The ISDC’s interstellar vessel has a name chosen from history: Endeavour.

Referred to as “the vessel’ until now, Endeavour has been named after the vessel Captain Cook sailed on his world-changing voyage of exploration in 1768. Pictured is a replica of Endeavour based at the Maritime Museum in Sydney, Australia.

There are some obvious parallels between Cook’s mission and the ISDC’s which influenced the choice of name. Both missions involve travelling into the unknown for scientific exploration. Both also have geo-strategic concerns lurking in the background.

It is hoped the ISDC mission will recapture aspects of Cook’s first voyage including courage, ingenuity, and a wealth of scientific discoveries.

No prefixes such as USS or Earth Ship are envisaged for Endeavour as yet. It is expected an appropriate designation will emerge from consensus among the crew.

As a matter of interest, Cook's ship was HMB Endeavour, the 'B' standing for barque (the technical designation of the vessel). This also differentiated her from an existing HMS Endeavour then operating in the Royal Navy.

Other name-sakes include the Space Shuttle Endeavour, one of three surviving vessels from NASA’s space shuttle program. That Endeavour is now on permanent display in Los Angeles.