NASA Hosts Launch and Mission Tweetups for Next Space Shuttle Mission

News provided by

Apr 14, 2010, 03:59 ET

WASHINGTON, April 14 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- During the next space shuttle mission, NASA will host two Tweetups to give the public an insider's look at the nation's space program.

(Logo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20081007/38461LOGO)

For a second time, NASA Twitter followers are invited to view a shuttle launch in person at the agency's Kennedy Space Center in Florida. NASA is hosting the special Tweetup May 13-14. Shuttle Atlantis is targeted to launch at 2:19 p.m. EDT, May 14 on its STS-132 mission to the International Space Station.

Once the mission has launched, NASA will host an additional Tweetup at the agency's Johnson Space Center in Houston that will provide a different perspective of mission operations. This also will be the second mission Tweetup at Johnson.

"We're inviting the public to share in the excitement of human spaceflight during one of the last three scheduled space shuttle missions," said Stephanie Schierholz, social media manager at NASA Headquarters in Washington. "NASA is providing this behind-the-scenes access to give our Twitter followers an understanding and appreciation of all the work that goes into a successful shuttle launch and mission."

For the launch Tweetup May 13-14, NASA will randomly select 150 people from those who sign up on the Web. Registration opens at 10 a.m. on Monday, April 19, and closes at 10 a.m. Tuesday, April 20. To sign up and for more information about the Tweetup, visit:

http://www.nasa.gov/tweetup

At Kennedy, NASA Twitter followers will take a tour of the center, view the shuttle launch and speak with shuttle technicians, managers, engineers, and astronauts.

After Atlantis' launch, registration for the STS-132 mission Tweetup at Johnson Space Center will be announced on NASA's Twitter account:

http://www.twitter.com/nasa

NASA Twitter followers at the Johnson Tweetup will tour the center, view mission control and astronauts' training facilities and speak with managers, flight directors, trainers, and astronauts.

Both Tweetups will include a "meet and greet" session to allow participants to mingle with fellow Tweeps and the staff behind the tweets on @NASA.

To follow NASA programs on Twitter visit:

http://www.nasa.gov/connect

For more information about space shuttle Atlantis' STS-132 mission, visit:

http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/shuttle/shuttlemissions/sts132

SOURCE NASA