posted 02-19-2009 11:30 PM               

Be Part Of History -- Help NASA Name The Next Space Station Module

NASA is asking the public to help name the International Space Station's next module - a control tower for robotics in space and the world's ultimate observation deck.

Eight refrigerator-sized racks in the Node 3 module will provide room for many of the station's life support systems. Attached to the node is the cupola, a one-of-a-kind work station with six windows around the sides and one on top. The cupola will offer astronauts a spectacular view of their home planet and their home in space. In addition to providing a perfect location to observe and photograph Earth, the cupola also will contain a robotics workstation from which astronauts will be able to control the station's 57-foot robotic arm.

Individuals can vote for the module's name online, choosing one of four NASA suggestions -- Earthrise, Legacy, Serenity or Venture -- or writing in a name. Submissions will be accepted Feb. 19 through March 20. The name should reflect the spirit of exploration and cooperation embodied by the space station and follow in the tradition set by Node 1, named "Unity," and Node 2, named "Harmony."

The winning name will be announced at the Node 3 unveiling April 28 at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The node is scheduled to arrive at Kennedy April 20 and is targeted for launch in late 2009.

posted 02-20-2009 03:21 PM               

The only reason I'm against naming a piece of the ISS after any one astronaut is leaving out the others who deserve it also, "White, Chaffee, Williams", etc.

posted 03-02-2009 04:50 AM               

A few links - Cook's ship that followed on the explorations of the Pacific after the voyage of Endeavour (so a nice connection with the Shuttle delivering it there). Also the fact that many of the crew of Endeavour served on Resolution captures the sense of connection between one part of an exploration and the next step.

The meanings associated with vision and view as well as steadfast commitment to a task are also appropriate to it I think.

Resolution as clarity of vision as well as clarity of, and commitment to, a noble purpose.

posted 03-04-2009 09:35 AM               

You are officially mobilized to get the new NASA module named after Stephen. (02:27)

posted 03-09-2009 05:22 PM            

I was, however, amused by the Colbert quip I read online:

posted 03-11-2009 12:42 PM               

Stephen asks William Gerstenmaier to commit to naming the space module "Colbert," if he wins the online vote. (06:46)

posted 03-23-2009 07:23 PM               

The name "Colbert" beat out NASA's four suggested options in the space agency's effort to have the public help name the addition. The new room will be launched later this year.

NASA's mistake was allowing write-ins. Colbert urged viewers of his Comedy Central show, "The Colbert Report" to write in his name. And they complied, with 230,539 votes.

That clobbered "Serenity," one of the NASA choices, by more than 40,000 votes.

posted 03-24-2009 12:40 PM               

NASA may consider putting Stephen Colbert's name on a space toilet, after the comedian came out on top of the U.S. space agency's online naming poll for a new space module.

...NASA spokesman John Yembrick said the Node 3 naming decision would not be made until April and that the "highest voted names" were receiving the most consideration.

"As for the toilet rumor, we don't want to flush away any goodwill by announcing something before we are ready," Yembrick said.

posted 04-07-2009 08:49 AM               

NASA, don't make Stephen launch an intern into space with a can of spray paint. (03:28)

posted 04-10-2009 02:09 PM               

NASA to Announce New Space Station Module Name April 14

NASA's newest module for the International Space Station will get a new name on April 14.

The agency plans to make the announcement with the help of Expedition 14 and 15 astronaut Sunita "Suni" Williams on Comedy Central's "The Colbert Report." The program will air at 11:30 p.m. EDT.

The name, which will not be publicly released until the program airs, was selected from thousands of unique suggestions submitted on NASA's Internet site, nasa.gov. The "Help Name Node 3" poll asked people to vote for the module's name either by choosing one of four NASA options or by offering their own suggestion. The poll closed on March 20.

"The node naming poll was organic and took on a life of its own," said Bill Gerstenmaier, associate administrator for Space Operations at NASA Headquarters in Washington. "We received more than a million entries, in large part because social media Web sites and television programs, such as 'The Colbert Report,' took an interest. This spread overall awareness of the International Space Station."

NASA originally planned to announce the node's name on April 28 after it arrived at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida. However, the node's arrival at Kennedy is delayed until May, so the announcement moved to April 14.

The show's producers offered to host the name selection announcement after comedian and host Stephen Colbert took interest during the census and urged his followers to post the name "Colbert."

"I certainly hope NASA does the right thing," said Colbert. "Just kidding, I hope they name it after me."

Node 3 is a pressurized module that will provide room for many of the space station's life support systems. Attached to the node is the cupola, a one-of-a-kind work station with six windows around the sides and one on top. Node 3 is targeted for launch in late 2009.

posted 04-14-2009 08:21 PM               

Houston, Tranquility Node 3 here, the COLBERT has landed.

Displaying both a sense of history and humor, NASA on Tuesday revealed "Tranquility" as the name of its newest space station module, while christening a new astronaut exercise device after the comedian whose name led their public opinion poll for what to name the orbiting outpost's new room.

NASA New Space Station Module Name Honors Apollo 11 Anniversary

The International Space Station module formerly known as Node 3 has a new name. After more than a million online responses, the node will be called "Tranquility."

The name Tranquility was chosen from thousands of suggestions submitted by participants on NASA's Web site. The "Help Name Node 3" poll asked people to vote for the module's name either by choosing one of four options listed by NASA or offering their own suggestion. Tranquility was one of the top 10 suggestions submitted by respondents to the poll, which ended March 20.

"The public did a fantastic job and surprised us with the quality and volume of the suggestions," said Bill Gerstenmaier, associate administrator for Space Operations. "Apollo 11 landed on the moon at the Sea of Tranquility 40 years ago this July. We selected 'Tranquility' because it ties it to exploration and the moon and symbolizes the spirit of international cooperation embodied by the space station."

NASA announced the name Tuesday with the help of Expedition 14 and 15 astronaut Suni Williams on Comedy Central's "The Colbert Report." The show's producers offered to host the name selection announcement after comedian Stephen Colbert took an interest in the poll and urged his viewers to suggest the name "Colbert," which received the most entries.

"We don't typically name U.S. space station hardware after living people and this is no exception," Gerstenmaier joked. "However, NASA is naming its new space station treadmill the 'Combined Operational Load Bearing External Resistance Treadmill,' or COLBERT. 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."

The treadmill is targeted to launch to the station in August. It will be installed in Tranquility after the node arrives at the station next year. A newly-created patch will depict the acronym and an illustration of the treadmill.

Tranquility is scheduled to arrive at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida in May. There, it will be prepared for space shuttle Endeavour's flight, designated STS-130, which is targeted for launch in February 2010. Tranquility will join four other named U.S. modules on the station: the Destiny laboratory, the Quest airlock, the Unity node and the Harmony node.

Tranquility is a pressurized module that will provide room for many of the space station's life support systems. Attached to the node is a cupola, which is a unique work station with six windows on the sides and one on top.

Suni Williams made the announcement on "The Colbert Report" two years after running the Boston Marathon in space on a station treadmill similar to COLBERT. Video of Williams' run and the name announcement on "The Colbert Report" will air on NASA Television's Video File.

posted 04-15-2009 12:33 AM               

You also gotta love a government agency that asks people for their opinions on a name, gives out four primary suggestions, collects thousands and thousands of votes, then chooses the 8th most popular suggestion (which also wasn't among the original four).

posted 04-15-2009 07:24 AM               

However far the space station goes, Stephen's treadmill will always have gone a few miles more. (06:33)

posted 04-15-2009 08:33 AM               

quote:

---

Originally posted by mjanovec:
Now whenever I will hear "Tranquility" mentioned with regards to the space station, it will only serve as a reminder of a time when the manned space program wasn't stuck in low earth orbit.

---

I think there's something appropriate about having one of the last pieces of the current program serve as a symbolic bridge to the next one. But then, I wrote pretty much the same thing almost four months ago:

Personally, I suggested Tranquility, as it speaks to our past, our future and is synonymous with serenity.

posted 04-15-2009 11:54 AM               

If you don't want the answer, don't ask the question. But then again I've never been a big fan of the "naming" contests, etc. If the naming is supposed to evoke honor and dignity in some fashion, then subjecting it to a popularity process diminishes the result from the start.

These sorts of contrived processes end up leaving little satisfaction, even though it sounds so very good by committees sitting around conference room tables.

posted 04-15-2009 12:10 PM               

I don't think that it can be said however, that NASA ignored its constituency. Keep in mind that the number of votes does not equal the number of people, as multiple votes were permitted. As Colbert himself joked last night, "fart monkey" got seven votes, but only because he voted seven times.

There's no telling how many people actually voted for "Colbert" versus how many people submitted "Colbert" multiple times (as fans are more apt to do in situations like these).

On the other hand, "Tranquility" did not have a campaign attached to it, and could not be seen as an option until after you voted.

posted 04-15-2009 12:34 PM               

quote:

---

Originally posted by Robert Pearlman:
I don't think that it can be said however, that NASA ignored its constituency. Keep in mind that the number of votes does not equal the number of people, as multiple votes were permitted.

---

I understand the thinking behind your point, I really do... I didn't vote but watched what happened with interest. I knew they weren't going to name it "Colbert," but thought how great it would be if they summoned the guts to do so. Now that would have been a magnificent story.

Obviously it isn't possible to ascertain how many non-voters who heard about it took away a negative. Most of those will probably never hear (or care) that the contest wasn't binding. Only that "Colbert" was the winning name and they chose something else.

Just another tiny chance to connect - on a level embracing a wider audience rather than sticking to the same old conventions - missed. As a New Media person I know you understand sticking to the same old conventions is one of the reasons the newspapers are dying off.

posted 04-15-2009 12:50 PM               

quote:

---

Originally posted by spacecraft films:
Just another tiny chance to connect - on a level embracing a wider audience rather than sticking to the same old conventions - missed.

---

posted 04-15-2009 05:13 PM               

quote:

---

Originally posted by Robert Pearlman:
There's no telling how many people actually voted for "Colbert" versus how many people submitted "Colbert" multiple times (as fans are more apt to do in situations like these).

---

The same could be said of the other names as well. Come clean, Robert...how many times did you vote for Tranquility?

I agree that it was a mistake to make the voting seem like a contest, especially when results are displayed according to popularity. Clearly, one could easily get the impression that the public's desires would have played a larger role in the naming of the node...especially when NASA sets up a poll under the title "Help NASA Name Node 3." For NASA then to choose to ignore the most widely popular names (both among the suggested names and the write-in candidates) is going to be a big turn-off to those who felt their participation in the polling actually meant something.

posted 04-16-2009 11:08 AM            

Sometimes I think people confuse the man and his character just because they share the same name. The man is a nerd and geek and would never have allowed the name to go on it (even if the result had been binding).