NASA Social – Jennifer Navarrete

After a day spent at Johnson Space Center for the State of NASA 2018 event, I was even more in awe of what the men and women at NASA are doing right now to further the mission of human space travel. It’s easy to fall in love with the final frontier of space. It has a new world westward expansion feeling to it. To quote Star Trek’s opening sequence,

“To explore strange new worlds, to seek out new life and new civilizations.

To Boldly Go Where No Man Has Gone Before!”

Gene Roddenberry had it right all those years ago. Back in the 60’s, it was easy to get excited about space. Orbiting the earth, traveling to the moon and back. It was all so new. The Apollo missions sparked the imagination of the world. Each spaceward moment was history in the making.

Reuters Photo and Article: “The space shuttle Endeavour, atop NASA’s Shuttle Carrier Aircraft, flies over Houston, Texas in this September 19, 2012 NASA handout photo. REUTERS/Sheir Locke/NASA/Handout”

The next big leap forward happened with the shuttle missions. In the early, to mid-90’s I was working on the 47th floor of a skyscraper in Downtown Houston and remember looking out of my window seeing the shuttle piggyback on a jumbo jet as it flew from the California landing site to Florida where liftoffs occurred.

Once the shuttle program was dismantled, it seemed like the excitement of space travel was muted. Or at least that was how it felt to me. That doesn’t mean there weren’t big scientific breakthroughs occurring. Afterall, the International Space Station is pretty darn exciting. What was missing was the key visuals and unifying experiences that Apollo and Space Shuttle missions inspired in the world. Experiences that would inspire a new generation of scientists and engineers to “boldly go”.

SPACE TRAVEL NOW

Let’s fast forward to 2018. Space X launches a red Tesla Roadster inside the new Falcon Heavy rocket and once again the world is captivated and inspired by space travel. Do we as human beings need spectacles like a car in outer space? Sure, why not? Were we as a global community unified for a single moment by witnessing Falcon Heavy launch, dual side booster landings and the deployment of Starman inside the red Tesla Roadster? YES!!!

It was a reminder that humanity can still do amazing things. A reminder that we are one people. Humans on a single planet called Earth. And together there is nothing we cannot accomplish. We’re kind of awesome like that.

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One of the things I have enjoyed doing as head of Social Media Breakfast San Antonio has been to put my Social Media Reporter hat on for community and nonprofit events across the Alamo City. It’s my way of giving to my community. It’s been an honor to share my knowledge, expertise and social reach to shine a spotlight on events which are uniquely San Antonio. So, it should come as no surprise that when I found out I would be part of the State of NASA event, I was pumped up and ready to don my Social Media Reporter hat again.

Prepping the List

NASA knows a thing or two about making things happen. If they can land a man on the Moon and a rover on Mars, then a social media event is a walk in the park. In the first communication, I received a list of hashtags (#StateofNASA and #NASASocial) as well as social media handles for Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram.

The first step was to make sure I was following all the social profiles on all three social networks. Want to follow along and join the fun? On Twitter, I created a NASA List. Feel free to subscribe to follow the #StateofNASA conversation happening on Monday, February 12th.

Next, I created a list of all the social media handles so that I could copy and paste as needed. One of the things I’ve learned over the years at live events is to create as many shortcuts as possible. While Twitter, FB, and Instagram should auto-populate the handles as I type, I’ve learned it’s always best to have a Plan B in your back pocket.

HASHTAGS: #NASASocial #StateofNASA

TWITTER: @NASA @NASASocial @Space_Station @ISS_research @NASA_Orion @NASAedu

FACEBOOK: @NASA @NASAJSC @ISS @NASAOrion @jsceducation

INSTAGRAM: @NASA @nasajohnson @iss @explorenasa

Mobile Keyboard Shortcuts

Then, I created keyboard shortcuts on my iPhone for the #StateofNASA and #NASASocial hashtags. Live tweeting isn’t for the faint of heart or the slow-fingered. Having these two hashtags which would be used in every tweet, post and photo would certainly save me time.

Wondering exactly how that’s done? This keyboard shortcut is a trick I learned from Rebecca Council at an event we were working at last year. Here is how it works:

iPhone > Settings > General > Keyboard > Text Replacement > + (upper right hand corner) > Phrase (#StateofNASA) > Shortcut (sona) > Save.

Now, every time I type the shortcut: nso the hashtag #NASASocial or sona #StateofNASA pops up on my screen.

Do you have some tried and true tips to keep yourself organized at social media events? Drop your idea in the comments below. I’ll be sure to give you a shoutout in thanks. Cheers!

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