Kibo is asteroid #14500 and also known as 1995 WO7. Kibo was discovered by Kobayashi Takao (小林 隆男) at the Ooizumi Observatory. Kibo’s orbit is characterized by a semi-major axis of 2.23 Astronomical Units, an eccentricity of 0.10, a period of revolution of 1 216 days, and an inclination of 3.8 degrees.

Kibo is named after the Japanese Experiment Module (JEM) of the International Space Station (ISS). The JEM got a nickname from a contest. This nickname is Kibō (きぼう). To call it Kibo is plain wrong! This could mean size; structure (規模) or a list of deceased people (鬼簿). I doubt very much that anybody would want to name a module of a space station this way. Kibō has a long o, which should be given as ō or at least as ou or oh, and can also have many meanings! Kibō (既望) means the sixteenth night of the eighth month following the lunar calendar. Kibō (企謀) is a plan or a plot. Kibō (詭謀) means subterfuge or ruse. Kibō (鬼謀) is a devilish ruse. Kibō (欺罔) means fraudulent representations. The title of the French novel L’Espoir, which means The Hope, by André Malraux is translated as Kibō (希望) into Japanese. Although this Kibō (希望) is usually translated from Japanese as a wish or a desire. The naming citation of Kibo could mean this Kibō (希望). The naming citation could also mean Kibō (期望), which means expectation or looking forward. The naming citation definitely doesn’t refer to any word kibo with a short o, although the asteroid is named this way. The name of the asteroid as well as the nickname of the space station module are both spelled Kibō (きぼう), this means exclusively with hiragana, in Japanese! Furukawa Satoshi (古川 聡) has been participating in ISS Advanced Training as well as supporting the development of the hardware and operation of the JEM/ Kibō (きぼう) since April 2001.

Kibō (きぼう) is the spelling of both, the nickname of the Japanese Experiment Module as well as the name of the asteroid in Japanese. So the asteroid is definitely named after the JEM itself, not after what the name could mean too. So Kibo is a kind of place name asteroid. It hints to artificially created places. It also hints to outstanding working environments, especially if in an aspect with the asteroid Satoshi. If you are looking for an asteroid indicating hope, then have a look at Elpis!