To me, it sounds like Carl Sagan is being a dick. It was an internal name, so who cares. It's kind of an honor. I don't really understand the cringe-inducing sainthood that the online tech/nerd community bestowed upon Carl Sagan over the past 30 years. I don't even think he did that much original research.
Dick move from a butt-head fruit.
Sure, Sagan probably shouldn't have sued a second time, it just triggers the Streisand Effect. But it's understandable why he was pissed off.
https://www.engadget.com/2014-02-26-when-carl-sagan-sued-app...
I think of it like trying to protect a trademark, it’s fair to try to protect somebody from using your name, especially when the usage doesn’t have anything to do with fair use.
A code name that you publicize with somebody’s name is using them as an unwilling participant in promoting your products.
Plenty of state secrets get leaked regularly, but you draw the line at funny internal product names?
Whether you are a fan of Sagan or not, I thing every person should have the right to chose if they want endorse a product or not.
That aside, wanting your name struck from a project, internal or not, is reasonable if someone has something against the business practices of a company. That's about the only, to me, valid reason for requesting the cessation. Doubling down with butt-head astronomer instead is pretty dickish, though.