How are NASA program names such as Mercury, Gemini and Apollo chosen?
A. NASA officials consider a variety of factors when choosing a name for a program. Sometimes the names are descriptive, like Skylab or the Space Shuttle. Some names honor famous scientists and explorers, like Galileo, Hubble and Magellan. Others are chosen from classical mythology that relates to some feature of the mission. Mercury was the messenger of the gods. Gemini, Latin for twins, was appropriate because each Gemini mission carried two astronauts. Apollo was the god of the Sun, who spread knowledge. For the origins of NASA names, please refer to the Web site link below.
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