Meet the host of NASA's first Spanish-language podcast

The teams at NASA make discoveries and explore galaxies, and soon the agency will have a new venture here on Earth.

The first episode of Universo Curioso de la NASA was a bonus for a series on the launch of the James Webb Space Telescope, according to host Noelia Gonzlez.

NASA had never done a Spanish episode before. We kept going from there.

NASA en Espaol aims to include the voices of Spanish-speaking scientists and engineers as well as share science with the Spanish-speaking community. The team wants to compete in the podcasting space next year with more episodes and with consistent release dates that don't rely on other mission timelines, like the Artemis I launch earlier this month.

NASA will take them on a journey through the universe in their language, and that's how Gonzlez starts the show.

"Bienvenidos a un nuevo episodio de Universo Curioso de la NASA, en el idioma." NASA es tu turstica a las estrellas.

González wants to inspire new audiences

Gonzlez studied science writing at the UC Berkeley graduate school of journalism. She wants to show the Spanish that space is for everyone.

The Hispanic community has contributed to the agency in some way.

The figures are visible. There are people there. Gonzlez says they are trying to put them forward and talk about their story.

#Artemis I ya aguarda el despegue desde la plataforma de lanzamiento en @NASAKennedy.



Aprovecha la cuenta regresiva para aprender más sobre esta misión histórica con este episodio de Universo Curioso de la NASA: https://t.co/wGnLOdd2sD 🎧 pic.twitter.com/daceW3PJzd

— NASA en español (@NASA_es) November 15, 2022

She spoke with Ivette Rivera Aponte about the brainpower behind the mission as part of the Artemis I show.

When the interviewer talked about the future, she became a bit overwhelmed.

"She said that the kids that are now in school are the ones who are going to take us to Mars." When we communicate in Spanish, we have that in mind as well.

According to a statement provided to NPR, the Spanish-language arm of NASA's communications team was formed in 2019.

NASA's goal with NASA en Espaol is to reach Spanish-speaking audiences in the US and around the world who may not be familiar with the work NASA is doing.

It's an opportunity to showcase how NASA's Hispanic experts contribute to its missions and inform audiences about how NASA projects affect their daily lives, from the production of the food they eat to their general understanding of the universe.

The team wants to show how diverse Latin America is.

I've interviewed experts from several countries. I'm from the South American country of Uruguay. Latin America or Spain is where many of them are from. The process that led them to where they are now is what they can talk about.

Aponte was raised in Long Island and studied civil engineering at the University of Puerto Rico.

You'll find González in other NASA media, too

Gonzlez and her colleagues have developed content explaining what NASA does in space for humans on Earth.

NASA en Espaol's explainer on weather data collection can be found on the NASA en Espaol YouTube channel.

There is a baseline explanation in Spanish about how NASA's data-collecting instruments can provide life-saving assistance with storm intensity forecasts. A guide for Spanish speakers living in areas prone to hurricanes is included.

The ultimate goal is to help communities better prepare for natural disasters like these.

She doesn't want the launch of Universo Curioso to be slowed down.

There is more to come. She says that they will highlight the agency's most exciting missions and give an intimate, behind-the-scenes access to the people working on them.

Es un pequeo para Gonzlez.