But All of the gods of the People are Idols, so Turn Away from [NASA], who Associates gods [Apollo and Artemis] with God
For Satan's Authority is Over those who Associate gods with God through him, and Indeed, they Only Invent Falsehood, and Indeed they are the Liars
37:86, Qur'an
Do you [O NASA,] desire falsehood [as] gods other than God?
1 Chronicles 16:26, Torah
For all the gods of the people [are] idols, but the Lord made the heavens.
[For] Abe Silverstein, Director of Space Flight Development, proposed the name "Apollo" because it was the name of a god in ancient Greek mythology with attractive connotations and the precedent for naming manned spaceflight projects for mythological gods and heroes had been set with Mercury -
Mercury was the messenger of the gods in ancient Roman and (as Hermes) Greek mythology. The symbolic associations of this name appealed to Abe Silverstein.
- NASA.gov
19:81, Qur'an
[And thus,] they have taken gods besides God so that they would be honor for them.
16:104 - 105, Qur'an
[For] indeed, those who do not believe in the verses of God - God will not guide them, and there is a painful punishment for them. [For] those who do not believe in the verses of God only invent falsehood, and it is those who are the liars.
15:94 - 96, Qur'an
[So] declare what you are commanded and turn away from the polytheists. Indeed, We are sufficient for you against the mockers who make another god [as similar] with God. But they are going to know.
More Polytheistic Origins of NASA Names
Atlas (Greek god)
Bossart recalled that Atlas was the mighty god of ancient Greek mythology who supported the world on his powerful shoulders. The appropriateness of the name seemed confirmed by the fact that the parent company of Convair was the Atlas Corporation. The suggestion was submitted to the Air Force and was approved by the Department of Defense Research and Development Board's Committee on Guided Missiles in August 1951. - NASA.gov
Juno (Roman goddess)
Juno I and Juno II were early launch vehicles adapted from existing U.S. Army' missiles by the Army Ballistic Missile Agency (ABMA) and the Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL). The ancient Roman goddess Juno, queen of the gods, was the sister and wife of Jupiter, king of the gods. Since the new launch vehicle was the satellite-launching version of the Jupiter C (Jupiter Composite Reentry Test Vehicle), the name Juno was suggested by Dr. William H. Pickering, JPL Director, in November 1957. Army officials approved the proposal and the name was adopted. - NASA.gov
Saturn (Roman god)
In October 1958 Dr. Wernher von Braun, the Director of ABMA's Development Operations Division, proposed the Juno V be renamed "Saturn," and on 3 February 1959 ARPA officially approved the name change. The name "Saturn" was significant for three reasons: the planet Saturn appeared brighter than a first-magnitude star, so the association of this name with such a powerful new booster seemed appropriate; Saturn was the next planet after Jupiter, so the progression was analogous to ABMA's progression from missile and space systems called "Jupiter"; and Saturn was the name of an ancient Roman god, so the name was in keeping with the U.S. military's custom of naming missiles after mythological gods and heroes. - NASA.gov
Thor (Norse god)
Adapted for use as a launch vehicle in combination with various upper stages, Thor was originally developed as a U.S. Air Force intermediate range ballistic missile by Douglas Aircraft Company. The name, which came into use in 1955, derived from the ancient Norse god of thunder "the strongest of gods and men." - NASA.gov
Aeros (Greek god)
In June 1969 NASA and the German Ministry for Scientific Research (BMwF) reached an agreement on a cooperative project that would orbit a German scientific satellite designed to investigate particle behavior in the earth's upper atmosphere. In early 1969 BMwF had named the proposed aeronomy satellite after Aeros, ancient Greek god of the air. - NASA.gov
Eole (Greek god)
NASA and France's Centre National d'Etudes Spatiales (CNES) signed a memorandum of understanding 27 May 1966 providing for development of a cooperative satellite-and-instrumented-balloon network to collect meteorological data for long-range weather forecasts. "Eole," the French name for Aeolus, ancient Greek god of the winds, was chosen by CNES as the name for the satellite project. - NASA.gov
Helios (Greek god)
In June 1969 NASA and the German Ministry for Scientific Research (BMwF) agreed to a joint project for launching two probes, in 1974 and 1975, to study the interplanetary medium and explore the near-solar region. The probes would carry instruments closer to the sun than any previous spacecraft, approaching to within 45 million kilometers. The project was designated "Helios," the name of the ancient Greek god of the sun, by German Minister Karl Kaesmeier. The name had been suggested in a telephone conversation between Minister Kaesmeier and Goddard Space Flight Center's Project Manager, Gilbert W. Ousley, in August 1968. NASA had previously used the name for the Advanced Orbiting Solar Observatory (AOSO), canceled in 1965, which was to have performed similar experiments. The Helios probes were to be launched on Titan III-Centaur vehicles. - NASA.gov
Gemini
NASA Headquarters personnel were asked for proposals for an appropriate name for the project and, in a December 1961 speech at the Industrial College of the Armed Forces, Dr. Robert C. Seamans, Jr., then NASA Associate Administrator, described Mercury Mark II, adding an offer of a token reward to the person suggesting the name finally accepted. A member of the audience sent him the name ''Gemini.'' Meanwhile, Alex P. Nagy in NASA's Office of Manned Space Flight also had proposed "Gemini." Dr. Seamans recognized both as authors of the name.
"Gemini," meaning "twins" in Latin, was the name of the third constellation of the zodiac, made up of the twin stars Castor and Pollux. To Nagy it seemed an appropriate connotation for the two-man crew, a rendezvous mission, and the project's relationship to Mercury. Another connotation of the mythological twins was that they were considered to be the patron gods of voyagers. - NASA.gov
Mercury (Roman god)
Traditionally depicted wearing a winged cap and winged shoes, Mercury was the messenger of the gods in ancient Roman and (as Hermes) Greek mythology. The symbolic associations of this name appealed to Abe Silverstein, NASA's Director of Space Flight Development, who suggested it for the manned spaceflight project in the autumn of 1958. On 26 November 1958 Dr. T. Keith Glennan, NASA Administrator, and Dr. Hugh L. Dryden, Deputy Administrator, agreed upon "Mercury," and on 17 December 1958 Dr. Glennan announced the name for the first time. - NASA.gov
Aries (Zodiac)
The Naval Research Laboratory asked Robert D. Arritt of its Space Science Division to choose a more dignified name. Arritt and a group of his colleagues chose "Aries"; it was the name of a constellation (the rocket would be used for astronomy projects) and it was "a name that was available." It also was Arritt' s zodiac sign. - NASA.gov
Nike (Greek goddess)
The Nike, a solid-propellant first stage, was an adaptation of the Nike antiaircraft missile developed, beginning in 1945, by the Hercules Powder Company for U.S. Army Ordnance. The name ''Nike'' was taken from ancient Greek mythology: Nike was the winged goddess of victory. - NASA.gov
Isis (Egyptian goddess)
The name was devised in January 1963 by John Chapman, project manager of the Canadian team; Dr. 0. E. Anderson, NASA Office of International Affairs; and other members of the topside sounder Joint Working Group. They selected "Isis" because it was the name of an ancient Egyptian goddess and an acronym for "International Satellites for Ionospheric Studies." - NASA.gov