NASA火星探査機の愛称決まる ― Perseverance

アメリカ航空宇宙局（NASA）が今年7月に火星に送る予定の火星探査機（Mars Rover）の愛称に、


Perseverance


が選ばれたことを複数メディアが報じています。


Meet Perseverance.

The new name has been assigned to NASA's Mars 2020 rover, launching this July and scheduled to land on the red planet in February 2021.

The winning name was entered during a nationwide contest by Alexander Mather, a seventh grade student in Virginia. He will be invited to watch the spacecraft launch from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida this summer.
(Ashley Strickland. Mars 2020 rover is officially named 'Perseverance'. CNN. March 5, 2020.)


火星探査機としては、これまでにCuriosityやOpportunityなどが知られています。今回新しい火星探査機の愛称を公募したところ、2万8千件を超える応募の中から、13歳の男の子が提案した"Perseverance"が採用されました。

Curiosity（好奇心）、Opportunity（機会、チャンス）に続く、"Perseverance"は、忍耐力、とか不屈の努力、などと訳されます。

ちなみに今年7月に打ち上げて、火星への着陸は来年の2月を見込んでいるそうです。


In his essay, 13-year-old Mather wrote, "Curiosity. InSight. Spirit. Opportunity. If you think about it, all of these names of past Mars rovers are qualities we possess as humans. We are always curious, and seek opportunity. We have the spirit and insight to explore the Moon, Mars, and beyond.

"But, if rovers are to be the qualities of us as a race, we missed the most important thing. Perseverance. We as humans evolved as creatures who could learn to adapt to any situation, no matter how harsh. We are a species of explorers, and we will meet many setbacks on the way to Mars. However, we can persevere. We, not as a nation but as humans, will not give up. Even faced with bitter losses such as Opportunity and Vikram 2, the human race will always persevere into the future."
(ibid.)


NASAのウェブサイトによると、直近では火星探査機Opportunityは通信が途絶え、ミッションを完了した、となっています。

新しい火星探査機の愛称に"Perseverance"を推した男の子は、火星探査に立ちはだかる逆境にも耐え抜く「頑張り」を願いに込めたようです。