Colbert Treadmill: NASA Names Exercise Machine After Host

NEW YORK — One small step for NASA, one giant running leap for Stephen Colbert.

NASA announced Tuesday that it won't name a room in the international space station after the comedian. Instead, it has named a treadmill after him.

NASA earlier held an online contest to name a room (or "node") at the international space station. With write-in votes, the name "Colbert" beat out NASA's four suggested options: Serenity, Legacy, Earthrise and Venture.

On Tuesday's "The Colbert Report" on Comedy Central, astronaut Sunita Williams announced that NASA _ which always maintained it had the right to choose an appropriate name _ would not name the node after Colbert.

Instead, Node 3 will henceforth be called Tranquility, the eighth most popular response submitted by respondents in the poll. The node's name alludes to where Apollo 11 landed on the moon _ the Sea of Tranquility.

NASA and Colbert compromised by naming a treadmill used for exercising in space after Colbert. NASA, itself an acronym (National Aeronautics and Space Administration), often names things so they spell out something fun. And that's what they did with the Combined Operational Load Bearing External Resistance Treadmill (COLBERT).

Sophisticated treadmills are crucial for living in space for long periods of time, as astronauts do on the space station; they help keep astronauts fit and their bones from losing strength. Williams ran a marathon on one while living at the space station in 2007, jogging in place to coincide with the Boston Marathon.

The COLBERT treadmill is a new version that will be operational in August, NASA spokesman Mike Curie said.

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"We don't typically name U.S. space station hardware after living people and this is no exception," Bill Gerstenmaier, NASA's associate administrator for space operations, said, adding: "We have invited Stephen to Florida for the launch of COLBERT and to Houston to try out a version of the treadmill that astronauts train on."

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On the Net:

NASA: http://www.nasa.gov/

http://www.colbertnation.com/home

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AP Science Writer Seth Borenstein in Washington contributed to this report.

Comments

[Wanjiru]

...as always, Stephen, me love you long time!

.

[TiffanyCase]

I totally want to jump on COLBERT and work up a sweat! :-)

[mlaiuppa]

BTW if anyone cares, Esteban Colbert, the San Jose Peregrine Falcon, is about to become a Daddy. His wife, Clara, laid four eggs a while ago and they should be hatching any week now.

http://www.sanjoseca.gov/falcons/index.asp

[mlaiuppa]

Cool. A treadmill is much better than a waste recycling sewage room.

[Ohsherri]

Lately Colbert wastes too much time on bragging and talking about himself.
The funniest thing about him is his analysis of the country...­its people...t­he hyp0crisy.­..

But now, instead , he wastes whole shows on "What Can Colbert Get?"...
It's not even a comedy show anymore.
It's all "just Colbert".

Dare I say it- Stewart is funnier..s­marter...w­ittier.

[TheImpaler]

You just don't get it. It is a satire!

[Weirdwriter]

I'm sure Mr.Colbert will be able to run with it...

[Ohsherri]

They should re-name the show-

"What Can Colbert Get" show.

Gee...it sounds like a funny show......­not.

[Justeesh]

To be fair, his jokes are a lot better than yours.

[Ohsherri]

I'm not trying to joke here.

[CessnaDriver]

Bitter much? How was the teabagging party?

[Ohsherri]

I"m a Obama -lover. And I would never be seen at one of those tea-bag
parties. They'd kick the snawt out of me!

[Ohsherri]

So some regular person lost to Colbert?..­..hmmmm

First of all, I do like Colbert and Stewart a lot!!!

But do you notice that Colbert just goes on and on about - himself.
The funniest thing about Colbert is his analysis of the World...th­e people...t­he hypocrisy,
but I find he devotes too much time just on himself and what he should be 'getting'.
And the more people like NASA give him-

the more he just talks on and on about himself. I'm getting sick of this.
Enough already!

[superjules]

It's comedy, satire if you will. Apparently it goes right over your head. Perhaps you should check out Bill O'Reilly. I hear he's really funny too.

[Weathermaker]

In a stroke of genius, on April 16, 2009, Stephen Colbert changed his name to Stephen Tranquility.

Problem solved.

[Jibba-Jabba]

AWE.SOME.

[thesouthwillfallagain]

NASA flushed away some great PR by not naming the node after the rightful contest winner. Why even bother? "tranquility" sounds like 1959 - A close relative, "Stagnant" would have been perfect.

[CessnaDriver]

NASA got better P.R. out of this, and it's much funnier!

Spaceflight is aviation, and flying has always been done with a sense of humor. What were the last words spoken by man on the moon (Cernan to Schmidt)? "Let's get this mother out of here!"

[Sepulchre]

That's great. Love the patch for it too! Good choice NASA.

[normathumb]

Burns energy while going nowhere, how apropos.

[Sepulchre]

Actually it is absolutely essential for astronauts if they are going to return to Earth after an extended mission. It keeps their bone density up and their muscle mass, both of which are lost over time in space without it. It's an honor to have something so essential to the well being of the astronauts named after you.
So your try at a cutting comment: Fail!

[drweh2]

You rock, Stephen!!!

[BadDayInProgress]

I don't get it. Why 8th and not 2nd, 3rd, 4th, 5th, 6th, or 7th?? Most important of all, why not 1st??? Next time NASA, just pick a name and get it over with. You're wasting my tax money!

[Justeesh]

MY TAX DOLLARS