AMICITAS FLIGHT THREE – MISSION DAY 536
ARES III SOL 526
Suppertime found the six castaways gathered in the trailer’s habitat deck. Fireball crunched his quartz. The ponies nibbled their dried months-old hay, garnished lightly with a cheesy vegetable side dish from Mark’s meal pack. Mark ate the main course and dessert from said pack along with several potatoes.
It had been a light day. The morning had been spent loading and securing the week of emergency food packs onto the MAV, a chore which had taken only about an hour to complete. The Hermes crew had asked for a day off of supervising simulations, so Cherry, Spitfire and Starlight had had the afternoon free along with the others. There had been a bit of reading, a bit of tinkering with roleplaying scenarios, and a lot of staring out of portholes at the now-familiar landscape of Schiaparelli. But mostly, for lack of any other stimulus, their minds had wandered at random, each keeping their own thoughts to themselves.
That changed during dinner. “Mark?” Dragonfly asked from where she leaned shamelessly against him. “Why is it the MAV doesn’t have a name?”
“Well, Ares I was going to have a contest to name the MDV and MAV,” Mark said. “But the entries were flooded by assholes who submitted names like… well, let’s just say nobody in their right mind would put any of those names on a ship. In the end NASA backpedaled and said that, since each ship was a one-use vehicle, they didn’t merit a name.” The human picked a bit of chicken teriyaki out of the meal pouch and added, “What about you? Did all of your ships have names?”
“No, they didn’t,” Starlight said. “Friendship was the first spaceship we ever gave a name, because it was meant to be used again and again. Almost all our other ships were capsules like the MAV. We reused the capsules, but we never named them.”
“Except for the moon flight,” Cherry Berry said. “The Dreamer is in a museum now.”
“We should have given them all names,” Dragonfly said, in a drowsy, sing-song voice. “They deserve it. They did their jobs. Well, most of them.”
Silence followed, except for the cracking and crunching of Fireball’s meal.
Then Mark murmured, “Freedom 7. Liberty Bell 7. Friendship 7. Aurora 7. Sigma 7. Faith 7. Molly Brown.” He paused, muttering, “I don’t think any other Gemini capsules got a name. Nor Apollo 7 nor 8. But Apollo 9 had Gumdrop and Spider. Apollo 10, Charlie Brown and Snoopy. Apollo 11, the first actual moon landing, had Columbia and Eagle. Apollo 12, Yankee Clipper and Intrepid. Apollo 13, Odyssey and Aquarius. Apollo 14, Kitty Hawk and… and…” He tapped his head, groaning, “I used to have all of these memorized… Antares, that was the lander’s name. I don’t remember Apollo 15, 16 or 17, though, except that there was a Challenger in there somewhere. And the Skylab missions and Apollo-Soyuz didn’t get names, I don’t think. And I don’t think the Russians ever named any of their capsules.”
He held up a fist, saying, “Then the five space shuttles- the STS, not the Dream Chaser we use today. Columbia, that broke up on re-entry in 2003. I was nine then. Challenger, that blew up on launch before I was born. Atlantis. Discovery. Endeavor.” He extended a finger with each name. “And technically Enterprise, but that one only flew glide tests. It never went to space.” He lowered his hand and said, “The Soviet shuttle Buran, which only flew one unmanned flight. The Dream Chasers all have names, but I only remember the one I flew up to Hermes on, the Grissom. And Hermes. I don’t remember any other names.”
“Are there rules for if a ship gets a name or not?” Cherry asked.
“Not consistent ones,” Mark said quietly. “Privately owned spaceships generally do. NASA names ships only if they’re multi-person, reusable craft. Disposable ships don’t get names anymore. The Apollo ships got names only because NASA wanted good press for the moon missions, I think.”
“Hmmmm,” Cherry said. “What was it you kept talking about, when I wanted to rebuild Friendship into an escape ship? There was a name…”
“Flight of the Phoenix,” Mark muttered. “It’s a reference to a couple of movies. The original one is better.”
“What’s a fee-necks anyway?”
“Phoenix,” Starlight said in Equestrian, and then added in English, “The fire-bird. You know, like Celestia’s pet. I told you ages ago.”
“Does your version burn up and then rise from the ashes good as new?” Mark asked.
“Yes, it does,” Starlight said. “Fluttershy told me all about her first encounter with Celestia’s phoenix. It scared her silly, thinking she’d killed it. Turns out it was only playing dead.”
“Okay, then.” Cherry Berry pushed aside the uneaten portion of her hay, stood up, and reached into a cubbyhole for one of the old Hab laptops.
“What are you doing?” Mark asked.
“The transmission window is still open for a few hours, right?” she asked. “I need to send a message.”
[18:41] MAV: Please rename Ares IV MAV “PHOENIX,” because we who crashed and burned will rise again in fire and magic. Cherry Berry
[18:43] HERMES: Hermes copies message. Clear skies, Phoenix.
[18:59] HOUSTON: Request received and taken under advisement. We’ll let you know if it gets approved.
[19:17] MAV: An interplanetary spaceship needs a name. Maybe this one won’t need to go that far, but it’ll be able to. We’re calling it Phoenix. What you call it is your problem. CB
[19:35] HOUSTON: Cherry, please remember, it is our ship.
[19:51] MAV: Was your ship. Arrrrrr. CB
[19:51] MAV: Was your ship. Arrrrrr. CB
Bloody (Space) Pirates!
I vote the surviving rover be retroactively named Rover McRoverface. Or Bert.
Nominating an honourable mention for Space-X's ships Just Read The Instructions and Of Course I Still Love You - they don't go near space, but they're an essential enabler of those that do.
They also, thanks to Iain M. Banks and the fact that we're living in an age where an eccentric billionaire really can name autonomous drone ships after craft in sci-fi novels and no one can tell him otherwise, have the coolest names in nautical and aeronautical history.
Shippy McShipface?
Are there even laws for interstellar piracy?
As for my suggestion: Revenant, because they should all be dead but aren't and because I'm more than a little morbid. Yes, I know Phoenix is already chosen (and I find it appropriate) but others are throwing out their two cents so I figured I'd throw mine out as well.
Yeah, if this fic gets a tropes page, that must be the top crowning moment of funny. If you don't laugh yourself silly at the last transmission your funny bone is missing.
Though given the amount of pony gear in the launch and drive systems, one could argue at least joint ownership. Heck, EAS, CSA (It is an agency, for the Changelings, correct?), they having changed the registry to Equestrian.
Oh, and music for the Phoenix:
It is now officially the Phoenix.
Cherry is best pirate pony!
captain Cherry and Captain Blondebeard pirate rulers of mars
9207245
Not yet. Not for a long long time. Not until the first time someone tries to seize someone else's property in space, whether that be a satellite or probe, or even a manned spacecraft. Until then it's all moot.
With all this work you reallllllly need a tropes page.
Well, buck, now I feel old.
Okay when the Phoenix takes off I am going to have Senza Fine from the 1965 flight of the Phoenix in my head only because nothing else will fit in my mind.
9207258
Pirates of the Schiaparelli: Curse of the Black Cherry
9207281 Not my place to do it. To me one of the definitions of narcissism is to make a Tropes page (or a Wiki entry) for one's own work.
Reminds me of the time the Skylab crew went on strike.
Basically, the USA wanted to catch up with Russian space-science since they hadn't had a space station while the Russians did, the Mir. As a result, they crammed the astronauts timetables to the breaking point. Most of them didn't even have time to clean up one experiment before they were supposed to be across the station doing something else.
They declared a vacation day and dared NASA to do anything about it.
9207264
If that one bit from the MLP loops where Twilight is trolling X-COM is accurate, (and I think they may have done their homework,) then due to people not wanting to be responsible for their space-trash, if it's old enough and they didn't renew or whatever, it's legally fair game.
If that's true, there'll be a considerable amount of salvaging before piracy starts... And they're welcome to it if they can figure out how to and make a profit.
9207247
Well, damn. If you wanna anthropomorphize something, that's the right way to do it.
Welp, once that exchange goes public, they're NEVER going to get anyone to name it anything else. Everyone loves space pirates, especially pony ones. Arr.
And the first functional warp-capable ship will also be named Phoenix in this universe. All is as it should be.
They'd better get the Pheonix docked successfully so they can all zip home. If not, they'd better at LEAST get the Sparkle Drive into orbit. That thing by itself is indescribably valuable, as the only ftl drive in existence in a universe that for now can't make any more.
Actually that put me on a grim line of thought. For the future of two universes, Starlight Glimmer is probably the most important being in existence right now. She is the only one capable of getting dimensional coordinates to Equestria, and probably is capable of giving humans the first tool-to-make-tools for manipulating magic in their universe. Obviously everyone needs to get home. Failure is not an option. But if for some horrible reason they have to pick, Starlight HAS to be the one they get back to Earth.
9205951
That's still remarkably easier than I thought it was...
Cherry Berry gives zero fs for NASA's bureaucratic shit. Cherry Berry is best space pirate.
9207267
The phrase "o (noun) mine" in the lore refers to both the Ahamkara, the aforementioned wish dragons, as well as Hive Worm Gods.
WAIT wait wait... hold the phone. I completely forgot to comment about shameless dragonfly.
#KissABug
9207247
It's ESA (Equestrian Space Administration) and CSP (Changeling Space Program). Otherwise, I totally agree.
Incidentally enough, the Russians actually did name some of their capsules, and still do to this day. Vostok 1's call sign was Kedr (Cedar), Voskhod 2's was Almaz (Diamond), and all of the Soyuz flights have call signs, usually references to the geography of Russia (the call sign of the current mission, Soyuz MS-09, is Altai, after the Altai mountain range). These call signs are meant to be used primarily for identification purposes and are not disclosed before launch, which is why the general public doesn't know about it.
Also there's a reason NASA stopped naming capsules after Gemini 3: Gus Grissom.
Gus was chosen to command the first manned Gemini mission and he was hoping for a better outcome than his first spaceflight, namely the sinking of Liberty Bell 7. To that end, he christened Gemini 3 Molly Brown. NASA wasn't too pleased with the name and implored Gus to change it. Gus's response?
"How about the Titanic?"
NASA management allowed him to keep the name, but made it a policy to no longer name their capsules (Ed White, who was to fly on the next mission, was going to name Gemini 4 the considerably more tactful American Eagle).
Because Apollo missions from 9 onward required the use of two spacecraft, the call signs were reintroduced as a practicality. However after Apollo 9 named their spacecraft Gumdrop and Spider and 10 named theirs Charlie Brown and Snoopy, NASA decided they would have the final say in regards to the names.
Oh and for those wondering:
Apollo 15: Endeavour and Falcon
Apollo 16: Casper and Orion
Apollo 17: America and Challenger
Rocket McRocketface perchance?
The fact that Grissom decided to name Gemini 3 Molly Brown (and if you know anything about his previous flight you know why he picked the name) is why NASA decided to stop allowing them to name the ships.
It came back for Apollo 9 for a very simple reason. Both the CSM and LM were on the same radio line. With each ship having a name it made it easier to direct messages to them when separated. Though I believe after Apollo 10 NASA got final veto on the naming.
As for why the MDV and MAV aren't named, well they are just buses compared to the Hermes, though now that you point it out... On the other hand, naming this MAV Phoenix is a very good idea. It will go over very well with the Press, and I think this is a case where the Press will get to make the decision.
9207337
oh, that is why i found nothing, i was searching for "that is the mystery of comedy".
Three words dont count as a quote.
9207233 I'm just surprised that they haven't started naming the Block 5 First stage boosters and the Dragon Capsules. After all, they're going to be reused frequently.
Just hope, that unlike the origional Flight Of The Phoenix, they dont have to blow two whole charges just to get the thing operational.
Hahaha, well NASA may as well make it official. They couldn't stop the Whinnybago. Turns out if you call something a name, and everyone also calls it that name, that becomes it's name.
9207220
9207224
That line makes me wish for a Space version of Canadian Horse Pirate. Except these pons are not Canadian
I'm no geologist, nor do I know the nature of pigments and paints, but would there be a way for Starlight to paint a Phoenix on Phoenix's hull using the colors of the Martian terrain?
9207283
I was ten and witnessed it happen from the side of a Florida highway.
9207425
I’d do the reverse. The paint on a rocket of this scale must weigh quite a bit, and its done its job.
Mayhaps it's time to unpaint it, but leave the “phoenix” lettering in place.
I mean if she can gather salt and perchlorates she can probably do paints right?
Seriously, Cherry? You went there? :)
If that bit of the logs are EVER made public, the PR people on both worlds are going to have conniption fits. :D
Since we're talking ship names, I think Project Freelancer's Mother of Invention is my all time favorite, real or fictional.
9207294
I now have a massive grin on my face. Thank you.
Fantastic chapter!
9207408 Hm...
I used to be a pilot and I made a living fine
I took off with my crew in the springtime of '09
But then we felt a bump and then our engine wasn't there
We landed on the planet Mars and now we're stranded there
We met up with a human who his crew had left behind
We raised some hay and taters deep inside a crystal mine
We thought we'd have to wait four years our rescue ship to come
But lingering on this cold world just seemed a little dumb
But then I thought why wait to catch a spaceship to the stars
I'm gonna be a pirate on the desert planet Mars
For it's heigh-ho! Hi-ho! Rolling cross the sands
With my scurvy pony crew here at my command
And it's ho hey! Hi hey! NASA hide your probes
When you see the Jolly Roger soaring high above the globe
For it's heigh-ho! Hi-ho! Across the planet Mars
We're gonna steal a spaceship to take us to the stars
And it's ho hey! Hi hey! NASA hide your probes
When you see the Jolly Roger soaring high above the globe
9207479
Oh gods that had me laughing so hard!
9207245
There are indeed laws, and there have even been instances where they have been applied. Occasionally hobbyists and/or amateurs have revived lost and abandoned satellites and probes. There was at least one incident of an active satellite being hacked (effectively stolen) -- a British military communications satellite, back in 1999.
The first American commander of the international space station tried to go off script and used the call sign "space station Alpha" which along with "freedom" where the original names before the Russians were brought in as partners. The Russians never liked that name (since Alpha implies 'first' and the ISS is far from the first space station) NASA brass squashed the name and we're left with the clumsy ISS now.
9207387
Usually those kind of rocket parts or just given a number designation for repair reasons and paperwork
9207220
9207446
9207258
9207294
"well mars is considered international waters"
9207517
Unfortunately, they gave them permission this time.
9207307
Another one for the launch day playlist:
9207431
I was 18 in Tech School, I REALY feel old!
9207479
This needs to be recorded with music!
9207479
Damn you're talented!