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Posted March 1, 2010 4:34 PM
By David Todd

Choosing a name for the new British space agency

After the recent announcement by the Government of the United Kingdom that an official British Space Agency is to be formed, a competition is to be held to name this new space agency.

The United States of America has its National Aeronautics and Space Administration, more famously known as NASA, while Europe has its European Space Agency (ESA) and Japan has the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA). So just what should the British version of NASA or JAXA be called? There is, of course, large scope for confusion, embarrassment, and even cynicism in using any such acronym, but Ascend’s space team is here to help!

Given that the ideal and obvious name for this new agency, British Space Agency, has the acronym BSA which is already being used by that maker of motorbikes and airguns, the Birmingham Small Arms company, this rules this name out. Meanwhile, the suggested name ‘British Astronautics Agency’ would share its BAA acronym with the British Airports Authority and the British Astronomical Association.

With respect to other suggestions as to what to call this new agency, of course, you could name it the British National Space Agency (BNSA) but would be have an acronym that would be difficult to say in a hurry, as the new agency’s forerunner, the BNSC (British National Space Centre) found out.

You could, of course, try the British Space Administration (BSAD), but this acronym sounds like a depressing request. The British National Spaceflight & Technology Institute (BNSTI), well, actually sounds a bit nasty. The British National Space & Aviation Institute (BNSAI) sounds a tad like a very small tree, while the British Space Exploration Institute (BSEXI) does have a certain memorable ring on the grounds that any outfit saying “Be Sexy!” will not be forgotten.

Using the term ‘Royal’ in front of any such British space organisation’s name, will not doubt be reserved for any future British military space outfit such as offshoot of the Royal Air Force, perhaps to be called the ‘Royal Space Force’ (RSF).

If you use UK in the title, you could have UK Space Agency (UKSA) or the more romantic sounding UK Institute for Space Advancement (UKISA). But if either of these have the word ‘of’ in front of them in any sentence this could be unintentionally amusing (e,g. “I think our new agency name is good,” said the new head of UKSA).

Of course, you could drop the ‘K’ out of UK altogether for any acronym and come up with United Kingdom Space Agency (USA) though this sounds too much like the ‘United States of America’ while the United kingdom Space Flight Commission (USFC) has the ring of their football (soccer) team. Mind you, you could reverse the UK situation and go for the very simple and short Space UK (SUK)….but you could say that this sucks!

Actually, after all this discussion, Ascend’s space team thinks that we should take our cue from NASA and use the safest name: ‘British Aeronautics & Space Administration’ or the event better sounding ‘British Astronautics & Space Agency’, both of which could be called BASA for short…even if this does sound like a nickname for a bloke called Barry.

STOP PRESS: Britain’s current space minister, Lord Drayson, is said to favour the name Her Majesty’s Space Agency (HMSA). Let us hope that he chooses the words in this order as if he calls it Her Majesty’s Agency for Space (HMAS) it does sound a tad like a Middle Eastern extremist organisation.

While Her Majesty, Queen Elizabeth II, may never reach space, at least her title will. That is, if it is ever HMSA is painted onto the side of a spacecraft or space suit. Given its certain humming quality it might also be worth having a bee as its painted-on emblem. The Chinese Feng Shui superstition says that for good luck an emblem should be a live be a live creature and a bumble bee just might fit the bill.