The COLBERT is on the space station

During the spring, comedian Stephen Colbert won the right to have a treadmill named after him on the International Space Station. His $5 million namesake is now on board, ready to be installed.

Stephen Colbert won the right to have something named for him after he urged his viewers to vote online in a NASA contest. Colbert had joked on air that perhaps a new toilet should carry his name but in the end it was the pricey piece of exercise equipment, the Combined Operational Load Bearing External Resistance Treadmill (COLBERT), winning the honour. It was brought on board along with a container holding 816kg to the station on Monday. The space shuttle Discovery's crew arrived from Florida to help the crew of the International Space Station set all of the new equipment on this latest supply shipment. This supply shipment also includes a giant chest of drawers, a new freezer and sleeping compartment. The chest has been named Leonardo. It is the largest item ever brought on board the space station. The Discovery left Cape Canaveral, Florida on Friday to make its way to the space station. The two crews will live together for the next 13 days. When the crew of the Discovery return to Earth they will be minus astronaut Nicole Stott, 46, according to CBC. Stott will stay at the International Space Station until November. Another member of the space station will return in her place. TriDAR sensors made by Ottawa company Neptec Design Group will be tested by the shuttle during this trip.