Spacecraft names can be both fun and creative; sometimes even tongue-in-cheek! One such NASA mission called OSIRIS-REx will explore Bennu Asteroid with this spacecraft before returning home with material samples of Bennu’s surface material for analysis on Earth.
A spacecraft is a craft or machine designed for spaceflight.
Spacecraft are machines or crafts specifically designed for spaceflight, or space exploration, including leaving Earth’s atmosphere and travelling throughout its solar system. There are various kinds of spacecraft – satellites that orbit around Earth; probes sent to other planets; vehicles carrying human astronauts into space – designed specifically for this task.
An integral component of spacecraft design is its attitude control subsystem, which ensures proper orientation in space using electronic ‘eyes’ that detect Sun and starlight to determine where its position in space lies. This data then feeds back into CDH subsystem, which sends commands necessary to guide its course accordingly.
Since spacecraft are traveling at extremely fast speeds through space, their movement causes friction that generates heat that could melt or burn the spacecraft. To reduce this risk, modern spacecraft are designed with blunt surfaces in order to help protect crew from extreme temperatures during reentry.
A spacecraft has a number of essential components.
Spacecraft require several essential components in order to function in space. These include sensors like an infrared radiometer and polarimeter as well as imaging instruments like photometers and spectrometers, plus an electronic receiver which converts uplink radio signals into usable information for their command and control system.
A great spaceship name should evoke feelings of trust and self-reliance – essential components in spaceflight. A popular example is the Millennium Falcon from Star Wars or other popular sci-fi movies.
Another fantastic spaceship name is U.S.S. Constitution, which honors American patriotism while representing naval service and national pride. When selecting your spacecraft name it should be easy for people to remember it; NASA spacecraft naming process offers guidance but still leaves room for creativity.
A spacecraft is self-propelled.
Spacecraft require power sources in the form of solar panels or nuclear reactors to function and move. Furthermore, the craft also needs navigational instruments and sensors that help it determine its position within space.
Names can have an enormous effect on our perceptions of spacecraft. While some names can be inspirational and dramatic, others can be more mundane or even draw inspiration from classic works of fiction such as Star Wars (ie the Millennium Falcon).
NASA follows stringent guidelines when selecting spacecraft names, according to Motherboard. In the early 1960s, NASA established a “Project Designation Committee,” which continues today and stipulates that project names must be easy for people to pronounce without acronyms; additionally, no two missions can share identical names.
A spacecraft is self-detachable.
Sir Richard Branson’s VSS Enterprise successfully made its inaugural powered flight at Mojave Air and Spaceport in April 2013 and glided safely back down. This achievement marked an important milestone in its progress and allowed its team to expand the vehicle’s powered flight envelope.
Virgin Galactic’s second spaceplane, VSS Unity, reached the edge of space in December 2018. Beginning its journey from a California desert runway and being suspended under White Knight for its flight before disengaging and firing up its engine independently – its pilot experienced weightlessness while reaching an altitude of 80km that is considered outer space’s boundary.