NASA recently announced their plans to host another Shuttle Launch Tweetup for STS-133. STS-133 is the mission designator for Discovery’s launch to the International Space Station which is scheduled for 4:40 PM EST on 01 November 2010. The Tweetup will be held for two days – 31 Oct and 01 Nov.
150 Twitter users will be invited to the unique event that includes briefings from astronauts, shuttle managers, pad crew, NASA officials and other personnel to share an inside view of Human Space Flight operations. A tour of Kennedy Space Center facilities will also be a key part of the event.
The tweetup is scheduled to culminate with the launch of Space Shuttle Discovery. If the tweetup track record holds like it did for the STS-129 and STS-132 tweetups then Discovery will launch on her first attempt just like it did for the other two.
So how do you get the chance to attend this event?
Registration opens at noon on Tuesday, Aug. 24, on this page, and closes 24 hours later at noon on Wednesday, Aug. 25. NASA will accommodate 150 tweeps randomly selected from those who sign up. Additional registrants will be placed on a waiting list.
I think you can expect a lot of people to sign up for this. For the STS-132 launch tweetup 1,000 people signed up to have a shot at the 150 slots to attend.
I expect that number to be significantly higher since this is one of the last two scheduled launches of the Space Shuttle. Make sure you mark your calendar and be ready to sign up. This is not a first come-first serve thing. You just need to sign up during the 24 hour period mentioned above to be in the drawing for one of the 150 invites.
I was fortunate enough to be selected for and attend the STS-132 launch of Atlantis. It was a tremendous experience and one that I will not soon forget.
Want an idea of what that two day experience was like?
You can also read my view on the entire two day experience – Final Thoughts on the NASA Tweetup.
As tempting as it is to sign up and hope for a slot to attend this tweetup I will not be doing that. What I experienced at the launch of Atlantis on STS-132 was my once in a lifetime experience and I would not have it any other way.
As @Rocky_Sci said during his time with us at the STS-132 Tweetup:
What NASA does isn’t magic but it is magical.
So sign up and give yourself a shot to experience your once in a lifetime opportunity. You will be amazed at the people that are behind our Human Space Flight program and the things they do.
