Astronaut has more than 1 million followers on Twitter
Mike Massimino provides updates on his experiences at NASA
NASA astronaut Mike Massimino has gained more than a million followers on his @Astro_Mike Twitter account where he writes about his daily experiences at the agency or, sometimes, in space.
Massimino flew in May aboard the final space shuttle mission to service the Hubble Space Telescope. He became the first astronaut to tweet from space during that mission, NASA officials said recently.
Massimino started with Twitter about a month before his launch, providing updates throughout his time in orbit. He continues to tweet about his post-flight experiences and the life and work of an astronaut.
"I am thrilled that so many people have been following and responding with such wonderful comments," Massimino said. "I tweet because I feel very lucky to have, what in my opinion, is the best job in the world. I've learned that there are so many people around the world who really love the space program and have a heartfelt interest in space trave l— just like me."
Since Massimino's flight, other astronauts have begun to share insights of their experiences on Twitter, according to NASA. Astronauts active on Twitter include:
Jeff Williams, a space station Expedition 21 flight engineer and future station commander who arrived at the station Oct. 2. He is providing updates, including video and photos, about his six-month stay in orbit.
Nicole Stott, a flight engineer also aboard space station Expedition 21, is providing insights of her time in space.
Astronauts and twins Mark Kelly and Scott Kelly, slated to command the Space Shuttle and the International Space Station, respectively, next year, are sharing their perspectives about training at locations around the world.
Astronaut Mike Massimino tweets about experiences at NASA, or aboard the space shuttle.
About the Author
Doug Beizer is a staff writer for Federal Computer Week.