NASA Names Treadmill After Colbert

(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»

Private space firm hopes to dock Dragon next week

(NEWSER) - Commercial space firm SpaceX may be just days away from going where no private company has gone before: the International Space Station. The company is preparing to send its unmanned Dragon capsule on a mission to supply the ISS with 1,100 pounds of food, water, and other cargo. The launch, which could happen as soon as Monday, marks the next step in space strategy for the US after the retirement of the shuttle fleet, the Washington Post notes. NASA aims to turn ISS missions into low-cost, largely private ventures, leaving the agency free to plan missions further afield. More»

Dream Chaser's first test flight scheduled for summer 2012

(NEWSER) - With the space shuttles retired, NASA currently has to rely on the Russians to ferry astronauts and cargo to and from the International Space Station. But it hopes to be able to hail a taxi soon. Dream Chaser, one of four "space taxis" being developed by private industry with support from NASA, will make an unmanned test flight next summer, reports Reuters . More»