Say that Mankind launches two new spaceships.

[Jonluw]

Sleipnir and Tanngrisnir.
Or perhaps just Tanngrisnir and Tanngnjóstr.

no. cool names, but how are they going to communicate?
"Houston, we have a problem. Tanngro... Tangri.. Tongra... ah screw this, we'll just walk back home!"

Odysseus and Hercules maybe? but I think they might be a bit too obvious

They're not hard to pronounce, really. You just need to know what the words sound like (or be able to speak a Scandinavian language)

Guess that's what Scandinavia will call their spaceships then

I guess. Still, it's not hard to pronounce: Sleipnir would phonetically be something like Schlaipnir and Tanngrisnir would be Tangrisnir (the 'a' is pronounced like in 'car') Tanngnjóstr would be Tangjuster ('a' like in car, 'u' like in 'buffalo')
Actually, so long as you remember to speak with retroflex 'r's, it's all written extremely phonetically already.

 

[E-Penguin]

Atlas, after the Mythical being who holds the earth on his shoulders
Ragnarok, after the norse good who brings about the end of the old world and the start of the new.
Atlas of course to represent the earths hopes.
I always imagine an encounter with an alien race will go one of 2 ways, once the curiosity wears off. They'll be happy smiley innocent beings or they'll probably not smile quite so much and bring about;or try to, our doom. Ragnarok fits this nicely.

I thought that Ragnarok was an event. Are you sure that it's a Norse god?

 

[meowchef]

It depends on who built them. If it was American, Canadian, British or French... I think Normandy would be a good name (and yes... stolen from Mass Effect)

 

[similar.squirrel]

Pan and Spermia. Or Gaia and Seed.

We shall impregnate the cosmos..

 

[Bloodastral]

Pinky & Brain
Just noticed someone took these names already so I have no idea!

 

[Jfswift]

hmmm, I've always been parcel to fantasy names that evoke power like Leviathan and Bahamut.

 

[almostgold]

Verity and Sydney.
I will seriously, honestly gift somebody a small iTunes purchase if they can figure out what it means.

Verity Lambert and Sydney Newman. Prodced Doctor Who. Bam.

... Did you read my mind? Because that's cheating.
Congrats, though. I am a woman of my word. What do you want from iTunes?

Haha don't worry about it. I actually just Googled Verity and Sydney. First result was a Wikipedia article on Verity Lambert. Searched page for 'Sydney', and got the answer.

In fact, I have to admit I've never seen a single episode of Doctor Who.

 

[Blindswordmaster]

The Pershing and the Battalion.

 

[Slaanax]

Enterprise and Einstein.

 

[Jedifreak]

The Asmov and the Harrison.

 

[Ham_authority95]

Penis and Vagina.

Okay, okay, how about The Thinker and The Dreamer? They encompass what makes humanity so unique and great.

 

[LorChan]

snip

Haha don't worry about it. I actually just Googled Verity and Sydney. First result was a Wikipedia article on Verity Lambert. Searched page for 'Sydney', and got the answer.

In fact, I have to admit I've never seen a single episode of Doctor Who.

Well, you're terribly honest!
You prize is now a big cyber hug.

 

[Trivun]

CT-1, and CT-2. Cookie for reference.

Otherwise, maybe the Hawking and the Dawkins. What better way to honour two amazing modern-day scientists than by naming spaceships after them?