Gen Y's crusade to make NASA fun again

It wasn't long ago that patriotism, idealism and job security helped to fill the halls of NASA with some of our nation’s brightest young people—including, for the sake of disclosure, my mom. But things change, national priorities shift, and government agencies like NASA now face the daunting task of attracting a new generation of stellar employees.  Recently, four young NASA workers created a slideshow called “Generation Y Perspectives,” which has both earned praise and raised hackles throughout the space industry. The presentation (which you can download here) is a lucid and earnest appeal for NASA to re-ignite the enthusiasm for space by reaching out directly to today’s hyper-connected youth. The authors have even started the ball rolling by overhauling the OpenNASA blog and launching a Twitter feed. Their other marketing-savvy suggestions include having astronauts Twitter from space and letting kids control a Mars rover from their classroom. Not surprisingly, there’s been some backlash from those who feel the Gen Yers are being “self-indulgent, short-sighted, arrogant and brash.” But if they were truly self-indulgent, wouldn’t these young idealists have bypassed NASA and be comfortably employed somewhere that’s focused daily on appealing to new generations? Like, say, any corporation that cares about its future?

—Posted by David Griner

March 25, 2008 in Griner | Permalink