The European Space Agency has decided that “ExoMars” is a bit bland, and are opening up suggestions to the public.

 

Launching in 2020, the rover is currently named
ExoMars, but the team behind the mission are looking for a more suitable
name to engage the public.

Firing a starter pistol on the race to find an alternative,
British astronaut Tim Peake told the Farnborough Airshow: “Mars is a
fascinating destination.

“A place where humans will one day work alongside robots to gather new knowledge and search for life in our solar system.
“The
ExoMars rover is a vital part of this journey of exploration and we’re
asking you to become part of this exciting mission and name the rover
that will scout the Martian surface.”

The UK is the second largest
European contributor to the ExoMars mission, behind Italy, having
invested £256m (€287m) in the mission and £14m (€15m) on the
instruments.

 The competition has seemingly been designed to avoid a repeat of the
Boaty McBoatface incident which embarrassed the creators of the polar
research ship which was eventually called the RRS Sir David Attenborough
despite the public favourite a different moniker.

Instead of a
public poll allowing people to swarm behind Marsy McMarsface, the
competition requires people to write in their suggested names for the
new ExoMars Rover.
As well as the honour of naming the rover,
whoever wins the competition will be toured around the Airbus facility
in Stevenage where the rover is being built.

Science minister Sam
Gyimah said: “Exploring the surface of another planet is what many
scientists and researchers dream of and now a British-built rover will
travel the surface of Mars to answer some fundamental questions, and the
public can be part of this exciting new chapter by naming the rover.

 “We want creative and bold entries – I’ll start the ball rolling with Rover McRoverface!
“The
ExoMars mission showcases the very best of the UK’s world-leading
robotics expertise and this mission will inspire the next generation of
engineers, scientists and space enthusiasts to be part of the journey as
the UK continues to reach for the stars.”