





There’s a new first in the realm of outer space social media activity: a Foursquare checkin. Moments ago NASA astronaut Doug Wheelock checked in to the international space station, hence unlocking the “NASA Explorer Badge.”

If space travel isn’t in your immediate future, don’t fret — there will soon be a way for NASA enthusiasts to unlock the badge themselves by checking in to NASA-related venues.

The outerspace checkin officially kicks off a partnership between Foursquare and NASA, with NASA’s new Foursquare page offering a list of the venues where you can unlock the badge. Users will also get tips about those venues when they check in using their mobile device.

As an interesting related note, I moderated a panel earlier this year at TWTRCON New York with Foursquare CEO Dennis Crowley, who was asked by someone in the audience from NASA what they had to do to get a badge (a frustration for many brands), which drew a few chuckles from the crowd. Crowley answered something to the effect of “do something really unique,” and it would seem that’s what ultimately has transpired several months later.

NASA has been fairly ambitious in its own right when it comes to social media, however. Astronauts have been tweeting from space since 2009, and the recently launched NASA HD iPad app offers thousands of images that can be shared on Twitter and Facebook.





