Why did the Houston Colt .45s change their name to the Astros?

They changed the name when they moved into the Houston Astrodome, hence the name Astros. And in honor of the space program.

Quote I found:

"Construction of the domed building was finally completed in late 1964. In honor of Houston's significance to the country's space program, it was appropriately named the Astrodome, and to maintain the theme, the Colt .45s were proudly renamed the Astros. Houston baseball abandoned the outdoors and moved across the parking lot on April 9, 1965 to play ball in the climate-controlled structure. With Hofheinz now secured as the sole owner of the team and known as the man who brought the vision of a domed stadium to life, he was coined the "Father of Indoor Baseball."

Houston Colt 45s

I agree with the poster who said that "Astros" is an awful name. It was, and still is. But at least it represents the city, unlike some pro team names such as the Utah Jazz and Los Angeles Lakers, inherited from distant teams where the name fit.

Nonetheless, the reason was indeed because Houston was the hub of action for the space program, hence the "Astronauts" and "Astrodome."

Personally, I liked the Colt 45s better also. I attended a game at Colt Stadium in 1963, and witnessed a near no-hitter by Jonnny Podres of the Dodgers. Colt Stadium was a reminder of a minor league stadium, located in the shadows of the under-construction Astrodome. It had its own unique brand of charm. And so did the team name.

It never ceases to amaze me the amount of idiots who come in here and give guesses in place of answers, like the moron who claims the Colt 45s became the Angels. It's just baffling these people are able to work a computer.

They changed the name when they moved into the Astrodome, which was a big deal at the time and was considered the "eight wonder of the world." I think "Astros" is an awful name. What is an "astro?" There is no such word in the English language, unless they meant to name the team after the dog from the Jetsons. I know it's of latin origin, but still, the word itself is not an actual word (still, it's far better than "the Expos")

Astrodome. At the time a huge freaky wonder of the world, like the Assembly Hall at the University of Illinois. Now it's kinda dumb, id'n it. Maybe they should change it. What's an 'Astro'? It's like the 'Expos'. Colt. 45s is better.

It showed support for the space program and was a futuristic name in the '60's. Also, there were trademark issues brewing with the Colt Firearms Company.

I seem to remember it having something to do with Houston getting the site of the Command center for space flight (Astronauts), thus Astros. It occured sometime in the late 60's early 70's

The Colt .45s discovered that the Texas Rangers were quicker on the draw and could shoot more accurately.

It was the Sixties, man. Everyone was trying out new identities.

The name changed tied in to the popularity of NASA at the time, and coincided with the opening of their new, domed ballpark, the "Eighth Wonder of the World". Made them seem more modern and space-agey.

Answered pretty well so far...There was also some unwanted

confusion with an alcoholic beverage of the same/similar name...