Colbert Shooting DNA Into Space

(AP) - Astronauts hitched a giant chest of drawers to the International Space Station today containing a new freezer, sleeping compartment, and treadmill named for TV personality Stephen Colbert. The Italian-built chest—nicknamed Leonardo, as in da Vinci—was moved from space shuttle Discovery via a hefty robot arm and hoisted onto the space station. More»

NASA declines to name new nodule after vote-winning Colbert Report host

(NEWSER) - Steven Colbert missed out on getting the new International Space Station node named after him despite winning a non-binding vote, Space.com reports. NASA decided to call the node Tranquility in honor of Apollo 11's touchdown site 40 years ago, and to console the TV host by naming an astronaut treadmill—the Combined Operational Load Bearing External Resistance Treadmill—after him. More»

(NEWSER) - The name of the new life-support node for the International Space Station will be announced tomorrow night on The Colbert Report by a NASA astronaut, InformationWeek reports. At the host’s urging, Colbert fans stuffed online ballot boxes to name the unit, though NASA doesn’t have to comply. “I certainly hope NASA does the right thing,” he said. “Just kidding, I hope they name it after me.” More»

NASA will have final say

(NEWSER) - The Colbert Nation did it: NASA’s contest to name a new room at the International Space Station is over, and the winner is “Colbert,” the AP reports. But don’t get too excited yet, Nation: The agency makes the final decision, and only promises to give top vote-getters “the most consideration.” Colbert’s write-in won with 230,539 of the total 1.2 million votes, beating top NASA choice “Serenity” by more than 40,000. More»

But Joss Whedon's devoted nerd army may spoil comedian's plans

(NEWSER) - Again proving that his love for self-promotion knows no bounds, Stephen Colbert is urging fans to vote for his write-in suggestion for the name of the new observation deck attachment to the International Space Station, Space.com reports. In two days, Colbert nation has pushed his name to the top of the write-in list with 29,000 votes, beating “Xenu”—a galactic ruler discussed in Scientology’s teachings. More»