NASA Invites Social Media Followers to Launch Event

WASHINGTON, DC - NASA invites its social media followers to a two-day NASA Social on Aug. 22-23, at Kennedy Space Center in for the launch of NASA's Radiation Belt Storm Probes mission.

NASA Socials are in-person meetings with people who engage with the agency through Twitter, Facebook, Google+ and other social networks. This event is expected to culminate in the launch of the twin RBSP spacecraft, currently targeted for August 23 aboard a United Launch Alliance Atlas V rocket.

Registration for the NASA Social opens at noon this Thursday, July 5, and closes at noon, Monday, July 9. Fifty participants will be selected from online registrations. Because portions of this event may take place in restricted areas, registration is limited to U.S. citizens.

Participants will have unique behind the scenes experiences with NASA, which they are encouraged to share with others through their favorite social networks. Guests will view the launch, tour facilities at Kennedy, speak with representatives from NASA and the Applied Physics Laboratory, view the RBSP launch pad, meet fellow space enthusiasts who are active on social media, and meet members of NASA's launch services and social media teams.

The RBSP mission uses two identical spacecraft built by the Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory in Laurel, Maryland. Designed for a two-year primary science mission in orbit around Earth, RBSP will provide insight into our planet's radiation belts, and help scientists predict changes in this critical region of space.

For more information on the NASA Social and to register, visit: http://www.nasa.gov/social