[NicknamedBob]

"You know--the one with the thing that does cool stuff with other cool stuff to make something else that goes somewhere or something. Remember?"

Oh that. Well, we did this ...Moon Launch | Lunar Launch | Return to Earth

I thought maybe you were asking about the upcoming launch (on December 27^th) of the castle enclosure and its attendant enclosures.

You know, I'm geting tired of this awkward nomenclature. I propose we name the insanely unlikely interplanetary craft we have created.

Let me reprise: We have a castle enclosure of two miles diameter. It has a rounded lower hull, and a glass (being converted to Aluminum OxyNitride) canopy or dome. It is also surrounded by a "Thrust Ring," rather like a large girdle, which is attached to the castle enclosure with two articulated connections.

External to the thrust ring are two more articulated connections which tie in the balancing masses of the "Long Boats." I call them that because while the castle is an oblate spheroid, they are prolate spheroids. (Okay, cigar-shaped, rather like a metal dirigible.) They too have clear canopies.

After the assembly is launched, as the thrust is being reduced, the "Long Boats" will deploy outward, and the castle will extend downward and out, until the three masses are in a balanced rotation around the empty thrust ring.

When the proper rotation rate is achieved, thrust will be discontinued, and we will have established a rotational form of artificial gravity. That is what we will use in the long interplanetary journey to Mars.

So what do we call this mess?

I propose we call it "Neptune's Trident." AKA the Trident.

Yeah, I know, we're going to Mars. But we could decide to go further, and it does have three parts...

Whatcha think, Gang?

[Alice au Wonderland]

I can think of something else that has three parts. DC keeps the gloves for it in his glove compartment. However, its proper name, emblazoned on the side of our ship, probably would not be the best of first impressions to give.

Let me think....*brow furrowed in uffish thought*

[Das Outsider]

So what do we call this mess?

I was thinking of the other project. It might have had something to do with peanut butter and flux capacitors.

Anyways, I propose we name it HEAD--Highly Efficient Astronomical Doodad.

[fanfan]

I'm pinging this to myself in order to read it tomorrow.

:-)

[King Prout]

well, it has three elements, and is a castle...

HMS Trefoil?
HMS Hat-trick?
...

...

NCC-007?