Twitter fans invited to space shuttle launch

BEIJING, Oct. 14 (Xinhuanet) - Fans on Twitter are invited by NASA to witness the launch of the space shuttle Atlantis next month at the Kennedy Space Center in Florida.

The sign-up for the NASA "Tweetup" will open on Friday. The first 100 people to sign up online at nasa.gov/tweetup will be invited to the space center.

On Nov. 11 and 12, the 100 guests will tour the facility in the space center, chat with technicians and astronauts, and watch the launch of the space shuttle Atlantis.

"The goal of this particular Tweetup is to share the excitement of a shuttle launch with a new audience," said Michael Cabbage, director of the News Services division at NASA Headquarters.

The gathering is NASA's fifth Tweetup for the Twitter users, but the first time it includes a space shuttle launch tour.

Space shuttle Atlantis is scheduled to lift off at the Kennedy Space Center on Nov. 12.