Don’t Give Your Space Ship This Name, Unless You Want To Kill The Entire Crew

By Joshua Tyler
| Published 14 seconds ago

Prometheus is one of the most well-known figures in Greek mythology, probably because he was one of the few gods who actually seemed to like people. He defied the king of the gods, Zeus, by stealing fire and giving it to humans so civilization could advance. As punishment, Zeus chained him to a mountain where he was tortured forever, making Prometheus a symbol of rebellion, sacrifice, and the pursuit of knowledge.

So it makes sense that science fiction writers might like using that name for their starships. If you want to write a story about a group of humans pursuing knowledge by exploring space, then naming your ship after the mythological figure who made it possible makes you seem like you’re smart.

Unfortunately, ships named Prometheus, like the god himself, never come to a good end. Naming a starship Prometheus has become a way to signal certain doom.

USCSS Prometheus In Prometheus

Ridley Scott’s movie Prometheus takes its name from the film’s starship, the USCSS Prometheus. In theory, it’s carrying a crew out into the unknown on a mission of discovery. That mission of discovery turns into a disaster, and what the crew of the Prometheus finds may be humanity’s end. Prometheus isn’t a name Ridley Scott uses lightly.

It’s also the end of the ship, which is destroyed when the crew deliberately crashes it into the massive alien Engineer ship to stop it from reaching Earth. Don’t worry, most of the crew was dead already, and the rest will be dead soon.

EAS Prometheus On Babylon 5

The Babylon project was the galaxy’s last best hope for peace, created in the shadow of an Earth/Minbari war which never would have happened at all if not for an Earth starship named Prometheus.

In the year 2245, an Earthforce Hyperion-class heavy cruiser, named the EAS Prometheus, was the first to encounter a Minbari cruiser. The Minbari approached the Earth ship with their gunports open, a move that in their culture is meant as a sign of respect.

The Prometheus’s captain, one Michael Jankowski, misinterpreted those actions as a threat. He ordered his crew to open fire on the Minbari cruiser, killing their leader Dukhat, and plunging humanity into a war that would kill billions and bring it to the brink of extinction.

USS Prometheus NCC-71201 On Star Trek: Deep Space Nine

In the Star Trek: Deep Space Nine episode “Second Sight,” a ship named the Prometheus is used to carry a brilliant scientist to his doom.

In theory, the mission is one of discovery. Professor Seyetick plans to use his discoveries to re-ignite a dead star. But Seyetik’s personal life is unhappy, and his wife, Nidell, a mysterious alien, longs to be free of him. Nidell is stuck, her species mates for life, and there is no way out. Seyetik, who still loves his wife, becomes determined to free her from the prison he’s built for her.

In a final desperate act, Seyetik launches a shuttle from the Prometheus and flies it into the dead star. As his life ends, Seyetik shouts “let there be light!” and the once dead sun blazes with fire, consuming him in its rebirth.

Prometheus On Stargate SG-1

Of all the ships named Prometheus to have made their way through science fiction, this one had the most successful career. Built by humans and enhanced with alien technology, the Prometheus was humanity’s first interstellar ship, and served for years as a permanent part of Earth’s defense against all aggressors. After years of successfully surviving conflicts, though, this Prometheus would also meet its doom.

The ship was destroyed in early 2006, a casualty of battle over the alien planet Tegalus. After taking multiple hits, the ship split at the neck and exploded, taking 39 members of the crew with her to the grave.

USS Prometheus NX-59650 On Star Trek: Voyager

Instead of their savior, The Doctor finds an experimental Federation starship that has been successfully hijacked by the Romulans. Using the ship’s new weapons against her creators, the Romulans are able to escape with the vessel and are only prevented from returning to the Romulan Star Empire through the efforts of the Doctor in concert with the ship’s native EMH.