yee@ames.arc.nasa.gov (Peter E. Yee) (07/07/88)
Terri Sindelar July 6, 1988
Headquarters, Washington, D.C.
RELEASE: 88-90
15,000 SCHOOLS RESPOND TO SHUTTLE ORBITER-NAMING COMPETITION
The National Aeronautics and Space Administration announced
today that 15,000 schools across the nation have responded to its
invitation to participate in the national competition to name the
new Space Shuttle orbiter.
The new orbiter, currently designated OV 105, is being built
to replace the Challenger and is scheduled to be completed in
1991.
To enter, U.S. students in kindergarten through 12th grade
will form teams and research a name for the orbiter. The teams
will prepare an interdisciplinary classroom project to support
and justify the name selected. The name proposed must be of a
sea vessel used in research or exploration. A team coordinator,
who must be a faculty member, will be responsible for directing
the team's activities.
Orbiter-naming projects must be completed during the fall
semester and entries must be postmarked by Dec. 31, 1988.
Interested faculty members can obtain Orbiter-Naming Program
Entry packets by contacting the Council of Chief State School
Officers, which is administering the program for NASA, on (202)
783-5109 or (202) 783-5113, or by writing:
NASA Orbiter-Naming Program
Council of Chief State School Officers
400 North Capitol Street, N.W., Suite 379
Washington, D.C. 20001groves@noao.arizona.edu (Lee Groves) (07/07/88)
From article <11378@ames.arc.nasa.gov>, by yee@ames.arc.nasa.gov (Peter E. Yee): > > ........... the name selected. The name proposed must be of a ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ > sea vessel used in research or exploration. A team coordinator........ ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ > Why this restriction on the name? Without a doubt the most appropriate name would be: "PHOENIX". I don't know of any research vessels of that name. I thought I saw the results of a poll a long time ago that indicated that this would be the most popular choice. Is NASA avoiding this name deliberately? Lee J. Groves
tneff@dasys1.UUCP (Tom Neff) (07/09/88)
OK, so NASA wants to name the new Orbiter after a research/exploration ocean vessel. Clearly the "contest" wherein schoolkids submit names is just a dog and pony show -- a convenient excuse for an educational publicity program at the school level -- but that's OK because it's not a bad pool of names to pick from, after all. Certainly better than "Phoenix" or "Christa" or these other maudlin names people think up. So, the least we can do is establish the pool of candidates! What are all the research/exploration ocean vessel names we can think of? It seems clear that NASA won't go for grotesquely Catholic or Latin names, which is going to leave out Columbus, Magellan and such. Some of the Victorian ships of the line are a little over-the-top too -- OV105 will not be named Invincible or Impenetrable or anything like that. Ixnay the Russians too, I'd bet. So we're left, mostly, with American and (tamer) British names. It would be nice to see a list of candidates. There are some other alternatives, though: Calypso and Nautilus come to mind. Nautilus is still in service (although my suggestion really refers to Verne's fictitous vessel), so I bet NASA wouldn't use it. Calypso is still active, but never with the USN, so it might stand a chance, but I doubt it. They are nice names though. Better than Thresher, Poseidon, Conshelf, Glomar Explorer, and Rainbow Warrior, which were my official submissions <grin>. -- Tom Neff UUCP: ...!cmcl2!phri!dasys1!tneff "None of your toys CIS: 76556,2536 MCI: TNEFF will function..." GEnie: TOMNEFF BIX: t.neff (no kidding)
jay@ncspm.ncsu.edu (Jay C. Smith) (07/09/88)
In article <772@noao.UUCP> groves@noao.arizona.edu (Lee Groves) writes: >From article <11378@ames.arc.nasa.gov>, by yee@ames.arc.nasa.gov >(Peter E. Yee): >>The name proposed must be of a >>sea vessel used in research or exploration. > >Why this restriction on the name? So that it fits in with the naming of the other shuttle orbiters. Columbia, Challenger, Discovery, and Atlantis were all named for sea vessels used in research or exploration. The testbed shuttle, Enterprise, was named for a future space vessel of research and exploration. :-) -- "It's quiet out there. Too quiet. <pause> I always wanted to say that!" -------------------------------------------------------------------------- Jay C. Smith uucp: ...!mcnc!ncsuvx!ncspm!jay Domain: jay@ncspm.ncsu.edu internet: jay%ncspm@ncsuvx.ncsu.edu
peter@sugar.UUCP (Peter da Silva) (07/10/88)
In article <5402@dasys1.UUCP>, tneff@dasys1.UUCP (Tom Neff) writes: > OK, so NASA wants to name the new Orbiter after a research/exploration > ocean vessel. > So we're left, mostly, with American and (tamer) British names. It > would be nice to see a list of candidates. How about "Endeavour"? This was the vessel in which Captain James Cook discovered the east coast of Australia (and ended the Dreamtime). Joseph Banks was the chief scientist (naturalist) on board. Or, how about the "Beagle"? -- -- `-_-' Peter (have you hugged your wolf today?) da Silva. -- U Mail to ...!uunet!sugar!peter, flames to /dev/null. -- "Running DOS on a '386 is like driving an Indy car to the Stop-N-Go"
cjl@ecsvax.uncecs.edu (Charles Lord) (07/10/88)
Well, we have the Atlantis, Columbia, Discovery, and Enterprise. We are obviously missing a "b" name... The first one to come to mind is the HMS Beagle (Darwin's ride). Not only would we name the ship after a vessel that spurred some of our major understanding of species (irregardless if you beleive/disbeleive the theories of natural selection and evolution), but it would give the fundementalists something new to scream about. Hmm: Beagle... Recon they would nickname it Snoopy? Yes, I know a LEM had that name. -- Charles Lord cjl@ecsvax.UUCP Usenet Cary, NC cjl@ecsvax.BITNET Bitnet #include <std.disclamers> #include <cutsey.quote>
gareth@comp.lancs.ac.uk (Gareth Husk) (07/11/88)
In article <5402@dasys1.UUCP> tneff@dasys1.UUCP (Tom Neff) writes: >OK, so NASA wants to name the new Orbiter after a research/exploration >ocean vessel. Clearly the "contest" wherein schoolkids submit names is > .... < deleted> >They are nice names though. Better than Thresher, Poseidon, >Conshelf, Glomar Explorer, and Rainbow Warrior, which were my official >submissions <grin>. Then again they could call it Beagle ( Darwin's boat ). Wouldn't the flight patches be fun? We could have Snoopy in his WW1 rig. -- " Nine weeks and counting..." UUCP: ...!seismo!mcvax!ukc!dcl-cs!gareth JANET: gareth@uk.ac.lancs.comp
tneff@dasys1.UUCP (Tom Neff) (07/11/88)
In article <2285@sugar.UUCP> peter@sugar.UUCP (Peter da Silva) writes: >In article <5402@dasys1.UUCP>, tneff@dasys1.UUCP (Tom Neff) writes: >> OK, so NASA wants to name the new Orbiter after a research/exploration >> ocean vessel. > >> So we're left, mostly, with American and (tamer) British names. It >> would be nice to see a list of candidates. > >How about "Endeavour"? This was the vessel in which Captain James Cook >discovered the east coast of Australia (and ended the Dreamtime). Joseph >Banks was the chief scientist (naturalist) on board. Clearly an odds-on favorite, except you wonder if NASA would keep the Anglicized "ou" spelling. Between that and the "ea" this would be the most misspelled shuttle name on this net, by a country mile. :-) >Or, how about the "Beagle"? Again, a super name EXCEPT that the darn Orbiter looks too much like a beagle already! This would almost certainly be seen as whimsical by the public at large and "Snoopy" would be the guaranteed nickname. I would get a hoot out of it personally but NASA would have a cow. I am going to look at a naval exploration book this evening and see if there are any terrific candidates at hand. -- Tom Neff UUCP: ...!cmcl2!phri!dasys1!tneff "None of your toys CIS: 76556,2536 MCI: TNEFF will function..." GEnie: TOMNEFF BIX: t.neff (no kidding)
choinski@hobbiton.prime.com (07/12/88)
I agree with some other postings -- PHOENIX seems to me to be more in spirit for this shuttle, rising from the ashes for a new life. Besides, some vessel names are kind of dumb. =============================================================================== Burton Choinski Prime Computer Inc. At: choinski@hobbiton.prime.com Framingham, Ma. 01701
adolph@ssc-vax.UUCP (Mark C. Adolph) (07/12/88)
Somehow I like "Terra Nova", Scott's ship, although there are a few negative connotations to it (the entire expedition died on the way back from the pole). The name, when translated from the Latin (?) means "new world", which is appropriate. He was a reasonably successful explorer of a hostile environment (Antarctic/Space) funded by the public (Royal Geographic Society/NASA) engaged in a race with a foreign explorer (Norway/Soviet Union). Significantly, although experiments were done aboard ship, it was primarily a means to get to the place where the real work would be done. And after all, isn't that what Space Transportation System is all about? -- -- Mark A. ...uw-beaver!ssc-vax!adolph
hogg@db.toronto.edu (John Hogg) (07/12/88)
I cynically suspect that the powers-that-be have already selected the
name that they want for the new shuttle. Now they're just waiting for
a sufficiently cute set of kids to come up with it too, but in any
case...
Given the current interest in crew safety, how about ``Endurance''?
For those who miss the reference, this was Shackleton's vessel on his
1914 expedition to Antarctica. It was crushed in the ice, and a
phenomenal story of seamanship followed. The entire crew dragged and
sailed the ship's boats to a suitable wintering spot. Then, a few men
(among them Shackleton and his sailing master Worsley) sailed an open
boat to Elephant Island, and finally crossed a range of ``impassable''
mountains and glaciers on foot to reach the whaling station. Shackleton
then had to make several attempts to get a rescue vessel through the
ice to the remainder of his party.
Not a single man was lost. That ``failed expedition'' stands as one
of the greatest successes in polar exploration.
No, the name will never fly, but it deserves a place on the short
list...
--
John Hogg | hogg@csri.toronto.{edu,cdn}
Computer Systems Research Institute| uunet!csri.toronto.edu!hogg
University of Toronto | hogg%csri.toronto.edu@relay.cs.net (arpa)
| hogg@csri.utoronto (bitnet)kent@xanth.cs.odu.edu (Kent Paul Dolan) (07/12/88)
In article <46000001@hobbiton> choinski@hobbiton.prime.com writes: > >I agree with some other postings -- PHOENIX seems to me to be more in >spirit for this shuttle, rising from the ashes for a new life. > >Besides, some vessel names are kind of dumb. Well, if the rules are "Oceanographic Research Vessels" names, here's a (two year old) list of NOAA's then current fleet: Oceanographer Discoverer Surveyor Fairweather Rainier Miller Freeman McArthur Davidson Townsend Cromwell David Starr Jordan Cobb Murre II Researcher Mt. Mitchell Peirce Whiting Oregon II Albatross IV Delaware II Chapman Ferrel Rude Heck (The latter two are always operated as a unit; they are wire drag survey vessels, for when you absolutely positively have to know that there are no obstructions in an area, so they are usually also spoken of as the Rude and the Heck. Peirce, by the way, is pronounced "purse".) None of these particularly grab my attention [Well, if it weren't for "The Rhyme of the Ancient Mariner", Albatross would be perfect; what a beautiful bird in flight!]; I seem to remember a former vessel named "Pioneer" which would be a rather catchy name, but I don't have sources here to check that one. There are, of course, lots of other (University, Coast Guard, Navy) oceanographic research vessels within the US desmenes, and the prior posting didn't indicate that that was a limitation at any rate; I just had these handy, and send them along for information. Kent, the man from xanth.
dietz@gvax.cs.cornell.edu (Paul F. Dietz) (07/12/88)
In article <2082@ssc-vax.UUCP> adolph@ssc-vax.UUCP (Mark C. Adolph) writes: >Somehow I like "Terra Nova", Scott's ship, although there are a few >negative connotations to it (the entire expedition died on the way back >from the pole). How appropriate! Scott lost the race to the Norwegian Amundsen due to his own massive incompetence, even though Amundsen had many fewer men, a much smaller budget, and lukewarm government support (they didn't even know he was going to the South Pole until he nearly to Antarctica). I suggest you read "The Last Place on Earth", or see the recent PBS Masterpiece Theater miniseries of the same name. I especially like the bit about the design of the Terra Nova: the stables for the ponies were directly above the dining room. Uggh. Paul F. Dietz dietz@gvax.cs.cornell.edu
Infinite@cup.portal.com (07/13/88)
>Well, we have the Atlantis, Columbia, Discovery, and Enterprise. >We are obviously missing a "b" name... The first one to come to >mind is the HMS Beagle (Darwin's ride). Not only would we name the >ship after a vessel that spurred some of our major understanding of >species (irregardless if you beleive/disbeleive the theories of >natural selection and evolution), but it would give the fundementalists >something new to scream about. > >Hmm: Beagle... Recon they would nickname it Snoopy? Yes, I know a LEM >had that name. > >-- >Charles Lord cjl@ecsvax.UUCP Usenet I'm sorry. But I don't think Beagle would turn out very well. On returning and touching down, we would get people saying "The Beagle has landed!" No, I just don't think it would work out. a "b" name . . . Botany Bay? - yes, I am a bit of a trekkie -Infinite (Merril Weiner) Falmes to : Infinite@cup.portal.com
karn@thumper.bellcore.com (Phil R. Karn) (07/13/88)
> Somehow I like "Terra Nova", Scott's ship... > ...The name, when translated from the Latin (?) means "new world", > which is appropriate... And "nova" in Spanish means "(it) doesn't go", which seems even more appropriate as a space shuttle name. Phil (a Nova owner)
kent@xanth.cs.odu.edu (Kent Paul Dolan) (07/13/88)
In article <5441@dasys1.UUCP> tneff@dasys1.UUCP (Tom Neff) writes: >I am going to look at a naval exploration book this evening and see if >there are any terrific candidates at hand. >-- >Tom Neff UUCP: ...!cmcl2!phri!dasys1!tneff Well, I was just "thunderstruck" with one name that would be a great third world tie into the program and do all kinds of uplifting things, and break a record of using names-which-are-words for shuttle names. How about naming it after Thor Hierdahl's (sp?) magnificent proof of concept ocean exploration vessel, Kon Tiki? The heroic expedition associations connected with that vessel could be held as a match for any in the world, I would guess, and would sure challenge the shuttle crews to live up to its reputation. I have no idea how to submit that, but if "Kon Tiki" seems as right to someone who does know how as it does to me, please add it to the list. Thanks. Kent, the man from xanth.
tneff@dasys1.UUCP (Tom Neff) (07/13/88)
Article <5832@xanth.cs.odu.edu> was an (inexplicably?) useful and interesting posting from K*nt listing the current NOAA fleet of research ships. Thanks! Of the list, only one had the sex appeal NASA would want for a shuttle -- Surveyor. Terrific name. There's just this one TEENSY little problem... :-) (Actually I think the same problem would pertain to these as to my suggestion of Nautilus -- the namesake boat is still in service.) -- Tom Neff UUCP: ...!cmcl2!phri!dasys1!tneff "None of your toys CIS: 76556,2536 MCI: TNEFF will function..." GEnie: TOMNEFF BIX: t.neff (no kidding)
jay@ncspm.ncsu.edu (Jay C. Smith) (07/14/88)
In article <5441@dasys1.UUCP> tneff@dasys1.UUCP (Tom Neff) writes: >In article <2285@sugar.UUCP> peter@sugar.UUCP (Peter da Silva) writes: >>How about "Endeavour"? > >Clearly an odds-on favorite, except you wonder if NASA would keep the >Anglicized "ou" spelling. I believe they did when the names "Falcon" and "Endeavour" were used for, um, ah, was it Apollo 15? Speaking of Apollo: cast your mind back to Apollo 17 if you want a good name for Challenger's replacement. Its LM was named "Challenger," and the CSM was "America," which I think is an excellent name for a shuttle. The Apollo 17 namesakes may have been racing yachts, though. Was "America" ever the name of a ship of exploration? -- "It's quiet out there. Too quiet. <pause> I always wanted to say that!" -------------------------------------------------------------------------- Jay C. Smith uucp: ...!mcnc!ncsuvx!ncspm!jay Domain: jay@ncspm.ncsu.edu internet: jay%ncspm@ncsuvx.ncsu.edu
rajiv@hpclrk.HP.COM (Rajiv Kumar) (07/15/88)
>I agree with some other postings -- PHOENIX seems to me to be more in >spirit for this shuttle, rising from the ashes for a new life. >Burton Choinski Prime Computer Inc. > At: choinski@hobbiton.prime.com Framingham, Ma. 01701 But isn't the name PHOENIX already wasted on some miltiary missile? I do not like the idea of naming a space shuttle after a missile. Rajiv Kumar rajiv%hpclrk@hplabs.hp.com
jl3j+@andrew.cmu.edu (John Robert Leavitt) (07/16/88)
THE BEAGLE!!!!
my thoughts, exactly.
Look at the past names:
Enterprise (the never-was shuttle)
Columbia
Challenger
Discovery
Atlantis
What we have here is a rather "snooty" sounding bunch of names. The
BEAGLE, while undeniably appropriate, might bring the shuttle program a
little more (pardon the term) down to Earth. Grandeur wears thin after a
while, especially when it blows up.
Another useful thing:
A tlantis
B eagle
C olumbia
D iscovery
(& E nterprise, if you must)
Seems logical to me (of course that means there can't be a Calypso until
Columbia is, um, retired).
-John.
| US-Snail: 5877 Bartlett Street | "And for you, Elric, there is |
| Apt. #2, Pittsburgh, PA 15217 | less reward than the rest may |
| E-Mail: jl3j@andrew.cmu.edu | hope for." |
| Phone: (412) 421-4002 | -Elric of Melnibone |mike@ames.arc.nasa.gov (Mike Smithwick) (07/18/88)
[]
I've been wondering about a "B" named shuttle for a long time, well
before anyone brought it up on the net. So after much thought, I've
come to the conclusion that "Bob" would make a good wholesome, unpretentious
name for the next orbiter. "Shuttle Bob", now doesn't that nice and
homey? It will go a long way towards making the space program popular to
the tax-paying public, since there are so many Bobs out there. :-)
"Houston to Bob, your go for orbit. . ."
--
*** mike (starship janitor) smithwick ***
"Due to the Writer's Guild of Amierica strike, this signature is
temporarily cancelled".
[disclaimer : nope, I don't work for NASA, I take full blame for my ideas]bobmon@iuvax.cs.indiana.edu (RAMontante) (07/18/88)
mike@ames.arc.nasa.gov.UUCP (Mike Smithwick) writes:
x
xI've been wondering about a "B" named shuttle for a long time, well
xbefore anyone brought it up on the net. So after much thought, I've
xcome to the conclusion that "Bob" would make a good wholesome, unpretentious
xname for the next orbiter. "Shuttle Bob", now doesn't that nice and
xhomey? It will go a long way towards making the space program popular to
xthe tax-paying public, since there are so many Bobs out there. :-)
Well, I'm all in favor of it, and I hope it becomes the official vehicle for
rendezvous with Space Station Fred.
Of course, fairness requires that we support Martian probe Marsha, or at least
Linda the Lunar Lander. Give the American People something they can relate to!
--
-- bob,mon (bobmon@iuvax.cs.indiana.edu)
-- "In this position, the skier is flying in a complete stall..."henry@utzoo.uucp (Henry Spencer) (07/19/88)
In article <8807121414.AA00973@tango.db.toronto.edu> hogg@db.toronto.edu (John Hogg) writes: >Given the current interest in crew safety, how about ``Endurance''? >For those who miss the reference, this was Shackleton's vessel on his >1914 expedition to Antarctica. It was crushed in the ice, and a >phenomenal story of seamanship followed... Given the current interest in crew safety, how about avoiding names associated with such near-disasters? Remember what Amundsen said: "Adventure is a sign of incompetence." -- Anyone who buys Wisconsin cheese is| Henry Spencer at U of Toronto Zoology a traitor to mankind. --Pournelle |uunet!mnetor!utzoo! henry @zoo.toronto.edu
henry@utzoo.uucp (Henry Spencer) (07/19/88)
In article <19142@cornell.UUCP> dietz@gvax.cs.cornell.edu (Paul F. Dietz) writes: >I suggest you read "The Last Place on Earth", or see the recent >PBS Masterpiece Theater miniseries of the same name... By all means read the book (by Roland Huntford), although the PBS miniseries is certainly worth seeing. The time constraints of TV made it impossible to do more than convey a general impression of what went on. Reading the book gives you a much more thorough idea of just what a hopping, drooling, utterly bungled foulup the whole Scott expedition was. -- Anyone who buys Wisconsin cheese is| Henry Spencer at U of Toronto Zoology a traitor to mankind. --Pournelle |uunet!mnetor!utzoo! henry @zoo.toronto.edu
william@pyr1.cs.ucl.ac.uk (07/22/88)
Bob sounds fine to me. Also, Falcon was mentioned as an Apollo 15 name - was that a research ship? Of course, if NASA is really keen on getting popular approval, it could modify this to Millenium Falcon. And we could do the Launch to LEO in under 12 parsecs! ... Bill ************************************************************************ Bill Witts, CS Dept. * UCL, London, Errrp * Don't believe everything you hear, william@uk.ac.ucl.cs(UK) * or anything you say. william@cs.ucl.ac.uk(US) ***********************************************
tomk@lakesys.UUCP (Tom Kopp) (07/24/88)
In article <44700004@pyr1.cs.ucl.ac.uk>, william@pyr1.cs.ucl.ac.uk writes: [talk about naming the next Shuttle preceeds this message] > Bob sounds fine to me. Also, Falcon was mentioned as an Apollo 15 > name - was that a research ship? Of course, if NASA is really keen > on getting popular approval, it could modify this to Millenium Falcon. > And we could do the Launch to LEO in under 12 parsecs! ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ ....I hate to say it, but last time I looked, 'parsec' was a unit of length, specifically 3.26 light years. B-) -- _____ _____ |"Reading computer manuals without |tomk@lakesys.UUCP | | | the hardware is as frustrating as |uunet!marque!lakesys!tomk | \_| | reading sex manuals without the |uunet!uwmcsd1!lakesys!tomk ------------- software" - Arthur C. Clarke ----------------------------
adolph@ssc-vax.UUCP (Mark C. Adolph) (07/26/88)
In article <877@lakesys.UUCP>, tomk@lakesys.UUCP (Tom Kopp) writes: > > > Of course, if NASA is really keen > > on getting popular approval, it could modify this to Millenium Falcon. > > And we could do the Launch to LEO in under 12 parsecs! > ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ > > ....I hate to say it, but last time I looked, 'parsec' was a unit of length, > specifically 3.26 light years. B-) Tell that to George Lucas. He used it this way first. -- -- Mark A. ...uw-beaver!ssc-vax!adolph
william@pyr1.cs.ucl.ac.uk (07/26/88)
> [talk about naming the next Shuttle preceeds this message] > > Bob sounds fine to me. Also, Falcon was mentioned as an Apollo 15 > > name - was that a research ship? Of course, if NASA is really keen > > on getting popular approval, it could modify this to Millenium Falcon. > > And we could do the Launch to LEO in under 12 parsecs! > ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ > > ....I hate to say it, but last time I looked, 'parsec' was a unit of length, > specifically 3.26 light years. B-) WAAAA!!! Does NOBODY read rec.arts.sf-lovers? I know it's a unit of length, thanks all the same. This error in the film was much bitched about, until some bright bod pointed out that in an FTL situation, space-like and time-like directions may (under some circumstances) be shown to swap, so the parsec REALLY DOES become a unit of duration. An alternative explanation is that, using the SW type hyperspace travel, the quality of the spaceship is gauged in terms of how near to the destination you end up when you fall out of hyperspace. 12 parsecs sounds bloody awful to me. ... Bill PS: Replies to sf-lovers. ************************************************************************ Bill Witts, CS Dept. * UCL, London, Errrp * Don't believe everything you hear, william@uk.ac.ucl.cs(UK) * or anything you say. william@cs.ucl.ac.uk(US) ***********************************************
dsmith@hplabsb.UUCP (David Smith) (07/27/88)
In article <877@lakesys.UUCP>, tomk@lakesys.UUCP (Tom Kopp) writes: > In article <44700004@pyr1.cs.ucl.ac.uk>, william@pyr1.cs.ucl.ac.uk writes: > > [talk about naming the next Shuttle preceeds this message] > > Bob sounds fine to me. Also, Falcon was mentioned as an Apollo 15 > > name - was that a research ship? Of course, if NASA is really keen > > on getting popular approval, it could modify this to Millenium Falcon. > > And we could do the Launch to LEO in under 12 parsecs! > ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ > > ....I hate to say it, but last time I looked, 'parsec' was a unit of length, > specifically 3.26 light years. B-) It is. William humorously paraphrased Han Solo, who bragged about the Millenium Falcon's speed by saying (roughly), "Fast? You're talking about the ship that made the <planet name> run in under 12 parsecs!" -- David Smith HP Labs dsmith@hplabs.hp.com
eugene@pioneer.arc.nasa.gov.arpa (Eugene N. Miya) (07/28/88)
In article <2119@ssc-vax.UUCP> adolph@ssc-vax.UUCP (Mark C. Adolph) writes: >In article <877@lakesys.UUCP>, tomk@lakesys.UUCP (Tom Kopp) writes: >> >> > And we could do the Launch to LEO in under 12 parsecs! >> ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ >> >> ....I hate to say it, but last time I looked, 'parsec' was a unit of length, >> specifically 3.26 light years. B-) > >Tell that to George Lucas. He used it this way first. One more note: to paraphrase, Sagan said that Lucas should have hired some out of work astronomer (any one of them) to get the interpretation correct. Another gross generalization from --eugene miya, NASA Ames Research Center, eugene@aurora.arc.nasa.gov resident cynic at the Rock of Ages Home for Retired Hackers: "Mailers?! HA!", "If my mail does not reach you, please accept my apology." {uunet,hplabs,ncar,decwrl,allegra,tektronix}!ames!aurora!eugene "Send mail, avoid follow-ups. If enough, I'll summarize." Look, I'm not trying to be biased, a friend named my car the Millenium Rabbit. 8-)