First Twitter message sent from space

Twitter is out of this world — literally. U.S. astronaut Mike Massimino has just sent the first Twitter message from space.

While training for his upcoming mission to service the Hubble Space Telescope, astronaut Mike Massimino (@Astro_Mike) began using Twitter, the popular micro-blogging service, to update his followers on his progress.

if you've been following the news, you know Massimino and six others blasted off on Monday in the space shuttle Atlantis and have begun their mission, which includes a daring spacewalk.

Massimino "tweeted" the following message upon arrival: "Launch was awesome!!," followed by "I am feeling great, working hard, & enjoying the magnificent views, the adventure of a lifetime has begun!"

He's also sent a few more messages since then, which you can also read here.

His latest tweet from orbit: "Getting more accustomed to living in space today and getting ready for our big rendezvous with hubble."

If you're wondering how this is at all possible — because there is no cell phone reception in space, of course – messages are first transmitted to Mission Control at the Lyndon B. Johnson Space Center in Houston, Texas, and NASA then handles the rest.