14 DAY TRIAL // After entering NASA's naming contest for its new Node 3 scientific module, to be ferried and attached to the ISS later this year, comedian Stephen Colbert may, indeed, get a run for his money. That is to say, sources inside the American space agency told Space that officials were considering the idea of placing the man's name on the module's new toilet. It's still unsure how Colbert will react to this rumor, but in all fairness, he has won the naming contest fair and square.
More than 230,000 people voted on NASA's website so that the host of “The Colbert Show” could have his name on the Node 3 module. The runner-up, the name “Serenity,” got 40,000 votes less than “Colbert,” while the third place was occupied by a write-in name, “Myyearbook,” which surprisingly totaled roughly 147,637. So one could safely say that the entire voting session, which ended on March 20th, was one of the unexpected results.
Just a few days ago, officials at NASA have announced that, while the contest is meant to get people's view on things, it's not mandatory for the American space agency to select the winning name for its new module. That is to say, representatives have said that they will consider a name for the Node 3 at the appropriate time, but have emphasized the fact that the popular choice will be strongly considered when the team in charge of the module decides its name.
“We haven't decided on a name yet, but we're certainly not going to ignore more than 230,000 'Colbert' votes from the public. As for the toilet rumor, we don't want to flush away any goodwill by announcing something before we are ready,” NASA spokesman John Yembrick shared. He also said that the “highest voted names” on the website would get most consideration, despite the fact that NASA itself proposed four for the new module, none of which had made it to the top spot.