ISS module to be named on The Colbert Report

by Stevie Smith - Apr 13 2009, 15:15

Facing up to the possibility that it may have to officially name a new module aboard the International Space Station after popular American comedian Stephen Colbert, NASA has announced it will unveil the new living module’s moniker during an upcoming episode of The Colbert Report. 

NASA found itself in something of a bind recently when Colbert, who plays a sharp-tongued political commentator on the hit Comedy Central show, urged his viewers to offer up ‘Colbert’ as a potential winning entrant for the U.S. space administration’s module-naming competition.

Duly following his direction to the letter, the show’s audience voted in droves, racking up almost quarter of a million nods in the public poll, which resulted in the massive overshadowing of various NASA-endorsed suggestions such as Serenity, Legacy, Earthrise and Venture.

“I certainly hope NASA does the right thing,” commented the Emmy-winning host and comedian in an official statement. “Just kidding. I hope they name it after me.”

According to Comedy Central, NASA astronaut Sunita Williams will appear as a guest on The Colbert Report this coming Tuesday (April 14) and is expected to officially announce the new module’s name while on air.

However, while likely to garner more concentrated exposure for Colbert’s show and NASA as fans tune in to see the comedian emerge victorious, the space administration may yet take advantage of a possible escape hatch.

According to the terms and conditions of its public-naming competition, NASA has reserved the right to name the ISS module any title it deems to be the most befitting – regardless of vote collation. And, given that existing modules carry the names Unity and Harmony, it wouldn’t be a surprise to see NASA opt for its own front-running suggestion ‘Serenity’.

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