Facebook is attempting another milestone.
NASA announced that Mark Zuckerberg will connect with the astronauts inside the International Space Station (ISS) through Facebook Live. It will be the most anticipated Earth-to-space call today, which will be viewed live through Facebook.
The ISS is equipped with Internet connectivity enabling astronauts to work on their science, and of course, to send fascinating photos of Earth viewed from space. This will also allow Zuckerberg's attempt to call the ISS using Facebook Live possible.
Facebook's CEO and philanthropist Mark Zuckerberg will speak with astronauts,Tim Kopra, Jeff Williams and Tim Peake aboard the International Space Station on June 1 said NASA.
"The Earth-to-space call will be seen live on NASA's Facebook page" said a NASA official in a media advisory. They will talk about the questions sent by Facebook users to NASA's official Facebook page.
Currently, NASA is still accepting questions for the Facebook live session from those who are interested to know more about living in microgravity, and there is no better choice of a moderator than Mark Zuckerberg himself.
Zuckerberg has started to get involved in commercial space technology. He is part of the board of directors for Stephen Hawking's nanocraft project called "Breakthrough Starshot".
Starshot's goal is to reach the next star system, the Alpha Centauri, in the fastest possible time. Yuri Milner, the Russian billionaire and Hawking's partner in the project, said that their nanocraft, which is as small as an iPhone, can reach the edge of the solar system in a 20-year journey. Starshot will receive thrusts from a laser sail system developed by the Breakthrough Starshot's team of scientists, researchers and engineers. However, Zuckerberg's role in the project, aside from being one of the board of directors, is unclear.
The Facebook Live chat with Zuckerberg and the astronauts is a good way of encouraging the public to get involved in space science. NASA's attempt in using the social media is, by far, successful, according to a report by Mashable.
NASA has its own Facebook page with more than 15 million followers and Twitter handle with 16 million followers. The agency also recently showcased space living by using its Snapchat account inside the ISS.