I'm guessing the thought keeping #NASA from setting up an instance is the upkeep & security of an insurance.
Joining an existing instance today isn't a good idea. Instances are in the hands of volunteers which can end up being a P.R. problem. (For anyone wondering)
Also, #Mastodon is popular now but not a household name like the #Birdsite. They might be betting that things might change over at the coop & people will just migrate back.
@JoelMon @peterdutoit @roadskater Are any US federal agencies on the Fediverse yet? I would think that there might be a bunch of red tape issues: I believe usually government agencies are only supposed to use services that have gone through a specific (I think onerous) process called FedRamp, which entails some requirements on specific functionality. Also the issue of federation could be tricky for the government, as they are not supposed to show favoritism or promote certain viewpoints above others (the same reason why blocking people is fraught for government accounts).
@internic @JoelMon @peterdutoit I have seen a few members of Congress posting from Mastodon accounts, but otherwise, federal agencies etc. Nope.