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NASA astronaut tweets live from space
by Jaspreet Virk - January 23, 2010 - comments
Creamer tweeted at around 3:38 a.m. EST. He already has 21,259 followers as of writing this news.
New York, January 23 -- Twitter has expanded its horizon! In what can be termed as social networking history, a NASA astronaut sent the first tweet directly from International Space Station (ISS) Friday.
Expedition 22 Flight Engineer T.J. Creamer sent the following message under the Twitter username @Astro_TJ: “Hello Twitterverse! We r now LIVE tweeting from the International Space Station -- the 1st live tweet from Space! :) More soon, send your ?s.”
The message was posted at approximately 3:38 a.m. EST. Creamer already has 21,259 followers as of writing this news.
Software upgrade to allow crew access to Internet
The first tweet posted directly from the outer space is the result of special software upgrade received by ISS this week.
The upgrade has enabled the astronauts to access the Internet through the “ultimate wireless connection.”
The wireless connection dubbed Crew Support LAN relies on the already existing communication links at the station to give astronauts the ability to access the Internet.
The software upgrade will also enable the astronauts to have access to official e-mail, Internet Protocol telephone and limited videoconferencing.
In a statement, NASA stated that the system will allow crew members to communicate directly to improve their quality of life while they stay at ISS.
It will also help “ease the isolation associated with life in a closed environment.”
One can expect Creamer and other crew members like Jeff Williams and Soichi Noguchi to use Twitter during their stay at ISS, but do not expect to hear any inside stuff, as the astronauts will be subject to same computer use rules and regulations as government employees on Earth are.
Tweets from Space in the past
Creamer is not the first astronaut to use Twitter from space.
In the past, tweets had been sent by astronauts from the outer space, but they had to be emailed down to Earth and then posted on Twitter.
An astronaut Mike Massimino, who was on a mission to repair and upgrade the Hubble Space Telescope, used Twitter for first time in space in May last year to communicate with his fans.
He emailed a following message to Johnson Space Center, which then updated his Twitter status with the following message: “From orbit: Launch was awesome!! I am feeling great, working hard, & enjoying the magnificent views, the adventure of a lifetime has begun!”
In June 2008, Mars Phoenix Lander announced the discovery of ice on Mars via Twitter:
“Are you ready to celebrate? Well, get ready: We have ICE!!!!! Yes, ICE, *WATER ICE* on Mars! w00t!!! Best day ever!!”