AUGUST 5, 2009

Experiencing NASA Social Media

A few weeks ago, Gloria and I had the opportunity to attend the first ever NASA tweetup. The mid-afternoon event at NASA headquarters in D.C. was quite an incredible experience. Along with a very diverse group of twittering NASA enthusiasts, we were joined by the STS-125 crew who recently returned from a mission to repair and upgrade the Hubble Space Telescope.

I would tell you that from my experience, nothing you could read, watch, or listen to about the space program can compare to hearing about it from the astronauts who’ve been there. The movie-like quality of watching a spacewalk was brought, for lack of a better phrase, down to earth as we sat in the same room with the crew describing their experiences.

I was amazed by NASA’s openness because I have always perceived it to be a secretive and illusive organization. But while there are still elements that demonstrated the importance of their work (i.e. pre-registration and an I.D. check), I think everyone involved with the tweetup did a great job of making us feel welcome, appreciated, and included.

The questions asked by the 200+ attendees, some of whom had traveled internationally to be in attendance, were thoughtful and educated. Check out a few of the great wrap-ups from our fellow attendees here, here, and here. 

Beyond the tweetup, NASA has found many other ways to stay connected through social media. Municipalist has a great interview with Bob Jacobs, NASA’s deputy assistant administrator of Public Affairs, about the agency’s ventures into the social media space. And, an article from Computerworld last week described NASA as looking to social networking as a tool for both internal and external use. While we may see the profiles created on Facebook and LinkedIn, NASA is also using this technology within its own walls to share ideas, build relationships, and uncover expertise.

NASA’s internal social network started out with users talking about the network itself, but the chatter soon turned to questions scientists and others were seeking to answer. (…) [T]he result was that 93% of the answers came from people who were in a different NASA center then the questioners, which was proof that the network was breaking down geographic barriers and unlocking potential.

It’s great to see an organization that has long been a symbol of American innovation finding ways to use social media both to advance its mission and to allow us to come along for the ride. I’m thrilled to have experienced NASA so personally and I look forward to watching what’s next.