For baby boomers worldwide, the definitive “where were you when...” moment was the moon landing. My dad (who named the family dog Sputnik) has talked about staying up late to watch it on a black and white television set. The modern experience of space exploration is increasingly being mediated through the lens of social media.

While we don't have iconic words ("one small step…") etched into our memories, we do have these amazing primary sources from tweeting astronauts to the charming, anthropomorphised Philae lander from the European Space Agency.

Now, as we enter an era of privately funded space travel, it's a good time to be alive and watch it unfold on our smartphone screens. Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos, for example, live tweeted the Blue Origin rocket launch, demonstrating a third successful trip for the New Shephard space vehicle. As Twitter user @RussellHannigan said: "Congratulations on the first reuse of a reused fully reusable rocket system!"

https://twitter.com/JeffBezos