London - It promises to let you “capture and share the world's moments”, but never before has a new Instagram user been so well positioned to do just that.
Nasa has launched its first official profile on the photo-sharing website, and vows to take its fans on “an out-of-this-world journey through images of Earth and beyond”.
Already a seasoned user of Twitter with around 4.8 million followers, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration agency timed its first foray into the world of selfies and retro light filters to coincide with a launch of a more traditional nature - a mission to the Moon.
With US government budgets still suffering following the very Earth-bound economic crisis, the space agency is having to work harder than ever to appeal to a wider public and persuade people of its ongoing relevance.
Nasa spokeswoman Lauren Worley said: “We're constantly looking to expand our social media portfolio to include tools that will best tell Nasa's story of exploration and discovery.
“Instagram has a passionate following of users who are hungry for new and exciting photos.”
Nasa has shared eight photos so far - and received around 65 000 followers. Combined with its strong presences on Facebook, Google+, YouTube, Flickr and others, the agency says it is doing better than ever at “engaging and inspiring the public”. - The Independent