NASA Astronaut Sends First Tweets From Space Station

August 04, 2009

John Yembrick
Headquarters, Washington
202-358-0602


James Hartsfield
Johnson Space Center, Houston
281-483-5111


MEDIA ADVISORY: M09-147

NASA ASTRONAUT SENDS FIRST TWEETS FROM SPACE STATION

HOUSTON -- NASA astronaut and U.S. Army Col. Tim Kopra has become the
first International Space Station crew member to use the social media
tool Twitter to discuss living and working in orbit.

Kopra (@Astro_Tim) recently joined the Expedition 20 crew after
arriving at the orbiting laboratory July 17 aboard space shuttle
Endeavour. He is set to return to Earth on the STS-128 mission, which
is targeted to launch Aug. 25. To follow Kopra on Twitter, visit:

www.twitter.com/Astro_Tim

Kopra will provide followers with a unique perspective as an
Expedition 20 flight engineer and member of the Army. He is an Army
aviator and West Point graduate. He periodically will answer
questions submitted on the Army's Web site. To submit questions and
view Kopra's answers, visit:

www.goarmy.com/space

This is Kopra's first spaceflight. He completed his first spacewalk
July 18 during the STS-127 mission. Kopra is in orbit with station
Commander Gennady Padalka and Roman Romanenko -- both Russian
cosmonauts -- and NASA astronaut Mike Barratt, European Space Agency
astronaut Frank DeWinne and Canadian Space Agency astronaut Bob
Thirsk.

For a detailed biography of Kopra, visit:

http://www.jsc.nasa.gov/Bios/htmlbios/kopra-tl.html

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