WASHINGTON — For the first 100 people who get the OK, this Tweetup might just be out of this world.
The National Aeronautics and Space Administration’s more than 140,000 Twitter followers are in for an unprecedented in-person opportunity this fall: NASA will hold its first-ever Tweetup that includes a launch.
On Nov. 11 and 12 at the Kennedy Space Center in Florida, participants can watch in person the space shuttle Atlantis launch its mission to the International Space Station. But they will have to be fast because only an elite group will be able to attend.
The contest opens up to users at noon EST on Friday (Oct. 16). The first 100 will be placed on the guest list. An additional 50 followers will be added to the waiting list.
The informal meeting of people who use the social messaging service Twitter, called a Tweetup, will allow followers the opportunity to take a tour of NASA’s Kennedy Space Center, view the space shuttle launch and speak with shuttle technicians, engineers, astronauts and managers. At the Tweetup, participants can mingle with fellow “Tweeps” and the staff behind the Tweets on @NASA.
“We are always looking for new ways to engage the public and spread the word about what we are doing,” said Stephanie Schierholz, a spokeswoman for NASA. “It was natural that we would turn to Twitter.”
In January, NASA began using Twitter regularly and the organization now operates nearly 50 accounts. In July, at NASA’s first Tweetup, astronaut Mike Massimino sent the first-ever Tweet from space.
For more information: NASA Space Shuttle Launch Tweetup