NASA has hosted many events for its social media enthusiasts called NASA Socials [1] (formerly NASA Tweetups) beginning in 2009. These events are targeted at the social media followers of NASA through platforms such as Twitter, Facebook, Google Plus, Instagram, YouTube and more. They provide guests with VIP access to NASA facilities and speakers with the goal of leveraging participants' social networks to further the outreach requirements of NASA as laid out in the National Aeronautics and Space Act. [2] NASA re-branded these events as "Socials" in March 2012 as it expanded participation to services beyond just Twitter. [3] [4] [5]
As of 2015, all NASA field centers and NASA Headquarters have hosted NASA Tweetup/Social events. There were 5 NASA Tweetups in 2009, 10 in 2010, 16 in 2011, 21 in 2012, 22 in 2013, and 23 in 2014. [6] In August 2011, over 2,000 participants had been part of official NASA Tweetups. [7] By July 2014, that number had swelled to over 6,000 total participants in over 5 years of NASA Social programs. [8]
Many NASA Social events are at least partially broadcast on NASA TV and UStream. NASA Socials are held at NASA centers, NASA Headquarters, observatories, engine test sites, museums such as the Newseum and National Air and Space Museum, and during larger events such as SXSW and World Space Week. The length of socials range from a few hours to a couple days to much longer in the case of some events, such as the STS-133 launch tweetup.
The first NASA Tweetup was held at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, California, in January 2009. During this event, guests were given exclusive tours and access to JPL scientists and engineers. [9] |
In an attempt to measure the impact of tweetups, NASA tracked 10,665 tweets originating from 150 participants in the August 2011 Juno Tweetup as well as the subsequent retweets and found 29.9 million potential impressions. [10] [11]
Speakers at NASA tweetup/social events have included NASA engineers, scientists, executives and well over 80 NASA astronauts. Notable speakers include NASA Administrator Charles Bolden, SpaceX President Gwynne Shotwell, Senator and astronaut John Glenn, Bill Nye, and final Space Shuttle crew members Sandy Magnus and Chris Ferguson. [12] [ citation needed ]
While the majority of participants in NASA tweetups/socials have been space enthusiasts, there have also been many "celebrity" participants, including Neil deGrasse Tyson, LeVar Burton, Trey Ratcliff, Robert Scoble, Bill Prady, Kevin Clash, Miles O'Brien, Seth Green, will.i.am, and many others.[ citation needed ]
# | Date | Event | Location | Official speakers | Notes | Attendees |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
120 | February 1, 2017 | JSC #SpaceBowl #SB51 Behind the Scenes at JSC Social [13] | Johnson Space Center | Astronaut, NASA experts are scheduled | 50 | |
117 | April 29, 2016 | OSIRIS-REx Preview Social [14] | Lockheed Martin Space Systems | To Be Added | 25 | |
116 | April 7–8, 2016 | SpaceX CRS-8 [15] | KSC | To Be Added | 50 | |
115 | March 21–22, 2016 | Cygnus CRS Orb-6 Launch Social [16] | KSC | To Be Added | 50 | |
114 | February 9, 2016 | State of NASA Multi-Center Social [17] | 10 NASA Field Centers | To Be Added | 12-40 each | |
113 | January 25, 2016 | James Webb Space Telescope Mirror Installation Social [18] | GSFC | To Be Added | Unk | |
112 | December 2–3, 2015 | Cygnus CRS Orb-4 Launch Social [19] | KSC | To Be Added | 50 | |
111 | November 11, 2015 | NASA DC-8 & OLYMPEX #EarthRightNow Social [20] | University of Washington in Seattle | To be Added | 40 | |
110 | August 13, 2015 | #SLSfiredup RS-25 Engine Hot Fire Test Social [21] | Stennis (SSC) | To Be Added | 40 | |
??? | Launch Postponed [22] | Jason-3 Launch Social [23] | Vandenberg Air Force Base (VAFB) | To Be Added | 70 | |
109 | June 28, 2015 | SpaceX CRS-7 Launch Social [24] [25] | KSC | To Be Added | 50 | |
108 | June 15–16, 2015 | #AbSciCon 2015 Astrobiology Science Conference Social [26] [27] | Hilton Chicago, Chicago, Illinois | To Be Added | 20 | |
107 | June 6, 2015 | New Horizons #PlutoFlyby Multi-Site Social | Two locations: Applied Physics Laboratory (APL), Laurel Maryland & Lowell Observatory, Flagstaff, Arizona [28] | James L. Green, Alan Stern | Unk | |
106 | May 12, 2015 | Leading Edge Asynchronous Propeller Technology (LEAPTech) #FlyNASA Social [29] | Armstrong Flight Research Center (AFRC) | To Be Added | 50 | |
105 | April 23, 2015 | #Hubble25 Social - Celebrating 25 Years of the Hubble Space Telescope [30] | Newseum in DC & Goddard (GSFC) in Greenbelt, MD | To Be Added | 50 | |
104 | April 14, 2015 | SpaceX CRS-6 Launch Social [31] | KSC | To Be Added | 50 | |
103 | March 13, 2015 | Magnetospheric Multiscale (MMS) Launch Social [32] | KSC | To Be Added | 50 | |
102 | March 10–11, 2015 | #SLSfiredup SLS Booster Hot Fire Test Social [33] | Orbital ATK's test facilities in Promontory, Utah | To Be Added | 45 | |
101 | February 2, 2015 | State of NASA Multi-Center Social [34] | Ames (Ames), Armstrong Flight Research Center, Glenn (GRC), Goddard (GSFC), JPL, JSC, KSC, LaRC, MSFC, & Stennis (SSC) | To Be Added | 10 (Ames), AFRS (40), 25 (GRC), 25 (GSFC), JPL (10), JSC (20), KSC (40), 25 (LaRC), 15 (MSFC), & 25 (SSC) | |
100 | January 28–31, 2015 | Soil Moisture Active Passive (SMAP) Launch Social [35] [36] | Vandenberg Air Force Base (VAFB) | To Be Added | 70 | |
99 | January 15, 2015 | #ISS1Year Social [37] Social with Astronaut Scott Kelly | JSC | Astronaut Scott Kelly (@StationCDRKelly), Michael Suffredini (ISS Program Manager) - crew news conference | 20 | |
98 | January 10, 2015 | SpaceX CRS-5 Launch Social [38] | KSC | To Be Added | 50 | |
97 | December 3–4, 2014 | Orion Exploration Flight Test 1 (EFT-1) Social [39] | KSC | To Be Added | 150 | |
96 | December 3, 2014 | Multi-Center Social to Preview Orion EFT-1 [40] | Ames (Ames), Glenn (GRC), Goddard (GSFC), JPL, JSC, LaRC, MSFC, & Stennis (SSC) | To Be Added | 25 (ARC), 50 (GRC), 25 (GSFC), 40 (JPL), 30 (JSC), 30 (LaRC), 30 (MSFC), & 25 (SSC) | |
95 | November 18–19, 2014 | #FlyNASA Social [41] | Armstrong Flight Research Center in Edwards, California | To Be Added | 30 | |
94 | October 19–20, 2014 | Cygnus CRS Orb-3 Launch Social [42] | Mid-Atlantic Regional Spaceport at Wallops | To Be Added | 50 | |
93 | October 17, 2014 | Magnetospheric Multiscale (MMS) Preview Social [43] | Goddard (GSFC) | Craig Pollock, Thomas Moore, Jeffrey Newmark, C. Alex Young, Michael Hesse, Yari Collado-Vega, Carmine Mattiello | 25 | |
92 | October 13, 2014 | #MarsComet Social [44] [45] | JPL | To Be Added | 50 | |
91 | September 21, 2014 | Mars Atmosphere and Volatile Evolution (MAVEN) Social [46] | Lockheed Martin in Denver, Colorado | Speakers from NASA, Lockheed Martin and the University of Colorado Laboratory for Atmospheric and Space Physics (LASP) - To Be Added | 25 | |
90 | September 18–19, 2014 | SpaceX CRS-4 Launch Social [47] | KSC | To Be Added | 50 | |
89 | September 12, 2014 | Space Launch System (SLS) & (#WeldingWonder) Social [48] | Michoud Assembly Facility (MAF) & Stennis Space Center | To Be Added | First Michoud Social | 25 |
88 | July 21, 2014 | 45th Anniversary of Apollo 11 (#Apollo45) Social - KSC [49] | KSC | KSC Director Bob Cabana, Astronauts Michael Collins, Buzz Aldrin, Jim Lovell | 25 | |
87 | July 19, 2014 | 45th Anniversary of Apollo 11 (#Apollo45) Social - Virginia [49] | Wolf Trap National Park for the Performing Arts in Virginia | Astronaut Buzz Aldrin, National Symphony Orchestra & Emil de Cou, Bob Jacobs (NASA HQ) | Only Social with a live symphony performance | 25 |
86 | June 30-July 1, 2014 | OCO-2 Launch Social [50] [51] | Vandenberg Air Force Base (VAFB) | To Be Added | 70 | |
85 | June 17–19, 2014 [52] [53] | #ISSRDC Social Media Accreditation for 2014 ISS Research & Development Conference [54] | Denver, Colorado | NASA Associate Administrator for Human Exploration and Operations William Gerstenmaier, NASA Chief Scientist Waleed Abdalati, International Space Station Program Manager Michael Suffredini, Astronaut Ron Garan (@Astro_Ron) | 6 (in social) | |
84 | June 10, 2014 | Photography Social for Cygnus CRS Orb-2 Launch [55] | Mid-Atlantic Regional Spaceport (MARS) at Wallops | To Be Added | 50 | |
83 | May 20, 2014 | Alternative Fuels & Aeronautics Social [56] [57] | Armstrong (formerly Dryden/DFRC) | To Be Added | First Social since the name change from Dryden Flight Research Center | 50 |
82 | April 1–2, 2014 | 50 Years of Deep Space Network Social [58] [59] | JPL | To Be Added | 50 | |
81 | March 24, 2014 | @AstroKarenN Kid-Friendly Social [60] [61] | NASA HQ | Astronaut Karen Nyberg (@AstroKarenN) | First Social billed as "kid-friendly" Social | 100 |
80 | March 15–16, 2014 | SpaceX CRS-3 Launch Social [62] | KSC | To Be Added | 50 | |
79 | March 4, 2014 | FY2015 NASA Budget Social [63] | Goddard (GSFC) | Charles Bolden (NASA Administrator), John Grunsfeld (NASA HQ) | Social canceled due to weather converting the briefing to a teleconference [64] | 20 |
78 | February 27, 2014 | GPM Photo Social [65] | Goddard (GSFC) | To Be Added | 15 | |
77 | January 23, 2014 | TDRS-L Launch Social [66] [67] | CCAFS / KSC | To Be Added | 50 | |
76 | January 22, 2014 | James Webb Space Telescope Social [68] | Goddard (GSFC) | To Be Added | 40 | |
75 | January 8, 2014 [69] [70] | Orbital-1 Antares Launch Social [71] | Mid-Atlantic Regional Spaceport (MARS) at Wallops | To Be Added | 50 | |
74 | December 10, 2013 | 2013 AGU Social [72] [73] | Moscone Center | NASA Chief Scientist Ellen Stofan, NASA's Associate Administrator for Science and veteran astronaut John Grunsfeld and more. | 20 | |
73 | November 16 & 18, 2013 | MAVEN Launch Social [74] [75] | CCAFS / KSC | NASA's Planetary Science Chief Jim Green, program executive Lisa May, program scientist Kelley Fast, deputy project manager Sandra Cauffman, system design lead with Lockheed Martin Chris Waters, NASA Chief Scientist Ellen Stofan, NASA's Associate Administrator for Science and veteran astronaut John Grunsfeld, astronaut Wendy Lawrence, Bill Nye, NASA Administrator Charlie Bolden and Kennedy Space Center Director Bob Cabana. | 150 | |
72 | November 4–5, 2013 | JPL Earth Science Social [76] [77] | JPL | To Be Added | 100 | |
71 | September 17, 2013 | Antares Launch Social [78] | Mid-Atlantic Regional Spaceport at Wallops | To Be Added | 50 | |
70 | September 5–6, 2013 | LADEE Launch to Moon Social [79] [80] | Mid-Atlantic Regional Spaceport (MARS) at Wallops | John Grunsfeld(NASA HQ), Charles Bolden(NASA Administrator), Bob Barber(NASA Ames), Tony Colaprete(NASA Ames) ... More To Be Added | 50 | |
69 | August 21, 2013 | Major Airborne Field Campaign Social [81] | EFD | To Be Added | 15 | |
68 | August 14–15, 2013 | Orion Stationary Recovery Test Social [82] [83] | LaRC | Personnel from Naval Station Norfolk, among others | 30 | |
67 | July 17, 2013 | Astronaut Health, Fitness & Rehabilitation Social [84] | JSC | To Be Added | 30 | |
66 | June 7–8, 2013 | Centennial Challenge Sample Return Robot Social [85] | WPI | To Be Added | First Social at WPI | 20 |
65 | May 30, 2013 | Going Operational - Landsat 8 Social [86] | USGS EROS Center | To Be Added | First Social with the USGS | 30 |
64 | May 22, 2013 | ISS Research Social at JSC [87] | JSC | To Be Added | 30 | |
63 | April 25–27, 2013 | Great Moonbuggy Race NASA Social [88] | USSRC & MSFC | To Be Added | First Social at MSFC | 50 |
62 | April 15–17, 2013 | Antares Launch Social [89] | Mid-Atlantic Regional Spaceport at Wallops | To Be Added | 25 | |
61 | April 12, 2013 | JAXA-NASA Cherry Blossoms Social [90] | Goddard (GSFC) | Ramesh Kakar, NASA Earth Sciences; Gail Skofronick Jackson, NASA GPM; Riko Oki, JAXA GPM; Ardeshir Azarbarzin, NASA GPM; Masahiro Kojima, JAXA GPM; Peter Hildeband, NASA Goddard Earth Sciences; Don Figgins, Ball Aerospace; Compton Tucker, NASA Earth Sciences; Dawn Myers, NASA Goddard Solar Science; Horace Mitchell, NASA Goddard Scientific Visualization Studio; Ben Reed, Robotic Refueling Mission; Jason Dworkin, Astrobiology Analytical Lab and OSIRIS-REx; Ed Packard and Janet Thomas, Satellite Integration and Testing; Craig Pollock, MMS; and Paul Geithner, JWST | 60 | |
60 | March 19, 2013 | ISS Social at JSC [91] | JSC | To Be Added | 30 | |
59 | March 10, 2013 | NASA Social at SXSW Interactive [92] | Austin, Texas | To Be Added | First NASA Social at SXSW | 20 |
58 | February 28 & March 1, 2013 | SpaceX CRS-2 Launch Social [93] | KSC | To Be Added | 50 | |
57 | February 20, 2013 | Science on the ISS Social [94] [95] | NASA HQ & Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center | William Gerstenmaier, Tara Ruttley, Tom Marshburn, Kevin Ford, Chris Hatfield, Marshall Poterfield | 150 | |
56 | February 10–11, 2013 | Landsat Data Continuity Mission Launch Social [96] | VAFB | To Be Added | 80 | |
55 | January 29–30, 2013 | TDRS-K Launch Social [97] | CCAFS | To Be Added | 60 | |
54 | January 25, 2013 | NASA Airborne Earth Science Event at Dryden Social [98] | Dryden (DFRC) | To Be Added | 50 | |
53 | January 18, 2013 | NASA Open House Social [99] | NASA HQ | To Be Added | 75 | |
52 | December 4, 2012 | AGU Social [100] | Moscone Center | To Be Added | 20 | |
51 | December 4, 2012 | @AstroAcaba Social [101] | NASA HQ | Astronaut Joe Acaba | 150 | |
50 | November 1–2, 2012 | Atlantis Social [102] | KSCVC | To Be Added | 45 [103] | |
49 | October 15, 2012 | Goldstone DSN Social [104] [105] | Goldstone DSN | To Be Added | First Goldstone Social | 65 |
48 | October 7, 2012 | SpaceX CRS-1 Launch Social [106] | KSC | NASA Administrator Charles Bolden; SpaceX President Gwynne Shotwell | First Media Accreditation for Social Media | 50 |
47 | September 19–20, 2012 | Dryden Endeavour Social [107] | Dryden (DFRC) | To Be Added | 40 | |
46 | August 22–23, 2012 | Radiation Belt Storm Probes Launch Social [108] | KSC | David Sibeck, NASA Living with a Star Mission Scientist, Nicky Fox, Radiation Belt Storm Probes (RBSP) Deputy Project Scientist, Dave "Kouch" Kusnierkiewiczm Space Dept. Chief Engineer JHU/APL, Aly Mendoza-Hill, Mission Manager NASA Launch Services Program. Astronaut Leland Melvin, Associate Administrator for Education NASA HQ, Charles Bolden, NASA Administrator. Kurt Lindstrom, Civil Space Business Area Executive JHU/APL | 50 | |
45 | August 2–3, 2012 | KSC 50th Anniversary Social | KSC | Caley Burke @RocketCaley (NASA LSP), Si Song (ULA) | First Multi-Site Social [109] | 50 |
44 | August 3, 2012 | Ames Mars Curiosity Social | Ames (ARC) | Danny Skarka @dannyskarka | First Multi-Site Social [110] | 20 |
43 | August 3, 2012 | Glenn Mars Curiosity Social | Glenn (GRC) | To Be Added | First Multi-Site Social [110] | 30 |
42 | August 3, 2012 | Goddard Mars Curiosity Social [111] | Goddard (GSFC) | Jason Dworkin, Astrobiology Analytical Lab, OSIRIS-REx; Chris Johnson & Melissa Trainer, SAM Environmental Chamber; Paul Geithner, James Webb Space Telescope; guides: Lora Bleacher, Ellen Gray, Liz Zubritsky, Rob Garner, Erin Ryan, Rupa Nune, and Aries Keck | First Multi-Site Social [110] | 20 |
41 | August 3, 2012 | JSC Mars Curiosity Social | JSC | To Be Added | First Multi-Site Social [110] | 25 |
40 | August 3, 2012 | Langley Mars Curiosity Social | Langley (LaRC) | David Bowles, Associate Site Director; Walt Engelund, Chief Engineer, Neil Cheatwood, MEDLI principal investigator; Steve Gaddis, Game Changing Program Office | First Multi-Site Social [110] | 30 |
39 | August 3–5, 2012 | Mars Curiosity Landing Social [112] | JPL | JPL Mission Manager Arthur Amador; [113] MSL (Mars Science Laboratory) Deputy Project Scientist Ashwin Vasavada; [114] NASA Administrator Charles Bolden; Project Manager for Curiosity Richard Cook; [115] JPL Director Charles Elachi; Visualization Producer for NASA JPL Doug Ellison; [116] Former NASA Deputy Administrator Lori Garver; NASA's Science Mission Directorate John M. Grunsfeld; [117] Curiosity rover driver and engineer at JPL Matt Heverly; [118] Former Director of NASA's Mars Exploration Program Doug McCuistion; NASA Astronaut Leland D. Melvin; NASA JPL Curiosity Lead Engineer Adam Steltzner; JPL Director of the Engineering and Science Directorate Peter Theisinger; JPL Aerospace engineer Steve Sell; [119] JPL Navigation and Control Systems Manager and Strategic Uplink Lead Steven Lee; [120] JPL Aerospace Engineer Anita Sengupta; [121] JPL Astronautics Systems Engineer Randii Wessen. Non-NASA presentations: Actress Nichelle Nichols; Entrepreneur and musician Will.i.am; TV Host Alex Trebek; Big Bang Theory co-producer Bill Prady; Actress June Lockhart; Actor Jay R. Ferguson; and Actor Wil Wheaton. | First Multi-Site Social [110] | 25 |
38 | July 23, 2012 | Landsat Social [122] [123] | Newseum in DC & Goddard (GSFC) in Greenbelt, MD | To Be Added | 25 | |
37 | May 4, 2012 | Dryden Social [124] [125] Social | Dryden Flight Research Center | To Be Added | First Dryden Social; sonic boom planned | 75 |
36 | May 18–19, 2012 | Space X COTS 2 Social [126] [127] | KSC | NASA Deputy Administrator Lori Garver; SpaceX President Gwynne Shotwell; NASA Public Affairs Officer Josh Byerly; NASA Flow Director for Space Shuttle Orbiter Transition and Retirement Stephanie Stilson; NASA Administrator Charles Bolden; KSC Director Bob Cabana | First SpaceX Social | 50 |
35 | April 19, 2012 | Discovery Welcome Social [128] [129] [130] | Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center | Director of National Air and Space Museum (NASM), General Jack Dailey; Secretary of NASM, Wayne Clough; NASA Administrator Charles Bolden; Senator John Glenn; France A. Córdova. [131] | First NASA Social; First at Udvar-Hazy Center | 30 |
34 | March 2, 2012 | Glenn Tweetup [132] | Glenn (GRC) | Astronaut Gregory H. Johnson (@Astro_Box) & more. | First tweetup at Glenn | 100 |
33 | February 14, 2012 | @Astro_Ron Tweetup [133] | NASA HQ | Astronaut Ron Garan (@Astro_Ron & @FragileOasis) | 150 | |
32 | February 13, 2012 | NASA Budget Tweetup [134] | NASA HQ | NASA Administrator Charles Bolden and NASA Chief Financial Officer Elizabeth Robinson [135] | 20 | |
31 | November 25 & 26, 2011 [136] | Mars Science Laboratory Launch [137] | KSC | Astronauts Doug Wheelock (@Astro_Wheels) and Leland Melvin (@Astro_Flow), NASA Administrator Charles Bolden, Deputy Administrator Lori Garver (@Lori_Garver), Bill Nye (@TheScienceGuy), engineers from JPL, musician will.i.am (@iamwill); Also: @MarsCuriosity [138] | Launch of the Mars Science Laboratory mission carrying the Curiosity rover [139] | 151 |
30 | November 8, 2011 | Langley Tweetup [140] | Langley (LaRC) | Charles Harris, Director of Research, NASA Langley; Bruce Fisher, Flight Services; Mike Obland, Airborne Science; astronaut Susan Kilrain; Karen Whitley, Inflatable Lunar Habitat; Mary Beth Wusk, Hypersonic Inflatable Aerodynamic Decelerator; Amanda Cutright, Inflatable Reentry Vehicle Experiment; Roman Paryz, National Transonic Facility; Martin Annett, Landing Impact Research/Hydro Impact Basin Facility [141] | First tweetup at Langley, Orion capsule splash test | 50 |
29 | October 27, 2011 [142] | NPP satellite (Delta II) Launch [143] | VAFB | @NASANPP; NASA Astronaut Piers Sellers, the deputy director of the Sciences and Exploration Directorate at NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland; NPP Project Scientist Jim Gleason; NPP Systems Manager Janice Smith; NASA Launch Director Tim Dunn; Scott Asbury, a senior program manager with Ball Aerospace & Technologies, Corp. in Boulder, Colorado. [142] | First tweetup at Vandenberg; [143] First tweetup for a U.S. West coast launch; [142] Launch of Earth-observing NPP satellite [143] | 20-24 [142] [144] |
28 | October 21, 2011 | Wallops Tweetup [145] | Wallops (WFF) | Rebecca Powell, Joyce Winterton, Stephanie Schierholz-intro; Harold Cherrix, Ed Lagman, Rob Marshall, Cliff Murphy-NASA Sounding Rocket; Henry Cathey & Debbie Fairbrother-NASA Balloon Program; Sarah Daugherty-Range Control Center; Les Kovacs & Kate Campbell-Taurus II HIF (Orbital Sciences) Bill Wrobel-Wallops Director | First tweetup at Wallops | 50 |
27 | October 14, 2011 | SOFIA Telescope/Ames Tweetup [146] | Ames (ARC) | David Morse (@drmNASA); Pamela Marcum, SOFIA Project Scientist; Bill Thigpen, NASA Advanced Supercomputing; Steven Beard & Dean Giovannetti, Vertical Motion Simulator; Thomas Roellig, SOFIA Deputy Project Scientist; Roger Hunter, Kepler mission Also: @SOFIATelescope | 50 | |
26 | October 13, 2011 | STS-135 Crew (Magnus & Ferguson) [147] | NASA HQ | Final Space Shuttle crew members Sandy Magnus (@Astro_Sandy) and Chris Ferguson (@Astro_Ferg) | 150 | |
25 | September 7–8, 2011 | GRAIL spacecraft (Delta II) Launch [148] [149] | KSC | Neil deGrasse Tyson (@neiltyson), NASA Administrator Charles Bolden, Nichelle Nichols (@RealNichelle), Jim Adams (@NASAJim), Sally Ride Science (@SallyRideSci), @VeronicaMcG (@NASAJPL), Maria Zuber, @Doug_Ellison (@NASA_Eyes), @TrentPerotto [150] | Launch of twin lunar-bound spacecraft | 150 |
24 | August 4–5, 2011 | Juno spacecraft (Atlas V Launch) [151] | KSC | Bill Nye (@thescienceguy), @NASAJim, @VeronicaMcG (@NASAJPL), NASA Chief Scientist Waleed Abdalati, @TrentPerotto, @SteveMatousek, @Doug_Ellison (@NASA_Eyes), @CassiniSaturn, @NASA_LSP & Juno Science Team members [152] | Launch of the Jupiter-bound Juno spacecraft | 150 |
23 | July 21, 2011 | STS-135 Landing [153] | KSC | Final landing of the Space Shuttle | 50 | |
22 | July 19, 2011 | STS-135 Mission [154] [155] | JSC | @Astro_Clay, @StationCDRKelly, @Carbon_Flight, @saroy, @mgrabois, @gnholt, @Astro_Ron (from space), NASA PAO Josh Byerly | Space Shuttle ascent, rendezvous & landing simulators, as well as the Mission Control Center and the Space Vehicle Mockup Facility | 30 |
21 | July 7–8, 2011 | STS-135 Launch [156] | KSC | Lori Garver (@Lori_Garver), Elmo, @Astro_Mike, @Astro_Wheels, @Phalanx, @ISS_NatlLab, Bill Gerstenmeier, Robert Crippen, @Astro_Ron (from space) | Final launch of the Space Shuttle | 152 |
20 | June 6, 2011 | JPL Tweetup [157] [158] [159] [160] [161] | JPL | Aquarius, GRAIL, Juno, Mars Science Laboratory / @MarsCuriosity, Dawn, @SOFIATelescope, @NASAJPL, @MarsRovers, @AsteroidWatch | A few of the tweetup attendees were also invited to attend the June 8, 2011, SOFIA Telescope Media Day at Dryden Flight Research Center. [162] | 120 |
19 | Apr. 28–29, 2011 May 16, 2011 | STS-134 Launch [163] | KSC | @Astro_Clay @Astro_Flow, Astronaut Ricky Arnold NASA Chief Scientist, Waleed Abdalati | The Shuttle launch was delayed, but participants were invited back for its successful May launch attempt—the final flight of Space Shuttle Endeavour. | 150 |
18 | Mar. 19, 2011 | Sun-Earth Day 2011 [164] [165] | Goddard (GSFC) NASM | Aleya Littleton, Vicky Portway (NASM) Troy Cline, Michelle Thaller (GSFC) NASA EDGE (live show broadcast) [166] @SunEarthDay @NASA_SDO, @Camilla_SDO, | First tweetup at GSFC (see SDO is GO, #6 below) | 100 [167] |
17 | Mar. 16, 2011 | @Astro_Wheels Tweetup [168] | NASA HQ | Expedition 25 Commander Doug Wheelock (@Astro_Wheels) | "Wheels" was the first person to check-in in space, using Foursquare | 100 |
16 | Feb. 11, 2011 | Ames Planet Hunters | Ames (ARC) | @worden, @NASAKepler, David Morrison, Director of the Carl Sagan Center at SETI, @SOFIAtelescope | First tweetup at ARC | 100 |
15 | Nov. 10, 2010 | STS-133 Mission [169] [170] | JSC | @Astro_Clay, @AstroRobonaut, Flight Director @Tungsten_Flight & PAO Rob Navias | Although STS-133 was delayed, the tweetup went on as scheduled. | 19 |
14 | Oct. 31-Nov. 5, 2010 Feb. 24, 2011 | STS-133 Launch | KSC | @Astro_Ron, @Astro_Soichi, @Astro_Flow, @Astro_Bones, Shannon Walker & @AstroRobonaut | First extended tweetup Discovery's launch was delayed, but participants were invited back for successful Feb. launch attempt—the final flight of Space Shuttle Discovery. | 146 |
13 | July 29, 2010 | @Astro_TJ Tweetup | NASA HQ | Expedition 22/23 Flight Engineer & Science Officer, @Astro_TJ | TJ was the first astronaut to send a live tweet from space (and set up the Station's live Internet) | 100 [171] |
12 | June 5, 2010 | World Science Festival | NYU's Kimmel Center | @Astro_Flow, @Astro_Sandy, John C. Mather, Brian Greene | 73 | |
11 | May 19, 2010 | STS-132 Mission [172] | JSC | @Astro_Ron (Answered Questions by Tweet), Talat Hussain (Boeing - Presented on TDRS), Ellen Ochoa, Deputy JSC Director and Former Astronaut, @Astro_Jeff | 82 | |
10 | May 13–14, 2010 | STS-132 Launch | KSC | @Bobby_Braun, @Lori_Garver, @Rocky_Sci, astronauts Dave Wolf & Janice Voss | 2nd Tweetup at a Shuttle Atlantis launch | 143 |
9 | May 3, 2010 | SDO First Light | DC - Newseum | Dean Pesnell, SDO project scientist, NASA GSFC Madhulika Guhathakurta, SDO program scientist, NASA HQ [173] [174] | Hosted by Goddard Space Flight Center. | 16 |
8 | April 18, 2010 | Earth Day - 40th [175] | DC - National Mall | James Balog, Rob Simmon, Compton Tucker [176] | 40 | |
7 | Feb 17, 2010 | STS-130 Mission [177] | JSC | @Astro_Bones/@ZeroG_MD | First tweetup at JSC | 100 [178] |
6 | Feb 11, 2010 | "SDO is Go" Launch [179] [180] | KSC | First launch tweetup for uncrewed vehicle Organized by GSFC [181] | 15 [182] 35 (GSFC) | |
5 | Nov 15–16, 2009 | STS-129 Launch [183] [184] [185] [186] | KSC | @Astro_Mike, Scott Kelly (@StationCDRKelly), Jon Cowart (@Rocky_Sci), @MarsPhoenix's @VeronicaMcG, Miles O'Brien, Wayne Hale | First tweetup at KSC First Shuttle launch tweetup First 2-day event | 101 [187] |
4 | Oct. 21, 2009 | ISS Crew [183] [188] | NASA HQ | @Astro_Nicole & @Astro_Jeff aboard ISS | First tweetup featuring live downlink from ISS Link with ISS was cut short due to a false alarm aboard Station during tweetup. [189] | 24 |
3 | Sept. 24, 2009 | STS-127 Crew [183] [190] | NASA HQ | @Astro_127 & the rest of STS-127 crew | 58 | |
2 | July 21, 2009 | STS-125 Crew [183] [191] | NASA HQ | @Astro_Mike & rest of STS-125 crew | First tweetup at NASA HQ | 120 |
1 | Jan. 21, 2009 | JPL Tweetup [9] [183] [192] [193] [194] | JPL | @MarsPhoenix's @VeronicaMcG | First NASA tweetup First tweetup at JPL | 130 |
In the 2015 film The Martian , Donald Glover's character Rich Purnell, a NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory employee, wore a #NASASocial lanyard. [200] This lanyard was frequently given out to NASA Social participants and NASA employees who supported the events. Per Veronica McGregor, NASA JPL News/Social Media Manager, "when the producers came to @NASAJPL for film research, [Stephanie L. Smith, NASA JPL Digital & Social Media Supervisor,] slipped the #NASASocial lanyards into their swag bags. :)" [201]
2001 Mars Odyssey is a robotic spacecraft orbiting the planet Mars. The project was developed by NASA, and contracted out to Lockheed Martin, with an expected cost for the entire mission of US$297 million. Its mission is to use spectrometers and a thermal imager to detect evidence of past or present water and ice, as well as study the planet's geology and radiation environment. The data Odyssey obtains is intended to help answer the question of whether life once existed on Mars and create a risk-assessment of the radiation that future astronauts on Mars might experience. It also acts as a relay for communications between the Curiosity rover, and previously the Mars Exploration Rovers and Phoenix lander, to Earth. The mission was named as a tribute to Arthur C. Clarke, evoking the name of his and Stanley Kubrick's 1968 film 2001: A Space Odyssey.
The Torino scale is a method for categorizing the impact hazard associated with near-Earth objects (NEOs) such as asteroids and comets. It is intended as a communication tool for astronomers and the public to assess the seriousness of collision predictions, by combining probability statistics and known kinetic damage potentials into a single threat value. The Palermo Technical Impact Hazard Scale is a similar, but more complex scale.
The planet Mars has been explored remotely by spacecraft. Probes sent from Earth, beginning in the late 20th century, have yielded a large increase in knowledge about the Martian system, focused primarily on understanding its geology and habitability potential. Engineering interplanetary journeys is complicated and the exploration of Mars has experienced a high failure rate, especially the early attempts. Roughly sixty percent of all spacecraft destined for Mars failed before completing their missions, with some failing before their observations could begin. Some missions have been met with unexpected success, such as the twin Mars Exploration Rovers, Spirit and Opportunity, which operated for years beyond their specification.
This is a timeline of space exploration which includes notable achievements, first accomplishments and milestones in humanity's exploration of outer space.
Vertical takeoff, vertical landing (VTVL) is a form of takeoff and landing for rockets. Multiple VTVL craft have flown. A notable VTVL vehicle was the Apollo Lunar Module which delivered the first humans to the Moon. Building on the decades of development, SpaceX utilised the VTVL concept for its flagship Falcon 9 first stage, which has delivered over three hundred successful powered landings so far.
The XCOR Lynx was a proposed suborbital horizontal-takeoff, horizontal-landing (HTHL), rocket-powered spaceplane that was under development by the California-based company XCOR Aerospace to compete in the emerging suborbital spaceflight market. The Lynx was intended to carry one pilot, a ticketed passenger, and/or a payload above 100 kilometres (62 mi) altitude. The concept has been under development since 2003 when a two-person suborbital spaceplane was announced under the name Xerus.
Since the launch of Twitter on July 15, 2006, there have been many notable uses for the service in a variety of environments, including political, economic, social and cultural uses. As users tweet their messages on Twitter, they encourage other people to respond and engage in online discussions as well as offline activities. User engagement on Twitter is usually measured with likes, replies and retweets and is a form of social power. After the 2022 acquisition of Twitter by Elon Musk, the platform rebranded to the name X; however, it is still widely referred to as Twitter.
Falcon 9 prototypes were experimental flight test reusable rockets that performed vertical takeoffs and landings. The project was privately funded by SpaceX, with no funds provided by any government until later on. Two prototypes were built, and both were launched from the ground.
SpaceX manufactures launch vehicles to operate its launch provider services and to execute its various exploration goals. SpaceX currently manufactures and operates the Falcon 9 Block 5 family of medium-lift launch vehicles and the Falcon Heavy family of heavy-lift launch vehicles – both of which are powered by SpaceX Merlin engines and employ VTVL technologies to reuse the first stage. As of 2024, the company is also developing the fully reusable Starship launch system, which will replace Falcon 9, Falcon Heavy, and Dragon.
As of 2023, SpaceX operates four launch facilities: Cape Canaveral Space Launch Complex 40 (SLC-40), Vandenberg Space Force Base Space Launch Complex 4E (SLC-4E), Kennedy Space Center Launch Complex 39A (LC-39A), and Brownsville South Texas Launch Site (Starbase). Space Launch Complex 40 was damaged in the AMOS-6 accident in September 2016 and repair work was completed by December 2017. SpaceX believes that they can optimize their launch operations, and reduce launch costs, by dividing their launch missions amongst these four launch facilities: LC-39A for NASA launches, SLC-40 for United States Space Force national security launches, SLC-4E for polar launches, and South Texas Launch Site for commercial launches.
Susan G. Finley, a native Californian, has been an employee of NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) since January 1958, making her the longest-serving woman in NASA. Two days before Explorer 1 was launched, Finley began her career with the laboratory as a human computer, calculating rocket launch trajectories by hand. She now serves as a subsystem engineer for NASA's Deep Space Network (DSN). At JPL, she has participated in the exploration of the Moon, the Sun, all the planets, and other bodies in the Solar System.
This page is a timeline of social media. Major launches, milestones, and other major events are included.