In just two days I’ll be enjoying one of the best birthday presents a guy like me could dream of: A backstage tour of Kennedy Space Center, a chance to meet key players in the Space Shuttle and ISS programs, Q&A sessions with Space Shuttle astronauts Mike Massimino (@Astro_Mike), Douglas H. Wheelock (@Astro_Wheels), and Robert Crippen, and much more. And weather-willing, the trip will be capped by a chance to see the final flight of the Space Shuttle program as I and 153 other lucky #NASATweetup selectees watch the launch from the closest possible site, the press area a mere three miles from the launchpad.

Mike Massimino

Amusingly, our program also includes a visit from Elmo of @SesameStreet fame, as everyone’s favorite toddler Muppet interacts with @Astro_Mike as part of an educational program that’s being filmed during the Tweetup.

How to “Watch” the Tweetup

I feel honored an amazingly lucky to have been (randomly!) selected from over 5,500 applicants to attend the STS-135 #NASATweetup. As excited as I am about this, I’m of course sad that this is the last chance anyone will get to view a Shuttle launch. But even if you weren’t selected for the Tweetup, you can still share in the behind-the-scenes fun in a number of ways.A portion of the Tweetup will be televised on Thursday morning on NASA TV, which you can watch over the Internet at http://www.ustream.tv/nasahdtv and http://www.ustream.tv/nasatelevision. Starting at 10:30 a.m. on Thursday, July 7, 2011, you’ll be able to view the Tweetup participants talking with NASA’s Bill Gerstenmaier, followed by Elmo interviewing STS-109/STS-125 Astronaut Mike Massimino. And of course, you can also use that link to view the actual launch at 11:26 am EDT on Friday, July 8.And as you’d expect from a Tweetup, you’ll find tons of impressions, fun facts, pictures, and videos on Twitter! Here are some resources to follow:

  • @dennya – That’s me!
  • STS-135 Launch – You can view all the posts from the 154 #NASATweetup selectees.
  • @NasaTweetup – the official NASATweetup Twitter feed, where you can also find out about future Tweetup opportunities for unmanned launches, lab tours, and more!

In addition to this blog, a number of other attendees will be blogging about the event as well. You view the full list at the NasaTweet.com Wiki.Finally, If you’re an Xbox 360 owner, you can get primed for the launch by checking out the “Celebrate the Space Shuttle” experience in the Spotlight channel on Xbox LIVE. Check out my blog entry over on Xbox.com for details!