If all goes well, a one-tonne, SUV-sized rover will make its landing on the Red Planet in 2012. The $2.2 billion beast will break multiple records, becoming the largest rover to land on Mars and the first to be powered by the heat of radioactive decay.
But what to call it? Its current moniker, Mars Science Laboratory, is functional but lacks personality, so NASA teamed up with Disney to offer students the chance to suggest a new handle.
Now the finalists are in: Sunrise, Pursuit, Journey, Perception, Curiosity, Adventure, Vision, Wonder, and ... Amelia.
Amelia's probably the oddest of the bunch, and it's unclear whether the name is intended to honour Amelia Earhart. Spacecraft named for historical figures - Cassini, Hubble, Huygens - usually go by surnames. But NASA's first Mars rover, Sojourner, was named for Civil War-era abolitionist Sojourner Truth.
None of the other suggestions seem too thrilling. But they aren't a far cry from names like Spirit and Opportunity that grace the Mars Exploration Rovers. Those were originally suggested by a 9-year-old girl in a similar competition in 2003.
Unlike that last competition, you can vote on your preference for MSL's name, from now until 29 March. The name with the most votes is likely to stick, since NASA has already pre-approved the finalists.
But the naming of the International Space Station's Node 3 is a bit more uncertain. Earlier this month, fans of comedian Stephen Colbert managed to get Colbert's name to skyrocket to the top of the list in a contest to name the new node, which is set to be installed on the station later this year.
NASA was hoping Node 3's name would follow in the spirit of previous nodes, Unity and Harmony. After the polls closed last week, ISS node Colbert was the clear winner, garnering 230,539 votes. The runner-up, the NASA-suggested name Serenity, captured 190,196 votes, according to NASA's Jacob Keaton.
Will the agency really name the node Colbert? NASA has made it clear such votes are non-binding; these competitions are intended to raise awareness and get missions just a bit more buzz.
But we may see soon if democracy rules; the winning name for the space station node will probably be announced in a few weeks, Keaton says.
(Image:NASA/JPL)
Sunrise, Pursuit, Journey, Perception, Curiosity, Adventure, Vision, Wonder, and Amelia...sigh! I suppose this is the sort of list to be expected with kids picking the finalists.
Grrr, why can't I vote for Tweel, or even John Carter?