Naming scheme for your ships! (0.24 edition)

[Mister Kerman]

I play off NASA missions or create my own that sound right. My meteor relocator was called Expropriator.

[r4pt0r]

currently have the mungull 1,2 and 3, and the probinni 1

[General Rarity]

My naming scheme is somewhat random, but I sense a pattern in it.

Usual Spaceplane names: Dart, Arrow, Bullet, etc.

Usual Crew CSM names: Zoyus, Artemis, Orion (shamful copying)

Usual Shuttle names: Titan, Artemis, Intrepid, Columbus.

Usual Station names: Station Freedom, Station Adventure, Station Magellan, Station Serenity, etc.

Lifter names: Jool-(any letter)-(any number)

Usual Constellation Style mission names: Stevens, Smith, Thomas, Artemis, Ares, etc.

Usual Sat names: Overmare-(any number) for geostationary sats, Overstallion-(any number) for MKO sats, and (spaceplanename)Sat-(number) for LKO sats. Celestia-(any number) for sats that go under Kerbin's orbit, Luna-(any number) for any sats that go over Kerbin's orbit. These are the only names related to magical horses.

These progress in most of my save games, RSS or not. Although I might do 'EveSat 1' or something like that for some missions.

[Akalaël]

Well, the first probed desing I build is just named Beta, then Delta and so on.

For manned desing, I use the vowels of the greek alphabet, Alpha, then Eta, Iota...

This sheme has curious and unvolonteer implications : I got, in all my saves, a Beta probe orbiting Kerbin, an Alpha lander on the Mün, an Eta one on Minmus...

[RexKramer]

Reading this forum with interest. I currently have six ships scattered around the Kerbol system, all identically named "Unnamed Vessel". Getting quite confusing, frankly.

When I do name vessels, I usually just make a reference to its current location, which isn't very helpful in the long run. Some really good ideas here!

[dci]

I don't strictly use following naming method, but:

Almost all manned interplanetary ships are named by well known astronomers or scientists with prefix KSS (e.g. KSS Albert Einstein)

Unmanned probes are named by celestial body and situation, e.g. "Ike Orbital Probe", "Ike Surface Probe", "Eve Mobile Lab" etc.

Others are simply "Munar Lander" for Mun/Minmus return modules or "Rescue Ship" for rescue contracts.

Lower stage subassemblies are named Carrier X Mk.Y, where X is payload weight in tons they are able to lift to LKO and Y is revision number.

[sharpspoonful]

Most are based on the payload rather than the launch system, with unique callsigns or names and mission numbers. Launch systems, for me at least, are not standardized and parts of the LS are substituted based on travel or payload requirements. With that, these are my craft identifiers:

KSO - Kerbin Shuttle Orbiter [identifies any space plane or shuttle]
KRO - Kerbin Rocket Orbiter [identifies any conventional crew or resupply orbiters]
KSS - Kerbin Space Station 
KAL - Kerbin Atmospheric Lander 
KNL - Kerbin Non-atmospheric Lander 
KPC - Kerbin Permanent Colony 
[i]I forgot[/i]
KRS/KCR - Kerbin Resource Satellite/Kerbin Communications Relay [for RT2]

So for instance, I know that KSO-003 "Finnigan" is a spaceplane, and that it is this craft-type's third mission. In the case of space stations or colonies, mission number will be designated by the launch number of the first modules. An example would be KSS-002 "Inkrepid". At-a-glance, I know this is the second station I've put up in orbit, or the second station under construction.

This method allows me to quickly ID craft in the space center, and reduces accidental deletes.

Edited August 4, 2014 by sharpspoonful
Formatting

[khyron42]

For 0.24 I've stopped using creative names mostly, and switched to desciptive names (boring I know) followed by roman numerals - so my current craft under construction is the "Rescue Ranger II", designed to launch unmanned and retrieve a stranded Kerbal from LKO. In the meantime "Gravity Explorer I" is done with gathering Kerbin gravioli readings and is on its way to the Mun, and "Duna Probe I" and "Eve Probe I" are partially designed & shelved while I unlock more science and wait for good transfer windows.

A few departures from that: Kerbollo I through whatever will be my Mun landers, and Mun Base Alpha is my semi-permanent science & flag-planting station in the Mun's north pole crater.

[Dr. Moustache- PhD]

I generally have given up on strict naming schemes, and instead have decided that I will name things based upon the following criteria:

How awesome is the ship?

What is its mission?

What is its function in the mission?

For example, my current breed of interplanetary ship is "SuperEpic Interplanetary..." and then it is a multi-part ship, so for example "SuperEpic Interplanetary EveDrive section".

Another I like is "Awesomesauce Munar Sciencer Extraordinaire".

I got bored with conventional schemes....

[G'th]

I use a simple "Project X" naming scheme, ala Apollo 11.

[Zaeo]

I name my saves starting with "Operation:" and come up with a space themed name, for example.

"Operation : Firestar" is my Spaceplane devision, and "Operation : Solar Wind" is my rocket devision, manned edition. "Operation: Silicon Universe" is a probe oriented mix of rockets and spaceplanes.

From there, Firestar has 3 series: RSC, AVR, and Xp. RSC is simply "Reliable Spaceplane Contract edition", AVR is "Atmospheric Vehicle Refined" and Xp is simply "Experimental" to test the iterations before moving categories.

RSC - TDB 01 is one craft I have, TDB means Thermometer, Dish, Barometer, which simply is a long range high speed aircraft that is bound to kerbin for taking temperatures and readings of atmosphereic stuff on the fly.It was created when I ended up getting 4 contracts involving temperature and barometer readings at various places.

Operation : Solar wind, is a bit more complex. "Xp" is still there, but there is about 12 different series of rockets based on needs, which also have sub-assemblies associated with them. They are based on the payload they launch via weight, and style of launch

PSL (Parallel Style, Light) Which means 5 ton payload or less. The two outer tanks are liquid and feed into the center main engine, which all engines fire at launch.

ASL (Asparagus Style, Light) Which is a 8-12 ton payload, two sets of parallel stages, for a total of 4 support stacks.

PSH (Parallel Style, Heavy) This is my workhorse series, designed to launch a payload of 15-18 tons into a 600 km orbit, It uses two 1.25 meter support engines that feed into a 2.5 meter skipper launch engine. There is a Orbital achievement stage, utilizing a small 2.5 meter tank with a poodle engine, and finally the transfer stage, which can be removed if you are launching within kerbin's SoI, but it is a 1.25 meter medium tank with the 30 thrust rockomax engine*Those things are friggen overpowered, I love it!*

I have a Subseries for these, which makes them so varied, but those are the launch stage names.

SE - Science Edition

CE - Contract Edition

XE - Experimental Edition

and finally RE - which means Reliable edition. These are for the orbital achievement and transfer stages.

Heres an example of a Complete Vehicle - PSH - REKI II*Reliable Edition Kerbins influence*

And thats about it

[moogoob]

I don't have much of one... usually the destination will be the first part of the name followed by what it is and what version it is. There may or may not be suffixes and prefixes. "Tiny Minmus Ion Lander Mk.2" is a pretty typical name. I omit the lifter stages because, well, I just use the same big dumb boosters for everything.

[Scaftin]

I have a strange way of naming spacecraft (in my view.) For example I named a plane the YT-05 and a lifter the Q-B3R7 (YouTube-05 referring to the year YouTube launched, and just a leet speak version of Qbert) then I have the C2-51 drone which means nothing at all, just sounds cool.

On occasion I name things for what they are, like a general purpose lander call GP-Lander.

[SkyRender]

My proud tradition of silly and pun-like portmanteau names continues in 0.24, with my interplanetary missions:

Dunaverse

Ike Liker

Eve Ent Horizon

Silly Gilly

Dresperate

Mohotivated

Joolific

Laytheargic

Vallting

Tyloptic

Bop Hopper

Polpit

Eeloosive

[linuxgurugamer]

For those interested, i released a new mod today to help with naming ships:

 

[jammyman21]

I put the acronym of the contractor if I'm doing "place satellite in said orbit" missions followed by SAT for satellite and the number the that satellite is

Eg

R&DD-SAT 2

R&DD for the contractor in this case the r&d department 

SAT for satellite

2 becas it is the second one build for r&d department

 

If it is a random launch or going somewhere for science then I put OPERATION: followed but a resembling name like Pudding for a minmar mission 

[Salvator]

I'm trying to keep it simple. Although sometimes i get lost anyway, since i play with Remote Tech. So my names usually consist of the celestial body the vessel is primarily destined to, the vessel type/purpose, and a number version. So i get names like Kercomm, Dunascan, Minbase, Munstation, Ikesat, Eveminer... In case of multiple commsat relay systems the version number is followed by an order number. So my four communication satellites around Kerbin are right now Kercomm III - I to Kercomm III - IV.

[Chiron0224]

So I go with Norse mythology.  I also do the NASA thing of having a name for the rockets and a different name for the program.  I also number the rockets based on design iteration as I refine them.  So right now in Career mode I mostly use the following two rockets

 

Longship III - a light LKO lifter and satellite launcher

Thor V - A medium lifter mostly used for Mun and Minmus missions

 

My projects are
Hunin - Kerbal orbit satelites, I'm up to Hunin X or so now I think

Munin - Probes to Kerbin's moons

Viking - one manned orbital missions.  Basically my Mercury project.

Valkyrie - Project to test rendezvous in orbit.  Basically a very short lived Gemini

Einherjar - My Mun and Minmus landing program.  Basically my Apollo.

 

The first three all used the Longship vehicle (I want to say that Longship I launched Viking I and that longship II did the next couple Viking launches and then Longship III did the Valkyrie, Hunin, and Munin launches).  Project Einherjar uses the mighty Thor V rocket (Einherjar's 1-3 used earlier iterations that failed and were failed missions.  Einherjar IV used the Thor IV rocket and almost ran out of fuel hence the creation of Thor V for all future Einherjar missions).

 

I rename the vehicle on the Launchpad (unless a fairing is in my way in which case I rename it later) based on the mission.  In my current career I look forward to creating Valhalla station in orbit soon but I'm waiting for a contract so I can make bank doing it.

Edited September 6, 2016 by Chiron0224
realized that I made an error

[John FX]

I have the destination, followed by the version and also a launch numbering mod so I`d have moon V1.0 1, Moon v1.0 2, moon v1.1 1 etc

Makes it easy to see the stage of development, the destination and which launch at that tech level the craft is in the map screen.

[Leafbaron]

I used to use a complex naming scheme in which i had series of rockets (insert name here) then the version number, higher version numbers indicated better dV and possibly new scientific instruments, and i had prefixes for what the series names primary objective was etc etc. Then when I wouldn't be able to play for several weeks I'd forget what it all meant. Now I just name the rocket after its mission objective very simple. Probe to Duna? DunaProbe I. Manned mission to Minmus? Minmus Explorer. the only exception to this name convention I have now is the Kerbal AAA, my kerbal rescue ship for LKO to edge of SOI rescues including personnel, debris, and fixing craft by adding parts or transfering fuel. my motto now for naming is "keep it simple, stupid"

[zeanomourph]

I'm super creative with my naming. Currently in orbit around Kerbin, I have:

2 polar satellites orbiting the same path in opposite directions, called Polar I and Polar II

Another Polar satellite orbiting roughly 90 degrees from the other two at about half their altitude, called Polar III

A satellite put up for a contract from StrutCo, called StrutCo Probe

A space station called Orbit Base I (Currently made of 3 main parts, named in the VAB "Research Lab I", "Solar Module" and "Refueling Station")

And an empty command module from the first time I got Jeb into LKO, and promptly ran out of fuel leaving him stranded up there for weeks before I could afford a rescue mission (happened very early in career) called Jeb's Exile.

 

I also have a processing lab on the Mun, called Mun Science Base I

And my first (and only failed) unmanned Mun lander out of fuel and orbiting the sun, called Lander I

 

See? Super creative. 

[TruKaveKi11er]

Prefixes:

RM - Manned Rocket (or, as the name suggests, "Rocket Manned")

PB - Probe

SP - Spaceplane

JT - Aircraft (that doesn't go to space, including VTOLs)

HL - Heavy lifter

Followed by:

The number of ships there are of this type thus far.

Then, a random name that a) fits with the vessel and b) sounds good.

 

Eg. SP-II "Panther"

[RAINCRAFTER]

Old Craft Names: I named my first twenty-something rockets I ever made Schwarzenegger 1, 2, etc. because I liked watching The Terminator just a few weeks before. I named my old space stations Spacehouse 1, 2, yeah yeah because that was the first thing that popped into my head. The craft that was my first K-Prize entry all the way back in 0.90 was named Ty Fighter, because it's shadow reminded me of a Star Destroyer, I think (NOT a Star Wars fan at the time, also the pilot is going to comeback later). I named one of the last craft I designed before I started playing the game much less for a few months The Behemoth because of how big it was to me.

New Craft: A little over a week ago, I got back on the forums after a nine month hiatus which I only came out of once in June (I made that KSP birthday thread), and that meant rejuvenated interest in KSP. Right now, I have two main craft that I have made so far (Both SSTOs, oooh!) that, of course, I had to christen. Fortunately, now I am a lot better at it than I was before. The first SSTO that I'm going to talk about is the Billy-Bobdock I (notice the roman numerals instead of standard numbers ), the SSTO that calls back to my first (look up). Yep, that was the name of the pilot of the Ty Fighter, and the reason I chose this name was that even though I had another name planned for it that ended up getting used for the other SSTO here, I simply thought that Billy-Bobdock just sounded moar swag than the next name, Artemis I. This name was chosen because of the reference to a greek goddess, like a lot of other people do. Well, hope you enjoyed this post.

Rain Out.

[TheKosanianMethod]

I mostly build in-atmosphere planes. I use the US naming scheme for planes - A is attack,  B is bomber, and so on. These rules are always followed. For example, my A-10 lookalike is called the A-1 Harlan, my A-4 is the A-2 Maxwell. However,  my fighters don't get a prefix and are called "Fighter Mk <number> <name>". For example: Fighter Mk 4 Ghost. 

[DrunkenKerbalnaut]

19 hours ago, TruKaveKi11er said:

Prefixes:

RM - Manned Rocket (or, as the name suggests, "Rocket Manned")

PB - Probe

SP - Spaceplane

JT - Aircraft (that doesn't go to space, including VTOLs)

HL - Heavy lifter

Followed by:

The number of ships there are of this type thus far.

Then, a random name that a) fits with the vessel and b) sounds good.

 

Eg. SP-II "Panther"

I'll jump on this necro-post train. This method is similar to mine. 

MunSAT 4 - (SAT94) "Lemondrop"

Satellite relay in orbit of Mun, 4th deployed to that SOI, 6th model of satellite designed (counting in reverse from 99 so my save files show most recent designs at top of list in VAB/SPH), iand an ndividualized name for ease of use. 

Similarly, my Kerbin space station:

KSTAR2 - (STAR98) "O.W.L."

Edited November 20, 2016 by DrunkenKerbalnaut