Can a Comedian Take Over the Space Station?

[MeteorWayne]

From the SDC Main Page...

NASA's naming contest for a new space station module now faces a fresh challenger in the form of comedian Stephen Colbert.

Colbert urged fans to put his name in the running on Tuesday's episode of his fake-conservative show "The Colbert Report" on Comedy Central, after dismissing the four NASA-chosen names — Earthrise, Legacy, Serenity and Venture.

"Those aren't space modules, those are organic teas," Colbert said. "But you know what name would look fantastic on the side of that module? Colbert!"

Viewers of the show responded quickly. By Wednesday, Colbert celebrated seeing his name rocket to the top of the write-in list, beating out former favorite "Xenu" which refers to a galactic ruler in Scientology's teachings.

"Folks, I'm telling you, if we keep this up until the contest ends on March 20, my name will live forever — or at least until that node burns up in a fiery reentry," Colbert said on Wednesday's show. "Which is how I'd like to go out myself."

Node 3 is scheduled for launch in 2009, and contains eight fridge-sized racks that can house much of the space station's life support systems. An observation deck attachment would offer astronauts sweeping views of both Earth and space, with six windows that also allow space station residents to see what they're doing when controlling the International Space Station's 57-foot robotic arm.

This marks only the second time that NASA has sought public input for naming a piece of U.S. space station hardware. The Harmony module was named by 2,200 students who entered NASA's naming contest for Node 2. By contrast, 169,000 people have voted online at NASA's naming contest site so far.

The NASA-chosen name Serenity, which shares the name of a spaceship in the cult favorite television series "Firefly", continues to maintain a huge lead with more than 66,000 votes, according to NASA. But a surge of votes has given Colbert 29,000 in just two days, enough for second overall. The trailing vote-getters include Xenu (9,200), Earthrise (4,200), Legacy (3,500) and Venture (3,200).

"We think that the 'Colbert' entry is great, and are excited that Mr. Colbert and his audience have taken an interest in the contest," said Jacob Keaton, space station program analyst and manager of the Name the Node Contest.

Keaton also told SPACE.com that there were no special provisions for dealing with unusual or downright wacky names, but that NASA would use the public's opinion as a large part of the final decision.

The International Space Station previously made an appearance on "The Colbert Report" when Colbert received an orbital call from astronaut Garrett Reisman. The comedian bolstered his claim to Node 3 by saying that the space station owed him for the publicity.

"I already gave it the Colbert bump when I talked to astronaut Garrett Reisman when he was posted up there," Colbert noted on Tuesday. "Oh and surprise, it's now the number one space station in orbit."

The International Space Station is currently the only continuously crewed outpost in orbit. The $100 billion orbital lab is the result of a 16-nation partnership.

Colbert also referred to when video game designer Richard Garriott brought a digital version of Colbert's DNA up to the space station.

"And as we all know, once your DNA is on something, it's yours," Colbert said. "It works with break room doughnuts."

However, Keaton pointed out that "Mr. Colbert has some catch-up work to do if he wants to beat Serenity," noting that the frontrunners may yet change over the remaining two weeks.

"I can't say before the contest closes whether Mr. Colbert can win or not, though we wish him the best of luck," Keaton said.

Click here to cast your vote at NASA's Node 3 Web site through March 20.

 

[yevaud]

Sorry...couldn't resist!

 

[MeteorWayne]

Sorry...couldn't resist!

Nor should you have! I'd rather Colbert win than Xenu (for those that know what Xenu is)

 

[Mee_n_Mac]

Nor should you have! I'd rather Colbert win than Xenu (for those that know what Xenu is)

Isn't that Xemu ? To which I say ... Serenity now !

 

[MeteorWayne]

Well, the votes are in, and "Colbert" won by a substantial matgin. What will NASA do?

There's lots of silliness here

http://www.space.com/entertainment/0903 ... ename.html

Comedian Stephen Colbert is pulling out all the stops in his campaign to have NASA name a new room of the International Space Station after him.

"Well you voted, folks and look what happened," Colbert said Monday night on his faux-conservative show "The Colbert Report" on Comedy Central. "Unfortunately, Houston may have a problem with it."

Colbert urged his viewers to write his name in during NASA's recent voting poll to name Node 3, a new room for the space station that will launch on a future shuttle mission. The move apparently worked, with Colbert's write-in name nabbing more than 230,000 votes , beating NASA's top suggestion Serenity by more than 40,000 votes.

There has been some speculation on how NASA will respond to Colbert's popularity in space. NASA has said that while it reserves the right to have the final word on Node 3's name, it would take write-in suggestions into consideration.

"We're still thinking about it," said William Gerstenmaier, NASA's space operations chief, on Saturday.

Some sources have suggested that NASA will meet Colbert's audience halfway by opting to name the space toilet for Node 3 after the comedian. Gerstenmaier, however, shared little during a Saturday briefing after the shuttle Discovery landed in Florida.

"We have a plan and we're working with some folks," Gerstenmaier said. "And in a couple of weeks, you'll know what the answer is

 

[trailrider]

Well, this bit of silliness makes about as much sense...no, maybe more sense than the rest of what is going on in Washington in general, and concerning the whole U.S. space program! Frankly, the idea of getting someone to name a latrine after you...while not new (seen the movie "The Green Berets")...sorta rings! After all, everyone in the facility uses the...ah...facility!

 

[aaron38]

First rule of a democracy, never hold an election unless you're prepared to accept the results. The taxpayers have spoken, Colbert it is. They can't back out now without admitting the voting was just a PR stunt.

I'll give Nasa one out. If they really don't want Colbert, then stop asking schoolkids for dumb hippy names and just call it Node 3. Simple, straightforward and efficient.

 

[nimbus]

It's their station. Name the toilet after him and thank him for the exposure. He's got a sense of humor - he can take it. The first international space station having a module named after Colbert is a once-funny joke.

 

[MeteorWayne]

SDC Story:

http://www.space.com/missionlaunches/09 ... -node.html

Astronauts aboard the International Space Station say they would welcome the arrival of the outpost's new orbital room, even if it is named after comedian Stephen Colbert.

NASA astronaut Michael Barratt currently living aboard the space station said he is confident the right name will be chosen for the outpost's new Node 3, which is slated to be delivered early next year.

"I'm sure that the right people will make the right decision," Barratt told reporters via a video link last week. "We'll be happy to live in the node whatever it's called."

Colbert, a comedian and host of Comedy Central's faux-conservative show "The Colbert Report," urged his fans to write in his name during NASA's recent online poll to name Node 3. When voting ended in late March, Colbert's name had amassed more than 230,000 votes, far outdistancing NASA's top suggestion "Serenity" by 40,000 votes.

NASA's poll rules clearly state the agency has the final word on Node 3's name.

"NASA will take into consideration the results of the voting. However, the results are not binding on NASA and NASA reserves the right to ultimately select a name in accordance with the best interests of the agency, its needs, and other considerations," the rules state. "Such name may not necessarily be one which is on the list of voted-on candidate names. NASA's decision shall be deemed final."

Still, Colbert has continued to campaign for his name. He called on NASA to maintain "democracy in orbit" during a recent episode of his show and renewed his bid on Monday night.

"NASA, don't make me strap a rocket to an intern and launch him into space with a can of spray paint," Colbert said during Monday's episode of his show.

Some sources have suggested NASA might meet Colbert's fans halfway and name Node 3's toilet after the comedian. NASA is expected to reveal the final name soon, agency officials have said.

Barratt said he missed much of the excitement surrounding Node 3's naming poll because he spent the last few months in Russia training for his March 26 launch to the station. It was only after he arrived at the outpost, that the station's crew filled him in.

"What the final name is going to be, I have no idea, but I am more than happy to help deliver that node no matter what it's named," Hire told SPACE.com last month.

Hire and her crewmates will deliver Node 3 and its attached observation portal, known as the Cupola, when their shuttle arrives at the space station in February 2010. Node 3 is a cylindrical room that will be attached to the bottom of the space station, where it will be filled with a bathroom and eight refrigerator-sized racks of equipment that includes much of the station's life support gear.

Hire said NASA's voting poll may have received an unexpected response thanks to Colbert's fans, but the result is very positive.

"I think it's actually really interesting," she said. "We think it's kind of cool in that, if nothing else, it's just bringing in a new group of people that maybe didn't pay attention to NASA or the International Space Station or the space shuttle before."

She added that she planned to cast her own vote before the polls closed, but was excited to see Node 3, and by extension NASA, shine in the public spotlight.

"Anything that allows the public to take a look at what we're doing here at NASA, I think that's a good thing," Hire said.

 

[docm]

I don't care if they name it Colbert as long as his face is silk-screened onto the seat.

 

[trailrider]

Better some comedian taking over the module/ISS, than some clown being named NASA Administrator! :roll:

 

[MeteorWayne]

From SDC:

http://www.space.com/missionlaunches/09 ... lbert.html

NASA will announce on Tuesday the name it has chosen for a new space station module with help from comedian Stephen Colbert, who has campaigned for weeks to have it named for him.

The U.S. space agency said today that it will reveal the official name of Node 3 — a new room for the International Space Station — on Comedy Central's "The Colbert Report."

"The program is having us on knowing that we have chosen a name, but they do not know the name of the node," NASA spokesperson John Yembrick told SPACE.com from the agency's headquarters in Washington, D.C. "To be honest, only a handful of people know at this point."

The name was chosen a few days ago and will be revealed by NASA astronaut Sunita Williams, who lived aboard the space station for nearly seven months between 2006 and 2007, Yembrick said.

"I certainly hope NASA does the right thing," said Colbert. "Just kidding, I hope they name it after me."

Colbert has been pressing NASA to name Node 3 after him after winning the space station's recent online poll to choose its new moniker.

He urged fans to vote for his name as a write-in candidate and ended up with more than 230,000 votes, outdistancing the top NASA-chosen candidate "Serenity" by 40,000 ballots. Even members of Congress rallied to his cause. The online poll closed on March 20.

Yembrick said that such an outpouring of support from Colbert's fans made unveiling Node 3's name on the comedian's cable television show a natural choice.

"His audience took an interest ...and we want to honor them for caring," Yembrick said. The agency initially planned to unveil the name on April 28, when the module was due to arrive at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida. But the delivery has been delayed to May, so NASA opted to move the announcement up, agency officials said.

NASA's rules for the poll clearly state that the voting results would not be binding, but some sources have suggested that the outpouring of support by Colbert's fans may prompt the agency to name Node 3's space toilet in honor of the comedian.

"The node naming poll was organic and took on a life of its own," said NASA's space operations chief William Gerstenmaier, who was grilled by Colbert on Node 3's name when the official appeared on the show last month. "We received more than a million entries, in large part because social media Web sites and television programs, such as 'The Colbert Report,' took an interest. This spread overall awareness of the International Space Station."

NASA will unveil the new name for Node 3 on the April 14 episode of the "The Colbert Report," which will air on Comedy Central at 11:30 p.m. EDT. Check local listings.

 

[nimbus]

They can't name it after him. They could name it after that turtle he sponsored in a "race" across the sea.

 

[MeteorWayne]

They can't name it after him.

Why not? I agree they won't, but why can't they?

 

[phaze]

Sure they can... might even get a regular segment on the show..... Life in the Colbert Node.

 

[neuvik]

Awww I wanted Serenity for the name. I liked the series, and it fit in with the other names of the ISS module. Oh well, cheers I guess.

 

[nimbus]

They can't name it after him.

Why not? I agree they won't, but why can't they?

I was saying it in the sense that it just wouldn't be right to have it named after Colbert. It would get old, too soon. And it's a liability anyway, if he did something undefendable, if not just too embarassing for NASA to have his name on the station. It was a good publicity stunt though, no doubt about it.

 

[nimbus]

Awesome! :lol:

 

[PistolPete037]

I already posted this at The Spaceport, but I thought I'd post it here as well. It pretty much sums up my thoughts:

Well, look likes NASA worked overtime to disappoint everyone equally. Instead of naming the node Serenity and gaining support of the Firefly fan base while going for the obvious joke and naming the toilet after Colbert, they decided to be as un-funny and uncaring as possible. The node will be named Tranquility after the place where humanity first landed on the Moon (ironically, the ISS is the very thing that is keeping us from going back to the Moon) and C.O.L.B.E.R.T. (for Combined Operational Load Bearing External Resistance Treadmill) will be the name of the treadmill (where's the funny in that?).

Tranquility wasn't even that high on the write-in list. It came in 8th, behind Socialvibe, Buddy, and Ubuntu. They should have gone with the pop-culture sci-fi reference. After all, it worked for the space shuttle when they named the first one Enterprise. And the whole premise of the Colbert Report is that Steve is someone who thinks he is more important than he actually is. Naming the toilet the Colbert Space Commode with the highest level of pomp and circumstance is the only way that NASA could have retained its dignity by not actually having to name the module after him, while, at the same time, maximizing the PR and the funny (either that, or have Christopher Scolese get in a water-spiting fight with Steve).

Though, in the end, I have to admit that NASA really went above and beyond the call of duty on displeasing everyone with this one. They must have purposely worked to attain this goal, things like this don't happen by accident. With one fell swoop they managed to destroy all of the little interest that I had in the agency that had been hanging on for dear life after all of these years. I was equally impressed that they were able to do this over something as trivial as naming a space station module.

Thank you, NASA. Thanks for nothing.

I'm done with NASA.

 

[nimbus]

Much ado about nothing..

 

[silylene]

"I think a treadmill is better than a node, you know why? Because the node is just a box for the treadmill," Colbert said. "Nobody says 'Hey, my mom bought me a Nike box.' They want the shoes that are inside."

:lol:

 

[brandbll]

I already posted this at The Spaceport, but I thought I'd post it here as well. It pretty much sums up my thoughts:

Well, look likes NASA worked overtime to disappoint everyone equally. Instead of naming the node Serenity and gaining support of the Firefly fan base while going for the obvious joke and naming the toilet after Colbert, they decided to be as un-funny and uncaring as possible. The node will be named Tranquility after the place where humanity first landed on the Moon (ironically, the ISS is the very thing that is keeping us from going back to the Moon) and C.O.L.B.E.R.T. (for Combined Operational Load Bearing External Resistance Treadmill) will be the name of the treadmill (where's the funny in that?).

Tranquility wasn't even that high on the write-in list. It came in 8th, behind Socialvibe, Buddy, and Ubuntu. They should have gone with the pop-culture sci-fi reference. After all, it worked for the space shuttle when they named the first one Enterprise. And the whole premise of the Colbert Report is that Steve is someone who thinks he is more important than he actually is. Naming the toilet the Colbert Space Commode with the highest level of pomp and circumstance is the only way that NASA could have retained its dignity by not actually having to name the module after him, while, at the same time, maximizing the PR and the funny (either that, or have Christopher Scolese get in a water-spiting fight with Steve).

Though, in the end, I have to admit that NASA really went above and beyond the call of duty on displeasing everyone with this one. They must have purposely worked to attain this goal, things like this don't happen by accident. With one fell swoop they managed to destroy all of the little interest that I had in the agency that had been hanging on for dear life after all of these years. I was equally impressed that they were able to do this over something as trivial as naming a space station module.

Thank you, NASA. Thanks for nothing.

I'm done with NASA.

Spot on Sir! What a bunch of crap NASA pulled. If i were in charge there the head of PR would be out looking for a new job wed. morning! Why the hell would you even put up a vote if you were going to completely disregard it!?!?!? I thought they should have named it Colbert, but at the very LEAST named the toilet after him. Yeah they named the treadmill after him, but what the hell happened to Serenity? Their just going to chuck it out the window and say, "Meh, actually, the people have terrible taste, lets roll with tranquility." What a terrible, disingenuine marketing ploy!

 

[MeteorWayne]

Big Deal. What's the difference. Serenity/Tranquilty... the theme is the same, and Tranquility has MUCH more meaning in NASA and space exploration history. What a bunch of whiners!

 

[nimbus]

Why the hell would you even put up a vote if you were going to completely disregard it!?!?!?

Because the submitted names weren't good enough and it's their prerogative!?!?!?

 

[brandbll]

Big Deal. What's the difference. Serenity/Tranquilty... the theme is the same, and Tranquility has MUCH more meaning in NASA and space exploration history. What a bunch of whiners!

Yes and PP pointed out it has nothing to do with the ISS. IT has to do with the moon, which the ISS is financially prohibiting us from returning to. If its not that big of a deal, why didn't NASA go with Serenity? And i'm sorry, but if your going to create an event to get more public participation in the space program, specifically the ISS, only to essentially say" Just kidding, we dont give a crap about what you all have to say!" is pretty sad in my opinion. Peoples interest in the space program is has been extremely low, and stunts like this only serve to keep the public's opinion of NASA status quo.

It makes me wonder if they ended up doing the same thing with the HST vote they pulled off recently...