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NASA to unveil space station name on Colbert show
2009-04-11
WASHINGTON (AFP) - NASA's sense of humor is being put to the test. The US space agency is facing a serious dilemma after a popular television comedian, Stephen Colbert, hijacked an online contest sponsored by NASA to pick a name for a new module on the International Space Station. Colbert's suggestion for a name? His own. His victory may have had something to do with his repeated appeals to fans of his show, "The Colbert Report" on Comedy Central, to vote for him. With the help of his fans -- called the "Colbert Nation" -- the comedian's name easily won the "Help Name Node 3" online poll at nasa.gov, rocketing past NASA suggestions "Earthrise," "Legacy," "Serenity" and "Venture." NASA announced on Friday that astronaut Sunita Williams will unveil the name on Tuesday on "The Colbert Report." The space agency declined to reveal the name until the show and is not obliged to bow to popular demand. The contest rules state that while NASA will take into consideration the results of the voting they are "not binding" and it "reserves the right to ultimately select a name in accordance with the best interests of the agency." Whatever the outcome, Bill Gerstenmaier, an associate administrator at NASA, said the contest had helped raise awareness about the space station. "We received more than a million entries, in large part because social media websites and television programs, such as 'The Colbert Report,' took an interest," he said The Emmy award-winning comedian for his part is making it clear where he stands. "I certainly hope NASA does the right thing," Colbert said in a statement. "Just kidding, I hope they name it after me." Colbert, who branched off for his own smash-hit news satire show after nearly eight years as a correspondent for "The Daily Show with Jon Stewart," has enjoyed plenty of success in the past getting things named after his egocentric character. In 2007 ice cream makers Ben & Jerry created a flavor in his honor called "Americone Dream," and billionaire Richard Branson's Virgin America airline named one of its airplanes "Air Colbert." In one of his first triumphs, Colbert in 2006 managed to get a bridge in Hungary named after him. After he won an online contest, the country's ambassador appeared on his late-night show to announce the news. The government later overruled the vote, however.
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