US space agency NASA is releasing the first full season of its Spanish-language podcast Universo curioso de la NASA tomorrow, as part of Hispanic Heritage Month.
The five-episode season, hosted by NASA Goddard Space Flight Center communications specialist Noelia González, will explore contributions from the agency’s Hispanic and Latino workforce, highlighting milestones and top missions such as NASA astronaut Frank Rubio’s return to earth after breaking the record for the longest single space flight by an American astronaut, as well as featuring interviews with NASA experts.
“Inspiring the world through discovery is at the core of who we are at NASA, and it starts with ensuring that space is accessible for all,” said Dr. Nicola Fox, associate administrator of NASA Washington’s Science Mission Directorate.
“The Universo curioso de la NASA podcast shares the incredible stories from NASA’s Hispanic and Latino workforce with Spanish-speaking audiences from around the world so the next generation – the Artemis Generation – is inspired to join us as we explore air and space for the benefit of all.”
This is the first complete season for the podcast, following its launch in 2021 as a joint initiative with the agency’s Spanish-language communications and audio programs. It was initially launched as part of the agency’s Spanish coverage of the launch of the James Webb Space Telescope, followed by two additional episodes highlighting the agency’s milestones in 2022.
According to Edison Research’s Latino Podcast Listener Report 2022, 34% of US Latinos are monthly podcast listeners, which is just 4% lower than the total US population, and 64% of those listeners have listened to a podcast that was mostly in Spanish, showing a high demand for Spanish-language podcasts.
“It’s no coincidence that the first agency-wide podcast that NASA has launched since 2020 is in Spanish, the second most-spoken language in the U.S. and globally," said NASA chief of staff Susie Perez Quinn.
“Spanish speakers worldwide are listening to more and more podcasts, and we’re excited to bring the thrill and wonder of NASA’s groundbreaking missions and their impact on our daily lives to even more audiences.”
