Sen. Bill Nelson on Tuesday released the first digital ad of his re-election campaign, highlighting his trip into space in a feel-good appeal about reaching higher.

"In Florida, we don't just reach for the stars, we travel to them. I know. I flew on the Space Shuttle," says Nelson, who flew aboard Columbia in January 1986 as a payload specialist. "And when I looked back at our planet, I didn't see political divisions, I saw how we're all in this together."

Backstory: How Bill Nelson went into space

It's a digital ad, however, and the three-term Democrat remains far outspent by Gov. Rick Scott, who enjoys a $10 million or so advantage and has been blanketing statewide TV, in English and Spanish, for weeks.

"The ad will reach Florida voters through a variety of digital platforms, including Facebook and Twitter, starting today," Nelson's campaign said, declining to say discuss how much the ad buy total and how long it will run.

Nelson told WMNF on Sunday that he'll likely not spend on TV until the fall. "My nickels and dimes I'm saving until much closer to the election," he said, contending many voters are not paying attention.