NASA and MYTHOLOGY paper

From Mercury to Apollo, to Artemis, NASA’s use of Greco-Roman Mythology.

This is not part of media per-say nor is it entertainment related but is part of the
mystical semiotic charisma of mythos used to anthropomorphize inanimate objectives
with a spirit of realism. Besides books, poems, films and songs, their is also the
integration of myth in the exploratory sciences. The conjoining of science and Greco-
Roman mythology in the astrophysical sciences also “illustrates how pervasive myth
is” in our modern scientific world.
From the beginning of history, man has used various means of travel, especially
water craft with each civilization naming their crafts with beloved female names.
The Phoenicians, Egyptians, Romans, and others carved and painted feminine
symbols on their vessels to protect them at sea. In later centuries captains carved
figureheads of their beloved wives or daughters to symbolize their love and protection
of the sailors, to bring good luck, safety, and to intimidate enemies. Naming a fishing
vessel Diana, for example, might be done in the hopes of a good catch, as Diana is
considered to be The Huntress of popular myth.
This semiotic metaphysics is used in other modern utilization such as names for
cars- Mercury, Saturn, and is very apparent in astronomy and space programs. NASA,
too, has ocean-going vessels of the cosmic kind - Mercury, Apollo, and now the new
Artemis Program. In 1958 the new Space Agency’s Robert R. Gilruth, the head of the
agency’s space task group, suggested the name “Project Astronaut.” The term
followed the semantic tradition begun with ‘Argonauts,’ the legendary Greeks who
traveled far and wide in search of the Golden Fleece, and continued with ‘aeronauts’
—pioneers of balloon flight.” With NASA it was outer-space travel and they needed a
figurehead-type symbolism. “Project Mercury,” was in honor of the messenger of the
gods in Roman mythology. With his winged cap, winged shoes, eloquence, and
ingenuity, Mercury was the best choice for a “flight.” It was a continuation of the
American custom of naming space “ships” after characters in Greco-Roman
mythology. Figures like Atlas, Centaur and Saturn had been used before. The Gemini
program, finds its origin in the twins, Castor and Polox. Apollo riding his chariot
across the Sun’ was appropriate to the proposed Man on the Moon Program. Indeed,
Apollo is the god of the Sun, a central figure in mythological astronomy. As the
female figurehead instilled a woman’s love for her sailors, so the Greek Gods instilled
a feeling of safe travel into the Great Celestial Sea of space. The new Artemis
Program is christened with the name of the goddess of the hunt, the chase, and
survival as depicted in her iconography of the bow and arrows, quiver, hunting
spears, torch, lyre, and water-jug; a good assortment of utilities and amusements for
going on long trips. Artemis was Apollo’s twin sister and the goddess of the Moon in
Greek mythology. Orion is NASA’s new spacecraft for the first woman and the next
man to the Moon.When Orion lands on the Moon’s South Pole, the astronauts will
stand where no human has ever stood before. Let’s just hope that it lands not in
Pluto’s backyard! Greek and Roman mythology is as captivating to
patrons/consumers today as it was in the civilizations that created them. There is just
something magical about an invisible benevolent entity to travel with and to watch
over you.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vt9ad-0CfFc