NASA Announces Tweetup For Final Space Shuttle Launch

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May 20, 2011, 03:37 ET

WASHINGTON, May 20, 2011 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- NASA will give 150 of its Twitter followers a front-row seat at the historic final space shuttle launch. The agency's fifth shuttle launch Tweetup is scheduled July 7-8 at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida.

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Shuttle Atlantis is targeted to lift off from Kennedy on its mission to the International Space Station at about 11:40 a.m. EDT on July 8. The official launch date will be announced after a Flight Readiness Review meeting on June 28.

Those selected to participate in the Tweetup will tour the center, view the shuttle launch and speak with NASA managers, astronauts, shuttle technicians and engineers from across the agency.

"Inviting people to attend the last shuttle launch and share it with their friends, family and followers is one way NASA can enable more people to experience this historic event," said Stephanie Schierholz, social media manager at NASA Headquarters in Washington. "While the Space Shuttle Program is drawing to a close, the NASA Tweetup also will give our followers a broader view of the agency's diverse activities."

Tweetup registration opens at noon on Wednesday, June 1, and closes at noon on June 2. NASA will randomly select the 150 participants. For more information about the Tweetup and to sign up, visit:

http://www.nasa.gov/tweetup

NASA will broadcast a portion of the July 7 event at:

http://www.ustream.tv/channel/nasatelevision

Find all the ways to connect and collaborate with NASA at:

http://www.nasa.gov/connect

For more information about shuttle Atlantis' STS-135 mission, visit:

http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/shuttle/shuttlemissions/sts135

To learn about other ways to view a shuttle launch, visit:

http://www.nasa.gov/centers/kennedy/about/view

SOURCE NASA