I think MSL should be given a better name! Like what it was done with the MER rovers(Spirit-Opportunity). We could propose some! I propose the names "Eureka!" and "Innovation". What about you? We could then(after some months maybe) vote for the best of them!

How about 'Leviathan' due to MSL's monsterous stature and menacing profile?

I propose name "INVINCIBLE". Name is based upon SF novel "The Invincible" by Stanislaw Lem (1967). One of the best SF novels you've probably never heard of.

Great book. Not sure the name is very auspicious, taken from that source though.

MUV ... the Martian version of the Earth's SUVs, but environmentally friendly with no CO2 emissions (just dont mention the nuclear reactor on board)

'MSL' will do probably.

But with a laser beam and nuclear power...the only name you're going to call it is 'sir'

Doug

Okay...Mister MSL. I'd like to see an entire high school football team even try to call him a nerd...it'd get ugly, quickly!

On a slightly less serious note, how about the Sagan Memorial "Martian Overall Natural Science Traversable Exploration Rover"?

I still like "Ms. L". We just have to figure out what the "L" stands for. Lulu?

Uh...."Large?"

I dunno. Anthropomorphizing is utterly subjective, but to me MSL looks like it's got a definite masculine vibe going on. I wouldn't pick a fight with it!

I can hear the commercials now....

"SUNDAY! SUNDAY! SUNDAY! Come see the Monster Martian Rover, laying WASTE to Mawrth Valley! SUNDAY! Watch while it blasts rocks to bits with its bitchin' LASER BEAM! SUNDAY!"



-the other Doug

Yep. As I said a few months ago, I've already cut the sleeves off of my spacesuit, and the dual-beer helmet-mounted delivery system has passed CDR...

In all seriousness (well, at least partial seriousness), I'd love to see the MSL team have the guts that the MER team lacked, and go ahead with the most obvious and appropriate name possible for MSL:

Marvin.

Of course, when MSL radios back a request for a PU238 explosive modulator, I'm not quite sure what we're going to do... except to duck, cover and wait for the Earth-shattering kaboom...

-the other Doug

You gonna mess with this?
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Douglas Adams took his literary cue from Stanislaw Lem. He'd probably have voted for 'Invincible' but crossed his fingers under the table.

MArtian CHemIStry MObile Laboratory

I second Doug's call for the MSL team to have the conviction to celebrate an inspirational Martian. I'm assuming he was referring to this early effort by the MER team to call MER-A, Marvin and MER-B, Daffy.
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The fact that there is yet another legendary Marvin in Adam's Hitchhiker's Guide is a serious plus in my book.

MARVIN the MARs maVIN.

along same lines..just spelled differently

MARVAN.. MARs miniVAN

I don't think geeky names like "Marvin" have a good chance. Just remember missions that have flown so far. Many missions are names after historic ships. I think MSL could be "Mayflower".

If you try to pronounce MSL, you get "Muscle", which seems to me an appropriate name for the beast.

It must be historic. It's got it's own web site.
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I tried it and got "Missile".

And what about name like "Hope"?

I predict a MSL naming contest is coming soon

Yeah...as in "Sure hope the EDL system works!" (Sorry; couldn't resist!)

I guess this wouldn't be a favorite of the "Spirit" and "Opportunity" haters (the names, not the craft). I personally liked those names, even before the bearers of them performed such feats as to make any name they carry one for the ages. But Hope is too smarmy even for me. Let's save it for a killer-asteroid deflection mission when it really counts!

I dunno -- I'm overwhelmed with an image of our intrepid rover cresting a hill with a golf club clutched in a manipulator claw, saying, "Hi, Mars 'Science Lab' Hope here. I thought I was here to do a USO show -- where are you hiding Jerry Cologna?"



-the other Doug

"Oh, we're off on the road to Pavonis! A chasm like none that we've seen..."

Coming from you, it is surely NOT to be called a prediction!
Thank you for the info

I'm thinking 'Canyonero'

Phil

Let's hope the MSL -- I mean Canyonero -- is still fully loaded when it gets to Mars.
http://x11.xanga.com/e5ca82075713768858955/q46256229.bmp

My ideal name would be "Lewis and Clark" but I'm sure many people would get confused, thinking there were two rovers and wondering if MSL was "Lewis" or "Clark".

My other choices would be "Prospector", "Seeker" and my current fave, "Pilgrim".

Sounding like a broken record, I know, but still gotta go with "Sagan". The tribute aspect is obvious, but would also like to turn modern kids on to his body of work. Most of his books still hold up, and most importantly still inspire imagination.

Technically, I think Carl has been honored in that way already with the renaming of the Pathfinder Lander to the Sagan Memorial Station.

Yeah, I thought of that, but unfortunately Pathfinder has been right off the radar screen of the general public for more than a decade now. Kind of wish they'd waited for one of the MERs or MSL, but of course 1) Carl had just recently passed, and 2) who even knew then that the MERs or MSL would ever fly?

Well, failing that, how about Lowell or Schiaparelli? It seems to quite possibly be heading for a "canal", of sorts...

Burroughs? Wells?

Richard Cook mentioned a naming contest in his Von Karman lecture (see the JPL website). It'll happen, just not yet.

MSL naming contest announced:
http://marsrovername.jpl.nasa.gov/

For my money, it needs to be something like Intimidator, Nuclear Invader from Earth, or something like that.

Or, "Please God, just this once, let me get a sample into my lab for analysis"

The contest is only open to US students in grades K-12, so all of you adults and/or foreign nationals can keep your ideas to yourselves.

The contest is being run by Disney, so a dignified and appropriate name is practically guaranteed.

Unfortunately my reading of the rules is that none of my immediate family members are eligible.

Oh, gods and goddesses -- I can hear the news commentators now:

"The new Mars Rover, Goofy, landed on Mars today..."



-the other Doug

As a matter of fact, Mickey Mouse turned 80 yesterday nov 18th! Let's hope MSL will last that many months...

If it was an inter-galactic rover exploring billions and billions of worlds I'd agree, but since it's going to Mars I have to favor Bradbury.

Nuclear power and a laser beam?

"Sir"

or

"Whatever it wants to be called"

Doug

I, for one, welcome our new laser-wielding overlord.

Judging its camera = Gort ( robot from The day the Earth stood still )

Chuck Norris

Since it seems inevitable that we are going to have to listen to everyone's opinion about what the name should be, you might make an effort to at least conform to the rules:

"If your idea is the name of a person, the person cannot still be living."

Well -- that certainly settles the question of the landing site, doesn't it? Where does such a beast land? Wherever it wants to!



-the other Doug

Well, Bradbury would not qualify but if I understand what Doug is saying, "Ray" would

Ouch. Would you rather sit out on the porch grandpa until dinner's ready while we have this chat?