Astronauts Send Messages to Earth via Twitter
On May 11, 2009, Michael J. Massimino flew into orbit on STS-125, the final Hubble servicing mission by the Space Shuttle Atlantis. During the mission, he became the first person to use Twitter in space.
Here are some of the best tweets from Mike (aka @Astro_Mike), in which he shares with us his experiences from his spacewalks, as he and the crew make some upgrades to the Hubble Telescope.
Mike's not the only Astronaut on Twitter though... Mark L. Polansky (@Astro_127) has been tweeting about the training for his upcoming mission. He also plans to send tweets from Space Shuttle Endeavour as it visits the International Space Station.
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Also, ever wondered what it would have been like if Twitter was around in 1969, when man first set foot on the moon? Well, now you can! Nature.com is retweeting events from the Apollo 11 mission, so you can follow along with the excitement.
1st Astronaut to Tweet from Space
Mike Massimino
Best of:
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- retweet | reply Astro_Mike
- I'm going to put my spacesuit on, next stop: Earth Orbit!!
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- retweet | reply Astro_Mike
- From orbit: Getting more accustomed to living in space today and getting ready for our big rendezvous with hubble
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- retweet | reply Astro_Mike
- From orbit: This is an awesome experience, the privilege to fly in space and work on the Hubble is beyond my dreams
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- retweet | reply Astro_Mike
- From orbit: My spacewalk was amazing, we had some tough problems, but through them all, the view of our precious planet was beautiful
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- retweet | reply Astro_Mike
- From orbit: Hard to sleep last night after my spacewalk, images of the work and the views still vivid in my mind.
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- retweet | reply Astro_Mike
- From orbit: At the end of my spacewalk, I had time to just look at the Earth, the most awesome sight my eyes have seen, undescribable
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- retweet | reply Astro_Mike
- From orbit: My second spacewalk was long but all worked out in the end, team effort
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- retweet | reply Astro_Mike
- From orbit: Our fifth and final spacewalk is over, everyone is happy, time for a crew dinner to celebrate!
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- retweet | reply Astro_Mike
- From orbit: Eating chocolates in space, floating then in front of me then floating and eating them like I am a fish
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- retweet | reply Astro_Mike
- From orbit: Getting ready for bed, sleeping in space is cool, tie down your sleeping bag and float inside of it, very relaxing
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- retweet | reply Astro_Mike
- From orbit: The Earth is so beautiful, it is like looking into paradise
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- retweet | reply Astro_Mike
- From orbit: We see 16 sunrises and sunsets in 24 hrs, each one spectacular as the sun lights up the atmosphere in a spectrum of colors
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- retweet | reply Astro_Mike
- From orbit: Viewing the Earth is a study of contrasts, beautiful colors of the planet, thin blue line of atmosphere, pure blackness of space
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- retweet | reply Astro_Mike
- From orbit: The stars at night in space do not twinkle, they look like perfect points of light and I can clearly see the milky way galaxy
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- retweet | reply Astro_Mike
- From orbit: Flying over the Pacific Ocean at night there were some thunder storms, it is so cool to see lightning go off below the clouds
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- retweet | reply Astro_Mike
- From orbit: As I closed my eyes to sleep last night I thought “these eyes have seen some beautiful sights today”
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- retweet | reply Astro_Mike
- From orbit: Enjoying a day off in space, taking photos, enjoying the view, having fun
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- retweet | reply Astro_Mike
- From orbit: Night pass over Australia, the city lights give stunning signs of life on our planet within the darkness of nighttime
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- retweet | reply Astro_Mike
- From orbit: Just saw Orion’s nebula in the night sky – the sights make all the hard work and risk worthwhile for me
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- retweet | reply Astro_Mike
- From orbit: Just had our re-entry brief with mission control, we will try landing tomorrow a.m. but weather in FL looks iffy
Community write-ins:
Write a new tweet for this list! If thefluffanutta likes it, it could get picked for the best-of list above.
Add your own!110
Your message will be automatically sent via Twitter.
Highlights from Mike's Spacewalk
Highlights from the second of five planned spacewalks to be undertaken during the STS-125 mission to upgrade and repair the Hubble Space Telescope. Astronauts are Mike Massimino and Mike Good.
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Images of the Hubble Mission
- Hubble Servicing Mission 4 in Pictures, Part 1 | Universe Today
- The long-awaited Servicing Mission 4 for the Hubble Space Telescope has provided drama, nail-biting excitement, fist-pumping triumphs and 'what else could go wrong now' moments. But the best way to to describe the mission is to let the amazing images from the EVAs do the talking.
- More Stunning Images From the Hubble Servicing Mission | Universe Today
- In our last installment of images from the STS-125 mission, we left off with third EVA of the mission. Since then, as I'm sure you know, the astronauts have completed two more EVAs, released Hubble and are waiting for the weather to improve in Florida so they can land. So, let's get caught up with the latest images released by NASA.
The Next Extra-Terrestrial Tweeter
In July, NASA astronaut Mark Polanski lead the Space Shuttle Endeavour on the [delayed] STS-127 mission to the International Space Station. Polanski updated his twitter account throughout the whole mission and answered video questions from followers.
How does Twitter from orbit REALLY work? - Mark explains how this is done:
"I do NOT have online internet access. 3 times a day, mission control sends up files that include email. While my email in arrives, my email out that have sat in a folder since I wrote them will be brought to the ground. Once my emails for twitter arrive on the ground, someone will take them and post them on my twitter account. No one will edit my twitter posts, but they will NOT be live. I will put the date & time (CDT) that I wrote them."
How does Twitter from orbit REALLY work? - Mark explains how this is done:
"I do NOT have online internet access. 3 times a day, mission control sends up files that include email. While my email in arrives, my email out that have sat in a folder since I wrote them will be brought to the ground. Once my emails for twitter arrive on the ground, someone will take them and post them on my twitter account. No one will edit my twitter posts, but they will NOT be live. I will put the date & time (CDT) that I wrote them."
@Astro_127 Tweets From Orbit!
Post Your Questions to Mark Polansky
NASA astronaut Mark Polansky has posted a video on YouTube, inviting users to be a part of his next mission by submitting questions through YouTube and then following updates via Twitter.
He asks that the questions be sent on a video (about 30 seconds long) and posted to YouTube, and then sent to his Twitter account (using the @reply method). He will then respond to the question on the nationally broadcast NASA TV.
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Shuttle Crew Answers Questions From Space
via Video
NASA Astronaut Mark Polansky and the STS-127 crew onboard space shuttle Endeavour respond to video questions submitted on YouTube.Click on any of the links below to watch their replies:
- What's the best thing about being in space?
- What would happen if you were to fly into a black hole?
- While you're in space, what do you do in your spare time?
- Do you like your job being an astronaut? And what's it like living in space?
- If you're in a spacesuit, especially on an EVA, and you have to sneeze, how do you deal with that, especially if it splatters? Also, if your nose itches while youre in a spacesuit, how do you deal with that?
- Can you describe what an astronaut might hear in space?
- What will you be doing while we are watching the launch?
- What do you see when you look at Earth from space, and how do you feel?
- What type of experiments will you be doing when you get to the ISS?
- How do you feel being in a selective group?
- Would you like to go in space with your family if it could be safe enough?
Images From the Shuttle Mission
- STS-127: A Mission in Pictures | Universe Today
- As space shuttle Endeavour undocks from the International Space Station today (Tuesday), now is a good time to look back at the very successful STS-127.
- STS-127 Endeavour Mission | YouTube Videos
- Collection of videos showing the launch of the Space Shuttle Endeavour, and the 5 space walks.
Space Shuttle Books
International Space Station on Twitter
NASA astronaut and U.S. Army Colonel Tim Kopra has become the first International Space Station crew member to use the social media tool Twitter to discuss living and working in orbit.
Kopra (@Astro_Tim) recently joined the Expedition 20 crew after arriving at the orbiting laboratory July 17 aboard space shuttle Endeavour. He is set to return to Earth on the STS-128 mission, which is targeted to launch Aug. 25.
Kopra will provide followers with a unique perspective as an Expedition 20 flight engineer and member of the Army. He is an Army aviator and West Point graduate. He periodically will answer questions submitted on the Army's Web site.
This is Kopra's first spaceflight. He completed his first spacewalk July 18 during the STS-127 mission. Kopra is in orbit with station Commander Gennady Padalka and Roman Romanenko -- both Russian cosmonauts -- and NASA astronaut Mike Barratt, European Space Agency astronaut Frank DeWinne and Canadian Space Agency astronaut Bob Thirsk.
Kopra (@Astro_Tim) recently joined the Expedition 20 crew after arriving at the orbiting laboratory July 17 aboard space shuttle Endeavour. He is set to return to Earth on the STS-128 mission, which is targeted to launch Aug. 25.
Kopra will provide followers with a unique perspective as an Expedition 20 flight engineer and member of the Army. He is an Army aviator and West Point graduate. He periodically will answer questions submitted on the Army's Web site.
This is Kopra's first spaceflight. He completed his first spacewalk July 18 during the STS-127 mission. Kopra is in orbit with station Commander Gennady Padalka and Roman Romanenko -- both Russian cosmonauts -- and NASA astronaut Mike Barratt, European Space Agency astronaut Frank DeWinne and Canadian Space Agency astronaut Bob Thirsk.
- aka Twitter
- 0 followers
- 0 following
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- GMT251/06:00: Winding down for the night – now with another great crew. Undocking tomorrow. .#onorbit
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- GMT251/02:00: Closed the hatch & I’m on the shuttle w/ my former crewmates on the other side. Sad to go but good to be heading home.#onorbit
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- GMT245/06:30: Danny and Nicole did a great job on their spacewalk and most importantly got back inside safely. #onorbit
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- GMT245/02:00: Kevin and Bob have been flying the station robotic arm with both Nicole and an ammonia tank on the end. #onorbit
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@Astro_Jose in Orbit
Also on the International Space Station
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- Astro_Jose
- http://twitpic.com/vwzrb - August 28th, on our way to space! Agosto 28, en camino al espacio! :-)
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- Astro_Jose
- http://twitpic.com/vwzku - Discovery en la plataforma de antes de nuestro lanzamiento. Discovery on the launch pad before our launch.
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- Astro_Jose
- @YouMuchBetter Estoy en Houston, Texas y aqui si esta lloviendo...
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- Astro_Jose
- Esta lloviendo y como no me quiero mojar pues demore el arreglo de las lineas de frenos de mi coche hasta manana! :-)
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- Astro_Jose
- Well it has been raining so it is a no go to replace my brake lines. Will try again tomorrow!
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Relive the Tweets to the Moon
Here are some virtual "tweets" from the Apollo mission to the moon, as it happened 40 years ago. The twitter account @ApolloPlus40 chronicled the Apollo 11 crew's journey to the moon and back, for the anniversary of the moon landing.
Best of:
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- retweet | reply ApolloPlus40
- "...zero...all engine running. Liftoff. We have a liftoff 32 minutes past the hour. Liftoff on Apollo 11.” Vid: http://bit.ly/iX0j4
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- retweet | reply ApolloPlus40
- It's all downhill from here. #Apollo11 reaches equigravisphere, where gravity from Earth and Moon are the same.
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- retweet | reply ApolloPlus40
- Armstong and Aldrin occupy the Eagle and make final preparations for descent.
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- retweet | reply ApolloPlus40
- Eagle passes through 50000 feet above lunar surface. On Earth, 60000 feet is considered ‘space.’
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- retweet | reply ApolloPlus40
- "Engine arm is off... Houston...Tranquility Base here. The Eagle has landed." Video: http://bit.ly/18g8oa
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- retweet | reply ApolloPlus40
- DUKE: "Roger, Twan-Tranquility. We copy you on the ground. You got a bunch of guys about to turn blue. We're breathing again. Thanks a
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- retweet | reply ApolloPlus40
- Armstrong and Aldrin begin suiting up for moonwalk. http://bit.ly/6YXAb
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- retweet | reply ApolloPlus40
- "That's one small step for [a] man; one giant leap for mankind." Hi-def vid: http://bit.ly/K8a53 Transcript: http://bit.ly/p3fB0
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- retweet | reply ApolloPlus40
- Armstrong reads plaque: "Here Men from the planet Earth first set foot upon the Moon, July 1969 A.D. We came in peace for all mankind.&
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- retweet | reply ApolloPlus40
- "This certainly has to be the most historic telephone call ever made" (Nixon) Transcript: http://bit.ly/p3fB0
Community write-ins:
Write a new tweet for this list! If thefluffanutta likes it, it could get picked for the best-of list above.
Add your own!110
Your message will be automatically sent via Twitter.
Apollo 11 - Wikipedia
The Apollo 11 mission landed the first humans on the Moon. Launched on July 16, 1969, the third lunar mission of NASA's Apollo Program was crewed by Commander Neil Alden Armstrong, Command Module Pilot Michael Collins, and Lunar Module Pilot Edwin Eugene 'Buzz' Aldrin, Jr. On July 20, Armstrong and Aldrin became the first humans to land on the Moon, while Collins orbited in the Command Module.NASA Apollo 11 Timeline.
The mission fulfilled President John F. Kennedy's goal of reaching the moon by the end of the 1960s, which he had expressed during a speech given before a joint session of Congress on May 25, 1961: "I believe that this nation should commit itself to achieving the goal, before this decade is out, of landing a man on the Moon and returning him safely to the Earth.""Man on the moon: Kennedy speech ignited the dream" CNN.com.
Apollo 11 Moon Landing
Books
The Mars Rovers
Follow the rovers Spirit and Opportunity as they roam the Red Planet on six wheels (or not in the case of Spirit).
- aka Twitter
- 0 followers
- 0 following
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- Yum, and thank you! RT @Joi_the_Artist: check it out: Spirit rover, in gingerbread! http://twitpic.com/vp8av
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- From Mars to Earth, we wish you the happiest of holidays & a great 2010. XO Spirit (Gusev Crater) & Oppy (Meridiani Planum)
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- @rmichem No, Spirit's wheels are still stuck in the deep soil. Keep fingers crossed..
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- Oppy is using the rock abrasion tool to grind into a rock named Marquette Island, aiming for a depth of about 2mm (at 1.5 mm so far).
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- Spirit will attempt a drive on Christmas Day using different wheels at different speeds in hopes to improve traction. #FreeSpirit
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- @jabesse Unfortunately, Spirit's arm isn't strong enough to push (plus it could damage science instruments at the end of the arm).
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- @Ryan Abbott Spirit can use steering motors to change the angle of front/rear wheels. It's not clear if this would help or dig in deeper.
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- @polarisdotca The right-front wheel, which stopped in 2006, has turned on some recent drive attempts but not on all of them.
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- Welcome back MRO! Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter resumes science activities after a 3.5 month hiatus. All instruments are on.
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- That's our girl! Spirit surprises team w/ slight movement in right-front wheel. It hadn't moved since March 2006: http://bit.ly/77PpJe
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Thanks for checking out my Twttrlist! Feel free to Retweet it!
Reader Feedback
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- seosolutions seosolutions Dec 14, 2009 @ 7:51 pm
- I like it! Would so love to go in to space on day =]
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- JoyfulPamela JoyfulPamela Nov 12, 2009 @ 10:23 am
- Cool ~ very cool!
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- misserika misserika Aug 10, 2009 @ 3:15 am
- My greatest frustration is to be in space as an astronaut. I followed Astro_Mike on Twitter and it feels like I'm with him all the way! Thanks for sharing more lists of Astro Twitterers!
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Reply
- NAIZA NAIZA Aug 2, 2009 @ 9:31 pm
- This is so awesome. To fly in space is very fascinating. I loved it. :)
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- dannystaple dannystaple Jul 31, 2009 @ 10:04 am
- Superb lens fluff - although one of those vids is private so we can't watch it. I loved the Q & A vids.
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- Spook Spook Jul 29, 2009 @ 11:53 am
- Beyond belief and no wonder I ever made it as a farmer.
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- sandyspider sandyspider Jul 15, 2009 @ 9:34 am
- Nice Tweet lens. I should lensroll this into my http://www.squidoo.com/rocketsforschools lens.
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- nightbear nightbear Jul 14, 2009 @ 3:23 pm
- Very Neat, Twitter is just everywhere isn't it?
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- Ramkitten Ramkitten Jul 14, 2009 @ 10:17 am
- How cool! Excellent lens, Fluff!
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- JaguarJulie JaguarJulie Jul 14, 2009 @ 8:02 am
- You know fluff, this is SO cool!
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Best Quotes on Twitter
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Twitter is a great place to get inspirational quotes from famous people. All you need to do is follow someone like @Quotweet or @TheBestQuotes, and you'll get a nugget of wisdom regularly appearing in your twitter stream. Here are some of the best q...
Resources
- STS-125: Final Shuttle Mission to Hubble Space Telescope
- Veteran astronaut Scott D. Altman will command the final space shuttle mission to Hubble. Retired Navy Capt. Gregory C. Johnson will serve as pilot. Mission specialists include veteran spacewalkers John M. Grunsfeld and Michael J. Massimino and first-time space fliers Andrew J. Feustel, Michael T. Good and K. Megan McArthur.
- Astronaut Bio: Michael J. Massimino (10/2008)
- Astronaut Biography: Michael J. Massimino
- STS-127 Mission to the International Space Station
- Mark L. Polansky will command the shuttle Endeavour for STS-127. Douglas G. Hurley will serve as the pilot. Mission specialists are Christopher J. Cassidy, Thomas H. Marshburn, David A. Wolf and Julie Payette, a Canadian Space Agency astronaut.
- Astronaut Bio: Mark Polansky (5/2009)
- Astronaut Biography: Mark Polansky
- International Space Station (NASA)
- Details about NASA's missions to and on the International Space Station.
- Astronaut Bio: Timothy L. Kopra (7/2009)
- Astronaut Biography: Timothy L. Kopra
by thefluffanutta
I write about what I know, and I build tools for Lensmasters at SquidUtils.com. Read more about me on my Lensography, and follow me on twitter.
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