Space Force Is Using NASA Spacecraft As A Recruiting Tool
FYI @NASA is becoming more involved with @SpaceForceDoD Watch: https://t.co/Qxvw2yIMK2 There are ads on Facebook but no mention of this military event on a #NASA spacecraft at https://t.co/2QUMRdX0lf or https://t.co/5vdq0rK2Vq @US_SpaceCom @SpaceForceCSO #SpaceForce #USSPACECOM pic.twitter.com/FETGmeiLuA
— NASA Watch (@NASAWatch) February 26, 2020
Keith’s note: NASA and the military have done low level things together for half a century when an astronaut from one of the service branches has flown in space. The two organizations share a common aeronautical and engineering heritage – so this is not at all surprising. But there has always been a clear line denoting NASA’s chartered nature as a civilian organization. But now the brand new Space Force is dialing up that interaction – using NASA imagery on social media to promote a large, national military-themed event on board a NASA (civilian) spacecraft. Oddly NASA is not telling anyone about this event at NASA.gov – it is not on the home page or on the NASA.gov calendar. But it you happen to dig down into the schedule for NASA TV it is listed. NASA overtly promotes events between ISS astronauts and a hundred kids at a grammar school – why not this event? Just sayin’
Meanwhile. it is sort of strage that while the Space Force PR squad is pumping out social media posts with pictures of astronauts in space – and then swearing a bunch of them in – from space – that the deputy Space Force guy says that there is scant opportunity for any recruits to actually go into space. Looks like they need to work on their messaging – this is bit like the old “bait and switch” marketing ploy
Space Force’s second-in-command admits he’s a Star Trek fan but says there’s ‘almost ZERO’ chance for recruits to follow in the footsteps of his heroes and go into space with his organization, Daily Mail
“The Space Force will also have a series of sensors on the ground, hiring 26,000 people with a $12 billion annual budget. But he warned that budding astronauts need not apply. ‘That opportunity to be an astronaut inside the Space Force today is almost zero. The best thing to do if you want to be an astronaut is go talk to NASA,’ he declared. ‘But the rest of the world is going in the direction of the Space Force. We’re talking about remotely piloted aircraft, drones, artificial intelligence, vehicles that operate by remote control or autonomous control — that’s Space Force.'”
They are really missing the boat here. If they are advertising for more recruits, then the most effective advertising they could possibly do is re-name their training facilities and programs to Starfleet Academy. Done. Fait accompli. They would be flooded with recruits! Plus the existing service members who are being transferred to the Space Force would have so much pride!
I know that’s a joke, but I think it’s also part of the Space Force’s problem. Any volunteer who thinks that’s an opportunity to be an astronaut has a very mistaken idea of what the job involves. Badly mistaken enough that I’d wonder about the candidate’s competency (or perhaps sanity.) They need to strike a balance between attracting people who are probably science fiction fans, while avoiding people who actually think “The Martian” is real.
I don’t think this has anything to do with promoting (the bogus) Space Force. They’re just giving the new recruits the thrill of being sworn in by an astronaut in space.
Look at the graphic. Space Force was overtly promoting this event.
Did I miss something? They were giving the oath to Army recruits, not Space Force.
And Space Force is promoting the event on social media.
They are using a NASA project to promote themselves, but is this the first time the military has done so? I seem to remember a number of on-orbit jokes by astronauts, seconded to NASA from the Air Force or Navy, about their services and things like the Army-Navy football game. That’s not quite the same thing as a swearing in ceremony, but it could be considered promoting the services and recruiting.
The Army is, not the Space Force.