Richard F. Drushel wrote:

I think "Aquarius" would be a nice nod to Apollo XIII: after
"Aquarius" Mark I's performance, doing everything in the mission except
land, it a Mark II deserves a chance to land.


I doubt if NASA is going to name or do anything in relation to the
number 13 ever again.
You note that there never was a STS-13...the mission was called STS-41C
instead... but guess which orbiter flew it?
_Challenger_
See, there's no escaping the hoodoo.
The fact that it carried the first _female_ US astronaut, and after the
STS-13 mission carried _two_ female astronauts on a mission for the
first time, shows that NASA was just asking for it.
Why didn't they break a mirror over its nose, put a open umbrella in the
crew compartment, and shove a dead albatross up each of its engines to
really see just how much they could **** off The Powers That Be?
The bad joss was on it, and there was no escaping its fate. ;-)

Pat