The names of craft

Beagle, Cassini–Huygens, Chang’e, Curiosity, Gaia, Galileo, GRAIL, Juno, Mariner, MAVEN, MESSENGER, Nozomi, Opportunity, OSIRIS-REx, Phoenix, Pioneer, Magellan, Voyager….

We build spacecraft and give them names. The name is the hope, the wish, the magical thinking of scientists and engineers with romantic hearts under their pocket protectors. They give each of their rovers, orbiters, and explorers a name,

– as if the name is somehow identical with the thing’s true nature.
– as if to invoke th...