ISRO boosts presence in social media

The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) is increasing its presence on social media – Facebook and Twitter – to create awareness about its space programmes and other initiatives.ISRO initiated an experimental social media campaign on Facebook for its Mars Orbiter Mission in October to to spread information about the objectives, mission milestones and accomplishments. The page (www.facebook.com/isromom) garnered nearly 3 lakh followers in two months. Social media platforms offer an ‘unprecedented’ opportunity to connect with individuals. It is prudent to extend the scope of this experiment to the entire space programme and enhance the public outreach of ISRO, said B.R. Guruprasad, Public Relations Officer, ISRO. ISRO’s social media pages on Facebook and Twitter will create awareness on the objectives, mission milestones and accomplishments of ISRO’s key programmes and initiatives. It will also provide mission updates in near real time, says a press release. ISROMOM – the previously created Facebook page on the Mars Orbiter Mission – will continue, the new social media pages (on Facebook and Twitter) can be reached from ISRO web portal or directly through www.facebook.com/isroofficial and www.twitter.com/isroofficial. ISRO has clarified that it does not take any responsibility for any content hosted on the fake and illegitimate social media pages bearing the names of ISRO, Mangalyaan and Bhuvan, the release said.