Stephen Colbert came to Houston with a dream, a dream of becoming an astronaut — just in case that talk show host gig doesn’t work out. For three nights this week, The Colbert Report chronicled his triumphs and tears at Johnson Space Center as NASA trained him to become one of the best, those “highly qualified” for space travel.

In part one of “Fallback Position - Astronaut,” Colbert went through the initial interview process with Discovery Commander, Steven Lindsey, though Colbert managed to ask the majority of the questions, mostly about sex in space. In part two, Colbert experienced arduous astronaut training, working in simulated zero gravity in a Partial Gravity Simulator, and driving on simulated Martian terrain in an Lunar Electric Rover. He also underwent psychological training by facing his fear of space spiders.

In part three, shown Thursday night, came the final trial — a trip in the space shuttle simulator where he was tested on launching and landing. When the crisis came, did he have right stuff to land the shuttle with no engines? Once, he put down his beloved Skymall catalog and took care of the “payload” in his pants, yes he did.

For all Colbert’s antics, “Fallback Position - Astronaut” was a true video love letter to NASA and manned space flight. Hidden behind comedy and satire, the Colbert Report has continued to be a champion for the U.S space program. Past episodes saw Colbert interviewing astronauts and scientists about the importance of maintaining a human presence in space, and most recently in an interview aired earlier this month, he spoke with the orbiting crew of Space Shuttle Atlantis.

It’s clear: “Stephen Colbert” conservative-blowhard pundit and the man who plays him, Stephen Colbert, comic actor and writer, are both space geeks. Clowning his way through the halls and simulators of the Johnson Space Center, he revealed the dignity, dedication and, yes, sense of humor of everyone at NASA who helped him “train” for astronaut duty.

So goodbye, Stephen Colbert. We will never put you on our “On Notice” board again. We would, however, like you to return that Lunar Electric Rover you hot-wired.

If anyone driving down I-45 spots a guy, in a bright orange jumpsuit, doing 70 in an electric Moon Rover, please contact us here at CultureMap. We’ll be sure to get it back to NASA, just as soon as we’ve "inspected" it for a few days.