WHY NASA NAMES ITS SPACECRAFT AFTER ANCIENT GREEK GODS

Throughout its 64-year history, NASA has named several of its aircraft after ancient Greek gods, and mythological figures. But where is the connection between NASA and ancient Greek Mythology?

From the Apollo program which came between 1961 and 1975, to the ongoing Artemis program which began in 2017 NASA has a tendency to name its most important endeavors after Greek mythological figures.

Abe Silverstein was the person responsible for naming NASA's early missions. He named two missions after the Greek gods Mercury and Apollo, Mercury was the Roman name for the Greek god Hermes.