SociaListed

By Neal Wiser. Follow him @nealwiser

NASA gets “Twitter Fever” and invites the public to a TweetUp at NASA Headquarters to honor the crew of STS-127.

I want to be an astronaut. Not “wanted,” as in it was my childhood dream. I want to be one. Ever since I was a kid I knew the difference between “LOX” and “lox” (LOX is liquid oxygen, a key ingredient of space shuttle fuel and is carried in the orange external fuel tank during a shuttle launch. Lox is smoked salmon and tastes great on a bagel with cream cheese).

I was not a normal kid.

But as badly as I want to be an astronaut, as much as I studied science and technical manuals of the shuttle’s flight controls, I chose another path, one that would ultimately bring me full circle to NASA Headquarters in Washington DC on September 24, 2009. On that date, NASA held a TweetUp.

A Tweet What?

While there’s no official definition, “TweetUp” is a Twitterism for “Meet Up” and is simply a gathering of Twitter users and is usually organized exclusively through Twitter. To be sure, there are different types of TweetUps. Some people prefer them to be somewhat spontaneous and informal. Others like to schedule their TweetUps and give presentations or do other activities. The great thing about TweetUps is that there is no right way to do them; whatever works is the prevailing rule of thumb.

In early September, I noticed a tweet from @NASA offering invitations to their next TweetUp in honor of the crew of STS-127. Although NASA has been on Twitter for less than a year, there are now nearly 50 Twitter accounts for NASA centers, programs and projects (you can find them here under the Twitter logo). There are also nine astronauts on Twitter and the first astronaut to tweet from space, Mike Massimo (@Astro_Mike), now has over 1 million followers (you can follow them via @NASA_Astronauts).

Of course, it helps to have an agency like NASA which tries to be progressive in how it communicates with the public. According to the NASA Public Affairs Office, “NASA is always looking for new ways to engage the public and spread the word about what we’re doing, so it was natural that we would look into using Twitter.” And TweetUps were a natural extension of that public outreach.

So, what’s a TweetUp at NASA like, and do they serve Tang?

As soon as you enter the lobby at NASA HQ, you know you’re entering a different world (no pun intended). Many organizations decorate their lobbies with items demonstrating their success and history, but how many places would you find a Nobel Prize for Physics, a model of the new Orion Crew Exploration Vehicle or the space suite that Frank Borman wore as he hurtled around the Moon on Apollo 8? And before you ask, NASA HQ does have a gift shop where you can buy official NASA clothing, mugs, pins and other cool trinkets, but I did not see any Tang (the price-conscious should skip the Air & Space Museum, the prices here are better).

As if that wasn’t enough…

I arrived very early to the TweetUp hoping to sit and start drafting this post. However, I never imagined I’d be invited to sit in on the historic press conference where NASA announced discovery of water on the moon. Nor did I expect to be interviewed on NASA TV about TweetUps (I’m on at the 6:40 mark, mercifully short); all very exciting for me, but just a typical day at NASA.

During the news conference, the other TweetUp guests gathered in the lobby. It was a great mix of people from near and far. Some, including Jan DuRaine (@rockteacherjan) from California and Argelia Perozo (@argelialibertad) from Caracas, Venezuela, actually flew in specifically for the event.

The TweetUp

The registration process was simple. As this was an invitation only event, each of us had an official NASA TweetUp badge with our twitter names and handles waiting for us. We also received a NASA gift bag filled with everything from educational information for kids, stickers and pins with mission insignia, pamphlets and flyers on NASA missions and projects, a cool little 3-D viewer, a huge poster commemorating the X-15 program, etc. NASA was also kind enough to provide free Wi-Fi for the attendees.

After registration and mingling, we were let into the auditorium and took our seats. The crew entered and was introduced by Michael Curie, a NASA Public Affairs Specialist (approx 23:10 minutes into this video. His is the voice you hear narrating shuttle launches. Mission Commander Mark Polansky kicked things off by introducing his crew (starts at 24 minutes), then narrating a video presentation about the mission (starts at 26:40). The astronauts all joined in, commenting on various aspects of the video; all very cool.

After the presentation, the floor was opened to a Q&A session (starts at 44:40) where the TweetUp guests got to ask their questions (I asked two, starting at 1:02:20). The Q&A lasted about forty five minutes after which the formal part of the TweetUp concluded and we were allowed to approach the stage and mingle with the crew.

Meet & Greet

For me, this was the best part; not just because you get to hob-nob with astronauts, who are always cool, but because you get to see that they are real people who are just as curious (and sometimes as confused) about social media as some of us. And while I can’t guarantee that they put their pants on one leg at a time (they are astronauts after all) all the astronauts I’ve had the pleasure of meeting over the years have been friendly, cordial and even funny.

Afterwords and Thanks

NASA is planning more TweetUps at various centers across the country and even hopes to hold one at the Kennedy Space Center during an actual launch. So, if you want to be invited, follow @NASAtweetup and keep an eye out for notifications. As Commander Polansky told me, “this is your space program,” and tweeting about what NASA does is a great way to support the program and get involved.

I’d also like to offer my personal thanks to Stephanie Schierholz, Michael Curie and the rest of the crew at NASA’s Public Affairs Office (follow them @NASA) for being so helpful during the preparation of this post, and especially the crew of STS-127 (not to mention all of our astronauts) who risk their lives so that we can not only learn more about the Universe, but our home as well.

BTW; The folks at NASA are really interested to get your feedback and seeing how far this post spreads, so be sure to leave a comment, and please Retweet.

Tomorrow: Read 25 Things You Must Know About How NASA Uses Twitter

For more about NASA’s TweetUps, try these links:

• How NASA is Reaching the Public
• NASA Tweetup
• NASA Shuttle Crew Host DC Tweetup
• NASA Connects With Community via #NASATweetup
• Grassroots Outreach: STS-125 NASA Tweetup
• Astronauts Mission 127 Tweet-Up in DC

© 2008 TwiTip Twitter Tips.

What’s a TweetUp, and Should I Wear My Spacesuit?

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