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SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 22, 2009
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Space Station Gets Colbert Treadmill

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(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.

It's loaded with nearly 8 tons of equipment and science experiments for the outpost and its six residents. Much of the gear is stored in portable racks; the bedroom is the size of a phone booth. Leonardo will remain secured to the space station for the next week. The astronauts will remove the cylindrical vessel—21 feet long and 15 feet in diameter—and place it back on space shuttle Discovery for return to Earth. By that time, it will be loaded with trash and unneeded items.

This image provided by NASA shows the International Space Station.
This image provided by NASA shows the International Space Station.   (AP Photo)
An image taken from NASA video shows crew members of the space shuttle Discovery and the International Space Station greeting each other after Discovery docked yesterday.
An image taken from NASA video shows crew members of the space shuttle Discovery and the International Space Station greeting each other after Discovery docked yesterday.   (AP Photo)
This image provided by NASA shows the International Space Station.
This image provided by NASA shows the International Space Station.   (AP Photo)
The International Space Station's new treadmill is named after comedian Stephen Colbert.
The International Space Station's new treadmill is named after comedian Stephen Colbert.   (ColbertNation.com)
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6 comments
VIEWING:
 
Mad
Aug 31, 09 8:34 PM CDT
BFD, he was supposed to name an entire shuttle or, a life chamber extension thingy, or some such shit, NOT a treadmill. "Whoopty-do" Reply
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0
ryderbackside
Aug 31, 09 9:46 PM CDT
Seriously, I helped vote him into space. Then NASA got all butterfly ballot on us Colbert Nation-ers. Reply
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+3
cognitivefilter
Aug 31, 09 11:28 PM CDT
HOW do they use a treadmill in space?? could you raise the incline? would it matter? Reply
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+2
IN RESPONSE:
ruserious
Sep 1, 09 9:22 AM CDT
The astronaut has to be strapped down to the treadmill. I remember a few years back a woman on the space station ran along with the Boston Marathon in space. She said it was really difficult because the harness chafes.
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0
vendetta
Sep 1, 09 8:09 AM CDT
Yep, NASA failed big time on this. He won the contest for the module, and they give him a treadmill. Reply
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+2

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