What is Howard Wolowitz's astronaut nickname?

Howard Wolowitz’s astronaut nickname is “Froot Loops.” It is an unwanted nickname that follows him after his NASA mission in The Big Bang Theory.

Howard hoped to be called “Rocket Man,” and he even used Elton John’s song as a ringtone to encourage that image. The joke collapses during a NASA video call, when astronaut Mike Massimino overhears Howard’s mother mentioning that Howard’s Froot Loops are getting soggy. Massimino then turns the breakfast cereal reference into Howard’s informal astronaut nickname.

The nickname fits Howard’s comic role in the series: he is an aerospace engineer with enormous confidence, but he is also frequently embarrassed by his mother, whose voice is heard long before she is seen. Howard eventually travels to the International Space Station as a payload specialist on Expedition 31, making him the only member of the core group to go into space.

“Rocket Man” is therefore a tempting but incorrect answer. It is the nickname Howard wanted, while “Froot Loops” is the name that actually sticks. “F. Loops” is another shortened version used in the story.