NASA needs a new PR image
December 3, 2008 by ShannonCherry
Filed under Marketing
Do you know that it’s the 10th anniversary of the International Space Station?
Yeah, I didn’t either.
The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) has a PR problem: no one cares about them.
It’s a sad, sad thing. I remember as a kid sitting in from to the TV watching all the astronaut missions to the moon, as well as many of the space shuttle flights. It was exciting, and the excitement was contageous.
And now, the only time NASA gets any coverage is when someone screws up. For example, on the most recent mission, a $100,000 toolkit was lost. That was the big news story of the day.
So what’s NASA to do? I think it’s time for a nice PR stunt, perhaps a contest for someone to join on a shuttle mission? Perhaps a new theme song? Or somehow get James T. Kirk on the horn and have him battle some new alien life form. (Personally I am a Picard fan, but heard recently he’s with Dr. Who on another mission.)
What do you think can help create some buzz for this once great organization?
Image credit: Brian Sloane on Flickr
- Open Source a key subsystem’s design and testing.
- Get into a limited partnership on high risk aspects with the private companies launching rockets
- Attempt something audacious!
Tough break NASA! Wasn’t there hype about return trips to the moon? Unfortunately, I think NASA has moved past that idea. I’m not sure NASA has enough funds for extraterrestrial publicity exploration. Keeping it closer to home (earth) might be the best idea for NASA. THe Ansari X Prize generated a lot of talk throughout the tech community. Perhaps Nasa should partner up with the X prize foundation. They may get the publicity they need and better systems and equipment for future missions.