Agenda Packets - 2009/04/06 - Laserfiche WebLink

Home Browse Search

"Now for laymen out there, a space node is a node-like structure that is attached to other nodes in space in a ... I don't know what it is, but I want it!" Colbert said in Monday night's episode. Colbert has drawn support for his name not only from the public, but also Congress. In a March 26 statement, Congressman Chaka Fattah (D-PA) urged NASA to respect the results of the agency's online poll. "NASA decided to hold an election to name its new room at the International Space Station and the clear winner is Stephen Colbert," Fattah said in the statement. "The people have spoken, and Stephen Colbert won it fair and square — even if his campaign was a bit over the top." Fattah pointed out that NASA's top choice Serenity finished well behind Colbert's name. "When Americans look to the sky, they may see 'Serenity' but there will be no serenity here on Earth," Fattah said. Colbert also enlisted the support of Derrick Pitts, chief astronomer for Franklin Institute in Philadelphia, Pa., during Monday night's "Colbert Report." "As an astronomer, basically you are an ambassador for space," Colbert said. "Do you agree with him that the node should be named after me?" "I think that's something that NASA's going to have to figure out, but you know, it could be a good idea," Pitts replied during a discussion about Galileo. NASA's top vote-getter Serenity is a moniker that is also, coincidentally, the name of the fictional spaceship in the "Firefly" science fiction television series. While Serenity came in second, it was the only NASA-selected name to make the top three. Coming in third was the write-in selection "Myyearbook" with 147,637 votes, with the write-in "Gaia" a solid fourth with 114,427 votes. In all, the naming poll received about 1.2 million votes. "So NASA, I urge you to heed Congressman Fattah's call for democracy in orbit," Colbert said. "Either name that node after me, or I too will reject democracy and seize power as space's evil tyrant overlord. Ball's in your court." Copyright © 2009 Imaginova Corp. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. Click here for FOX News RSS Feeds Advertise on FOX News Channel, FOXNews.com and FOX News Radio Jobs at FOX News Channel. Internships At Fox News (Summer Application Deadline is March 15, 2007) Terms of use. Privacy Statement. For FOXNews.com comments write to foxnewsonline@foxnews.com; For FOX News Channel comments write to comments@foxnews.com © Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. Copyright 2009 FOX News Network, LLC. All rights reserved. All market data delayed 20 minutes. SEARCH GO Page 2 of 2FOXNews.com - Stephen Colbert Challenges NASA Over Node Name - Science News | ... 4/2/2009http://www.foxnews.com/printer_friendly_story/0,3566,512023,00.html