Upon launch the spacecraft were named GRAIL A and GRAIL B and a contest was opened to school children to select names. Nearly 900 classrooms from 45 states, Puerto Rico and the District of Columbia, participated in the contest.
The spacecraft were initially designated as GRAIL A and GRAIL B, and a schoolchildren's naming contest was initiated, with nearly 900 classrooms from 45 states, Puerto Rico, and the District of Columbia participating in the event.