SpaceX’s Starlink satellite constellation led October mentions.

Aerospace Technology’s Twitter round up lists ten of the most popular tweets in Aerospace Tech in October 2019, based on data from GlobalData’s Influencer Platform.

The top tweets were chosen from the influencers identified by GlobalData’s proprietary Influencer Identification Framework, which is based on a scientific process that works on pre-defined parameters. Influencers are selected after a deep analysis of the influencers’ relevance, network strength, engagement, and leading discussions on new and emerging trends.

1. Elon Musk uses SpaceX’s Starlink satellite internet to make a tweet

Elon Musk, the founder and CEO of SpaceX, posted a tweet using an internet connection offered by the newly-launched SpaceX Starlink satellite constellation.

The first batch of 60 mini-satellites of the Starlink constellation was launched by SpaceX in May 2019. The company plans to launch up to 42,000 additional Starlink satellites to low-Earth orbit. The constellation is intended to offer reliable and affordable broadband internet services to the users worldwide.

Username: Elon Musk

Twitter handle: @elonmusk

Retweets: 17,254

Likes: 172,425

2. NASA’s tweet on Overview Effect

Overview Effect is a major rational shift in awareness experienced by some astronauts when watching the Earth from space. The concept was first invented by space writer Frank White in 1987.

NASA’s popular tweet mentions the experiences of several astronauts, including Bruce McCandless II, Tracy Caldwell Dyson, Nick Hague, Frank Borman, Jim Lovell, and Bill Anders.

Username: NASA

Twitter handle: @NASA

Retweets: 1,881

Likes: 9,407

3. NASA Commercial Crew tweets about preparations for the In-Flight Abort test

The SpaceX Falcon 9 launch vehicle and CrewDragon capsule arrived at SpaceX facilities in Cape Canaveral on 3 October 2019. The rocket and spacecraft will be used to conduct in-flight abort test.

The test will demonstrate and validate the crew escape systems for new manned Starliner and Crew Dragon spacecraft, in the event of emergencies. SpaceX plans to send Starliner to the International Space Station (ISS) in November 2019, while the first test flight of Boeing Starliner spacecraft to the ISS is scheduled in December 2019.

Username: NASA Commercial Crew

Twitter handle: @Commercial_Crew

Retweets: 1,476

Likes: 12,821

4. NASA’s tweet about X-59 QueSST experimental aircraft

NASA’s X-59 Quiet SuperSonic Technology (QueSST), which aims to transform supersonic air travel, is currently being assembled at Skunk Works factory. The supersonic aircraft produces no loud sonic booms, a breakthrough that has never been achieved by previous supersonic aircraft.

X-59 is an experimental piloted aircraft currently being developed by Lockheed Martin for NASA’s Low-Boom Flight Demonstrator programme. Lockheed Martin plans to conduct the first flight of X-59 QueSST in 2021.

Username: NASA

Twitter handle: @NASA

Retweets: 1,258

Likes: 7,003

5. International Space Station congratulates astronaut Christina on her 200th day in space

The International Space Station has congratulated NASA astronaut Christina Koch on completion of her 200th day in the ISS.

Christina has been conducting botany research aboard the ISS since 14 March 2019. NASA and ISS have extended her mission until February 2020, leading to a record for the longest single spaceflight by a woman.

Username: Intl. Space Station

Twitter handle: @Space_Station

Retweets: 1,077

Likes: 6,321

6. Jim Bridenstine’s tweet on the development of Space Launch System (SLS) rockets

NASA continues to progress towards its ambitious goal of sending the first woman and the next man to the Moon by 2024. It plans to collaborate with Boeing to develop rocket core stages for Space Launch System (SLS) to support up to ten Artemis missions.

SLS is a super heavy-lift expendable launch vehicle under development. Boeing is currently building SLS core stages for the Artemis I and Artemis II missions. Artemis is a lunar exploration programme, which aims to demonstrate innovative new technologies and capabilities to explore the Moon.

https://twitter.com/JimBridenstine/statuses/1184456731688099840

Username: Jim Bridenstine

‏Twitter handle: @JimBridenstine

Retweets: 471

Likes: 3,005

7. National Air and Space Museum’s tweet on cosmonaut Alexei Leonov

Russian cosmonaut Alexei Leonov, the first person to walk in space, has passed away at the age of 85. He exited the spacecraft for 12 minutes and nine seconds during the Voskhod 2 mission in March 1965.

Leonov also commanded the Soyuz capsule, which docked with an American Apollo command and service module, during the first joint Soviet-US space mission, in July 1975. Alexei Leonov has been awarded the title Hero of the Soviet Union, the highest honorary title in the Soviet Union.

Username: National Air and Space Museum

‏Twitter handle: @airandspace

Retweets: 446

Likes: 1,613

8. First images of US Air Force’s X-37B Orbital Test Vehicle landing at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center

The US Air Force’s (USAF) X-37B Orbital Test Vehicle (OTV) Mission 5 successfully landed on the runway of Shuttle Landing Facility at the NASA’s Kennedy Space Center on 27 October 2019.

The X-37B OTV performed on-orbit trials at low Earth orbit for 780 days during the Mission 5. It is an experimental test vehicle designed to demonstrate reusable, unmanned spacecraft technologies for the USAF. The OTV was first test-launched from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in April 2010.

Username: Spaceflight Now

‏Twitter handle: @SpaceflightNow

Retweets: 410

Likes: 1,251

9. NASA’s Kennedy Space Center’s tweet on the launch of Ionospheric Connection Explorer (ICON) spacecraft

‏A Pegasus XL rocket aboard the Northrop Grumman L-1011 Stargazer aircraft successfully carried NASA’s Ionospheric Connection Explorer (ICON) satellite into orbit through a mid-air lift-off on 10 October 2019.

ICON is destined to study the Earth’s ionosphere atmosphere, where terrestrial weather converges with space weather. The planned mission duration of the spacecraft is two years.

Username: NASA’s Kennedy Space Center

‏Twitter handle: @NASAKennedy

Retweets: 205

Likes: 1,686

10. NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory’s tweet on the development of Mars 2020 spacecraft

Scientists at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) in Pasadena have successfully completed a separation test of the rocket-powered descent stage of the Mars 2020 spacecraft, a Mars rover mission managed by NASA’s Mars Exploration Program (MEP).

Being developed by JPL, the Mars 2020 will collect samples and store them in containers, which will be returned to Earth by a potential future Mars sample-return mission. Scheduled to be launched aboard an Atlas V rocket from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in July 2020, the rover will land at Jezero crater on Mars  in February 2021.

Username: NASA JPL

‏Twitter handle: @NASAJPL

Retweets: 160

Likes: 641