NASA and the Navy’s United States Fleet Forces Command will host a two-day event for 30 of its social media followers starting at 5:30 p.m. EDT on Wednesday, August 14 and all-day on Thursday, August 15, at NASA Langley Research Center and Naval Station Norfolk in Virginia.
Participants will tour NASA Langley Research Center and then take a bus to Norfolk Naval Station to watch the Orion Stationary Recovery Test, hear from NASA engineers and Navy personnel, and tour the recovery ship. This is the first time hardware and procedures developed for recovery of the Orion spacecraft test article provided by NASA and Lockheed Martin will be used in conjunction with U.S. Navy hardware and procedures. Testing will simulate the recovery of the Orion crew module in the Pacific Ocean during the Exploration Flight Test-1 (EFT-1) mission in the fall of 2014. EFT-1 will be Orion’s first mission and will see the uncrewed spacecraft launch 3,600 miles into Earth’s orbit. After the test flight, Orion will return to Earth at a speed of approximately 20,000 mph for a landing and recovery in the Pacific Ocean. The flight test will provide engineers with critical data about Orion’s heat shield, flight systems and capabilities to validate designs of the spacecraft.
Lessons learned from the Stationary Recovery Test will be applied to the Underway Recovery Test, currently planned for early 2014. The hardware used in the stationary test will be sent to the West Coast to simulate how recovery operations will be conducted at sea. Lessons learned from the underway test will be applied to the recovery of the EFT-1.
NASA Social participants will have the opportunity to:
- Watch the Orion Stationary Recovery Test
- Tour the Navy’s recovery ship
- See and learn about the Hydro Impact Basin recently used
- Tour NASA Langley’s National Transonic Facility
- Meet and speak with NASA engineers
- Tour NASA Langley’s Structures & Materials Lab
- Tour the Virginia Air and Space Center
- See and learn about the Orion spacecraft test article used in the Launch Abort System Pad Abort-1 test
- Watch an IMAX movie at the Virginia Air and Space Center (optional)
What is a NASA Social?
A NASA Social is an informal meeting of people who use social networking sites such as Twitter, Facebook and Google+. Participants at this event will be provided a unique in-person experience with NASA and the Navy’s U.S. Fleet Forces Command, which they are encouraged to share with others through their favorite social network.
Guests will have an opportunity to get up close and personal to the Orion spacecraft test article, recovery hardware and the recovery ship.
How do I register?
Registration opens at 5 p.m. EDT on July 15, 2013 on this page and closes at 12 noon EDT on July 19, 2013. Thirty participants will be randomly selected from online registrations. Registration is for one person only (you) and is non-transferable.
Additional registrants will be placed on a waiting list.
Do I need to have a social media account to register?
Yes. This event is designed for active social media users who follow NASA onTwitter (@NASAKennedy, @NASA, @NASA_Langley, @NASASocial, @USFLEETFORCES), Facebook (NASA, NASA Langley Research Center, NASAKennedy, U.S. Fleet Forces) or Google+ (NASA). The goal of NASA Social is to allow people who regularly interact with each other via social networks to meet in-person and discuss space exploration.
Users on all social networks are encouraged to use the hashtag #NASASocial. Updates and information about the event will be shared on Twitter via @NASA and @NASASocial and via posts to Facebook and Google+.
If you are not a regular user of social media and just want to see the Orion Stationary Recovery Test, NASA offers other ways to experience a recovery.
What are the registration requirements?
Registration indicates your intent to travel to NASA Langley Research Center in Virginia and attend the two-day event in person. You are responsible for your own expenses for travel, accommodation, food and other amenities.
Some events and participants scheduled to appear at the event are subject to change without notice. NASA and the Navy are not responsible for loss or damage incurred as a result of attending. NASA and the Navy, moreover, are not responsible for loss or damage incurred if the event is cancelled with limited or no notice. Please plan accordingly.
NASA Langley Research Center is a government facility. Those who are selected will need to complete an additional registration step to receive clearance to enter secure areas. To be admitted, you will need to show two forms of government-issued identification (one with a photo) that match the name provided on the registration. Those without proper identification cannot be admitted. All registrants must be at least 18 years old.
The shipboard environment is an industrial and operational area and includes unique hazards both on the flight deck and below decks, such as low overheads, steep ladders, knee-knockers, darkened passageways, ropes or lines on the decks, wet and potentially slippery floors or decks, rolling stairways or brows used to access the ship, and other hazards. For safety reasons, those who require the use of crutches, canes or wheel chairs or have a medical condition limiting their ability to climb three flights of steps without assistance will not be authorized to tour the recovery ship.
Can I register if I am not a U.S. citizen?
Because portions of this event may take place in restricted areas, registration is limited to U.S. citizens. If you have a green card, you will be processed as a U.S. citizen. Those who are selected will need to complete an additional registration step to receive clearance to enter secure areas. To be admitted, you will need to show two forms of government-issued identification (one with a photo) that match the name provided on the registration. Those without proper identification cannot be admitted. All registrants must be at least 18 years old.
Does my registration include a guest?
Because of space limitations, you may not bring a guest. Each registration provides a place for one person only (you) and is non-transferable. Each individual wishing to attend must register separately.
What if I cannot come to _NASA Langley Research Center?
If you cannot come to NASA Langley Research Center to attend in person, you should not register for the NASA Social. You can follow the conversation using the #NASASocial hashtag on Twitter. NASA will provide regular mission updates on @NASA, @NASA_Langley and @USFLEETFORCES.
If you cannot make this NASA Social, don’t despair; NASA is planning others in the near future at various locations. Check back on https://sna.hq.nasa.gov/,DanaInfo=www.nasa.gov+social for updates.
When will I know if I am selected?
After registrations have been received and processed, an email with confirmation information and additional instructions will be sent to those selected and those on the waitlist. We expect to send notifications by July 29, 2013.
What if the event’s date changes or is cancelled?
NASA Social attendees are responsible for any costs they incur related to any delay or cancellation. We strongly encourage participants to make refundable and/or flexible travel arrangements.
Does registration for and/or attendance at the NASA Social qualify me for media accreditation?
Your NASA Social registration and/or attendance does not qualify you for news media credentials at NASA’s Langley Research Center or with the Navy, now or in the future.
Have a question not answered here? Need more information? Help is available by sending an email to hq-social@nasa.gov.