Astronaut who made first tweet from space spoke to students in Tempe

TEMPE, Ariz. (KSAZ) - Twitter has been around for years, but the very first tweet from outer space was not posted, until a few years later. That tweeet was posted by astronaut Michael Massimino, and on Friday, Massimino was in the Valley to talk to students about STEM (Science, Technology, Eengineering, and Mathematics) education.

Speaking to a room full of teenagers, Massimino shared his experiences in outer space.

"I got to fly twice on the shuttle to the Hubble Space Telescope," said Massimino. "Got to space walk in each one of my missions. Just an extraordinary thing to do."

For students at Corona del Sol High School, Massimino's message was about the importance of STEM education.

"Trying to encourage them to pursue math and science as a a career, if that's what they're interested in," said Massimino. "If they're interested in something else, that's great too."

It was one mission in particular that may have resonated the most with students on Friday. Eight years ago, Massimino was faced with a unique task, by becoming the first person ever to tweet from outer space.

"The first tweet was sent in 2009 from Space Shuttle," said Massimino. "Back then, what we did was contact with the ground, send that tweet through an email, sent through a satellite system."

To this day, Massimino's tweet is still viewable from his verified Twitter account.

(Can't see this tweet? Click here)

Massimino said tweeting from outer space has gotten a lot easier since his tweet. Now, astronauts can send stuff to the ground immediately, and receive messages right away.

Massimino, however, is immortalized in history, having created a lasting legacy for future astronauts to come.

"I think social media has played a big role in the space program, it that it makes it more accessible to people," said Massimino. "My friends on the space station right now are tweeting and using Instagram. That a great way to communicate with people and share your experiences."