Now to be fair, if and when we get to the point of having space battleships, I wouldn’t put it past someone to name a real one after their favourite fictional one.
Actually we’ve already been through this with submarines.
Robert Fulton tried to sell Napoleon a submarine called Nautilus.
Jules Verne named his fictional submarine Nautilus.
The US Navy named its first nuclear sub Nautilus and it really could sail 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea.
So was the Navy naming its new boat after the fictional craft or the real one?
The Nautilus nuclear submarine was probably named after its submarine predecessors of that name in the U.S. Navy. Since the string of Nautilus ships in the U.S. and English navies predate Verne and Fulton, they’re probably not named after either Verne or Fulton’s ships.
AFAICT the US navy did not have a Nautilus before Fulton’s submarine, which was built in 1800. The Royal Navy had had a couple sloops by the name, which isn’t much. It doesn’t seem to have been a significant name in surface warships.
My point was that the Space Battleship Yamato was not only named after the real life Japanese battleship Yamato, but in the story, it was even built inside the wreckage of the Japanese ship.
Comparing the naming of the Space Battleship Yamato to the Nautilus isn’t a valid comparison, since the history of the Nautilus has been so convoluted.
There was an S boat in the twenties that was leased from the US navy by an NGO, which they called Nautilus. The NGO was going to use it for under-ice polar exploration, which did not go exactly as planned, but it was a good try. Eventually the S boat went back to the navy and they then scuttled it off the coast of Norway.
@John Campbell: The montage in the opening credits to Star Trek: Enterprise includes a brief clip of the space shuttle Enterprise being towed out of its hangar, as well as an image of a sailing ship called H.M.S. Enterprize. The montage also included other craft that weren’t necessarily Enterprises (one was clearly the Spirit of St. Louis), so there’s room for debate on this point–but I think the implication was that the various Enterprises on Star Trek were in a naming lineage with both the ship and the shuttle.
It’s already happening, even. Just Read The Instructions is one of SpaceX’s floating landing pad. Their other landing pad is Of Course I Still Love You, and a third scheduled to be built will be A Shortfall of Gravitas. Victor Vescovo, an American deep-sea explorer, named the deep diving submersible DSV Limiting Factor. All of these names are from ships in Iain Banks’ Culture series if anyone’s looking for a fantastic sci fi read.
Thus aimed, by the faithful hound.
Escape the Cure was how they’re bound.
Through Constitutions hull they fly,
And then, there came a distant cry,
Excelsior!
They’ve traveled away into space. They’ve taken that ship from its place. Frigate AWOL-and more, but a cry of “Excelsior!” causing open-to-closed about face.
Great one!
This exact same thing happened in Fallout 4. Why do people keep launching the USS Constitution into space?
Because they want it to evolve into a Constitution Class Starship.
Gotta get Kirk’s Ride ready for him.
It must happen all the time. That’s why the attendant calmly flipped the sign.
Don’t forget everyone has the reality blindness going on, too.
… you’d rather leave it all to the Yamato?
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Space_Battleship_Yamato_(fictional_spacecraft)
I’m glad that link ends with “(fictional spacecraft)”, so we never confuse it with the _real_ Space Battleship Yamato.
Now to be fair, if and when we get to the point of having space battleships, I wouldn’t put it past someone to name a real one after their favourite fictional one.
But would it be named after the fictional one? Or would it – like the fictional one – be named after the real Yamato?
Actually we’ve already been through this with submarines.
Robert Fulton tried to sell Napoleon a submarine called Nautilus.
Jules Verne named his fictional submarine Nautilus.
The US Navy named its first nuclear sub Nautilus and it really could sail 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea.
So was the Navy naming its new boat after the fictional craft or the real one?
The first space shuttle – though it ended up being used only as a testbed and never actually flew – was named Enterprise, and not after the carrier.
I’m not sure if the later Star Trek shows closed the causality loop by including the shuttle Enterprise in NCC-1701’s predecessors…
The Nautilus nuclear submarine was probably named after its submarine predecessors of that name in the U.S. Navy. Since the string of Nautilus ships in the U.S. and English navies predate Verne and Fulton, they’re probably not named after either Verne or Fulton’s ships.
AFAICT the US navy did not have a Nautilus before Fulton’s submarine, which was built in 1800. The Royal Navy had had a couple sloops by the name, which isn’t much. It doesn’t seem to have been a significant name in surface warships.
My point was that the Space Battleship Yamato was not only named after the real life Japanese battleship Yamato, but in the story, it was even built inside the wreckage of the Japanese ship.
Comparing the naming of the Space Battleship Yamato to the Nautilus isn’t a valid comparison, since the history of the Nautilus has been so convoluted.
There was an S boat in the twenties that was leased from the US navy by an NGO, which they called Nautilus. The NGO was going to use it for under-ice polar exploration, which did not go exactly as planned, but it was a good try. Eventually the S boat went back to the navy and they then scuttled it off the coast of Norway.
@John Campbell: The montage in the opening credits to Star Trek: Enterprise includes a brief clip of the space shuttle Enterprise being towed out of its hangar, as well as an image of a sailing ship called H.M.S. Enterprize. The montage also included other craft that weren’t necessarily Enterprises (one was clearly the Spirit of St. Louis), so there’s room for debate on this point–but I think the implication was that the various Enterprises on Star Trek were in a naming lineage with both the ship and the shuttle.
“Why do people keep launching the USS Constitution into space?”
…I’m sorry. I understood every word in that sentence, but I’m not sure I understand the question as a whole.
It’s the little things that make this comic great
and the big things, such as the USS Constitution
The world’s oldest commissioned airship
Or is it the world’s oldest commissioned spacecraft?
And if spacecraft haven’t been commissioned before, would it be the _first_ commissioned spacecraft?
This is perfect and hilarious and I love it.
I can’t wait to see how they upgrade it
No, no, guys, it’s the Constitution, not the Excelsior!
Maybe they ran into a pile of excelsior.
“Aye, and if me grandmother had wheels…”
“Come, come, Mr. Scott… young minds, fresh ideas.”
This is fabulous!
I should have known better than to question Sundance…
Woof!*
*Woof!
Love this!
When they say “sailing, sailing, over the bounding main,” I didn’t think they meant this!
Over the bounding Maine?
I’ll let myself out.
Nuclear wessels
Perfect.
This one is my new favorite. <3
Beautiful, ohhh just beautiful. The understatement that underlines the slapstick. I love it. ♥️
Sail AWAAAAY!
It’s fun to charter an accountant
And sail the wide accountancy!
Scribble away, but balance the books!
I think “Sail AWAAAAY!” was Cartman…
The opening segment to Monty Python’s The Meaning of Life, AKA The Accountancy Shanty.
I always heard it as “slip it away, but balance the books.” I haven’t seen an official text, though.
It’s already happening, even. Just Read The Instructions is one of SpaceX’s floating landing pad. Their other landing pad is Of Course I Still Love You, and a third scheduled to be built will be A Shortfall of Gravitas. Victor Vescovo, an American deep-sea explorer, named the deep diving submersible DSV Limiting Factor. All of these names are from ships in Iain Banks’ Culture series if anyone’s looking for a fantastic sci fi read.
Hahahahahahahaha!
I wonder what the guy’s brain told him he saw. A tug taking it into drydock for long term repairs maybe?
Reality blindness. It’s not just for St. Charlie.
https://youtu.be/ZvnPS2bzDd0
Yes yes yes yes YES.
I say this in general, but especially as a Bostonian: YES!!!!
Thus aimed, by the faithful hound.
Escape the Cure was how they’re bound.
Through Constitutions hull they fly,
And then, there came a distant cry,
Excelsior!
Okay, so the end of the chute didn’t go through the ship.
Now the question is, how long can three madboys and a bicycle enthusiast in a big hurry keep the boat up there!
*Inserts “This ship sails itself” gif here*
They’ve traveled away into space. They’ve taken that ship from its place. Frigate AWOL-and more, but a cry of “Excelsior!” causing open-to-closed about face.
I’m late to the party, but will add to the chorus that this is genius. I love it and I am going to miss everything about Skin-Horse.
I knew it.
This happened to me once.
But it wasn’t a government frigate; it was a Chik-Fil-A franchise.
Well, half of one.
We’re off to outer space
We’re leaving Mother Earth
To save nonhuman race(s)
Our Skin Horse!
Reality blind or not, this guy knows how to do his job.