realms D&D universe...

Kerbin - Toril (not a deity, I know)

Mun - Selune

Minmus - Mystra

Moho - Kossuth

Eve - Sune

Duna - Tempus

Dres - Cyric

Jool - Torm

Eeloo - Auril

I name my launcher schematics after various creatures, e.g.

Low orbit, l. payload launcher - Kobold (cur. Mk.IV)

Low orbit, m.. payload launcher - Salamander

Low orbit, h. payload launcher - Yuan-ti

etc., etc.

I don't really do spaceplanes, but when I do they'll be named after nations...

Amn

Cormyr

Tethyr

etc.

That said, I'm open to suggestions for a way of making this more standardised. I like the prefix with mission designation stuff that some have done, would make searching the ship list a bit easier for sure.

[possum]

I use WW2 fighter names. My last series was Corsair and now I am working on Mustang. Others that I will use will be Lightning, Hellcat, Bearcat, Dauntless and so on.