Proposed Space Shuttle Names

bucky74

bucky74

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The story of how the Enterprise was almost named the Constitution before Trekkies suggested the former is widely published, but is there any more information regarding proposed titles for the other orbiters?
 
Orbiter Endeavour was name to honor the British exploration ship HMS Endeavour and Apollo 15 CSM with same name.

Orbiter Columbia was named after exploration ship Columbia and Apollo 11 CSM with same name.

Orbiter Challenger was named after exploration ship HMS Challenger and Apollo 17 CSM.

Orbiter Atlantis was named after US exploration ship RV Atlantis

Orbiter Discovery was named after the British exploration ship HMS Discovery.

Test article OV-098 was buy for the Great Space Shuttle Exhibition in Tokyo, labeled there as Pathfinder
now on display at the U.S. Space & Rocket Center in Huntsville, Alabama.
 
Thanks Michel! Was also wondering about any unused names that were suggested. I think that one of the orbiter names was chosen via a grade school contest.

Interestingly enough, I just found out about Pathfinder a few weeks ago. For years I was baffled by an old magazine picture showing an orbiter sitting near the VAB - apparently that was it!
 
From Robert Pearlman at Collectspace.com:

With credit to Valerie Neal, here is the list per a May 26, 1978 memo from the Associate Administrator for Space Transportation Systems (John Yardley) to the Director, Public Affairs on the subject: Recommended Orbiter Names.

Recommendations by an ad hoc committee on names for Space Shuttle Orbiters; chose "names having significant relationship to the heritage of the United States or to the Shuttle's mission of exploration."

Recommended List of Orbiter Names
(In descending order of preference)

Constitution
Independence
America
Constellation
Enterprise [reserved for possible 5th orbiter, to carry on OV-101's name]
Discoverer
Endeavour
Liberty
Freedom
Eagle
Kitty Hawk
Pathfinder
Adventurer
Prospector
Peace
Click to expand...

Source:
http://www.collectspace.com/ubb/Forum30/HTML/000317.html
 
i remember reading they were to have city names like city of corpus christie
 
Should name them after popular space themed songs. Each ship will have its own theme song and plenty of commercialisable advertising opportunities. Now that is something to get the politicians motivated.

Across The Universe (The Beatles)
Supersonic Rocket Ship (The Kinks)
Silver Machine (Hawkwind)
Space Cowboy (Steve Miller Band)
Rocket Man (Elton John)
Space Is the Place (Sun-Ra)
Chase the Devil (Max Romeo)
Motorway to Roswell (Pixies)
Man on the Moon (REM)
Intergalactic (Beastie Boys)
Subterranean Homesick Alien (Radiohead)
Another Girl, Another Planet (The Only Ones)

And of course the David Bowie class space shuttles:

Space Oddity
Starman
Loving the Alien
Life on Mars
 

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