share-square-1295517 HOUSTON -- A move to the space-age Astrodome meant the local baseball team deserved a space-age nickname, too. Thus the Astros were born, replacing the Colt .45s name that the expansion National League club had used for its first three seasons and ushering in a new chapter in Houston baseball history. The logos, colors, uniforms, ballparks and even leagues have changed in the decades that followed, but the Astros name that was born prior to the 1965 season remains the oldest nickname in the history of Houston professional sports franchises. And with apologies to the NBA’s Rockets and the NFL’s Texans, it’s also the most iconic.