The recession has led everyone with a budget to question ever line. From households to businesses to state and federal governments, nothing is sacred. Finding new ways to get the same result without spending the same amount mean not having to make sacrifices. NASA has been under considerable financial pressure, as many question the value of sinking cash into space travel. So, it has to get creative in justifying its existence ... and in generating excitement about the agency and what it does.
When the space shuttle launches on Monday, 200 thumbs will be at the ready. NASA has deputized 100 of its top fans on Twitter to come to the launch and tweet the experience. These fans are estimated to have more than 150,000 followers, all with the potential to retweet the messages they see. Every click of an iPhone or Blackberry will give NASA more exposure, building the excitement it needs to keep the operation afloat. So, whether you realize it or not, the launch is being brought to you by Twitter, Apple (AAPL) and Research in Motion (RIMM), even if only implicitly.
NASA is making a social media bet on people from 21 states, Washington and five countries, including Morocco and New Zealand. Almost half are from Florida, which is quite convenient in the event of a launch delay.
Strategies for covering the launch vary. Steve Wake isn't sure what he'll do, while Laura Burns plans to tap out her tweet in advance and try to time her click with the exact launch of Atlantis. But, she's realistic: "I'll have to be like juggling my iPhone and my camera and my eyes, and trying to get everything all at once." To see how this works out, check out the tweet at @moonrangerlaura.
Prior to the launch, Burns will have covered her trip from Columbia, Maryland down to Cape Canaveral by car.
When NASA came up with the idea for Twitter coverage of the space shuttle launch, it invited users to sign up online. There were the 100 slots and 50 backups, which filled in less than 20 minutes.
NASA needs to knock this one out of the park. Only six space shuttle flights are left on the schedule, and the White House hasn't indicated if more will be added. The agency has been using social media tools such as Twitter and Facebook to let the country know what it's doing and build up some fresh interest in the agency. Whether it does any good will only become known when President Obama either laments the last launch or announces that more will be funded.
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