NASA Recruits Astronauts…On Twitter

A simple social media post this week resulted in a paradoxical collision between the space age and the information age. Like asteroids, the two epochs smashed into each other when NASA announced that they were recruiting a new class of astronauts. Unlike previous recruiting efforts, this casting call was issued on Twitter and Instagram—and applications are open to everyone. 

It’s not uncommon for marketing companies or businesses to post job openings via social media, but this was a dramatic policy shift for NASA. The rigorous astronaut selection process used during the space age has been featured in dozens of films, books and documentaries. 

The space agency would select crack pilots, soldiers and scientists and invite them to participate in a series of tests. Excruciating mental, physical and emotional tests revealed which participants had “the right stuff.” Eventually, only a few of America’s best and most qualified individuals were allowed to participate in the space expeditions.

For better or for worse, NASA has changed a lot since the glory days of the 1960s and 70s. The government has privatized most spaceflight operations. The agency is recruiting from marketing companies and tech startups in addition to traditional personnel pipelines like the military. Modern astronauts need to be flexible spokespeople as well as technical experts.

By opening the job to everyone, NASA is seeking a broader group of applicants. The agency may also be looking to renew public interest in the space program. There was a time when every child dreamed about becoming an astronaut, but the romance and mystery surrounding space exploration has waned since the 1990’s. The language of NASA’s post is clearly designed to remind Americans that space travel is more possible and exciting than ever.

“With more human spacecraft in development in the United States today than at any other time in history, future astronauts will launch once again from the Space Coast of Florida on American-made commercial spacecraft, and carry out deep-space exploration missions that will advance a future human mission to Mars,” reads the post on Instagram.

NASA’s marketing has definitely improved, but will the call yield any applications? The agency would love to see employees fleeing from traditional companies to interview for the astronaut position, and NASA may see its ambitions realized. As marketing companies learned long ago, Twitter and Instagram are sure-fire ways to turn a message into tangible results. If nothing else, NASA’s social-media-savvy applicants will latch on quickly to the idea of deep-space transmissions.

Tanner Wadsworth writes for Fusion 360, an SEO and content marketing agency. They write for many other clients as well. Follow on Twitter