Nat Geo Mundo Taps Mexican Astronaut for New Show

Rodolfo Neri Vela to Helm ‘Universo Desconocido'

By Laura Martinez -- Multichannel News, 1/18/2012 3:54:25 PM

Nat Geo Mundo has tapped Rodolfo Neri Vela, Mexico's first astronaut, as host of Universo Desconocido (Unknown Universe) a new show that premiered Jan. 15 and airs Fridays at 9 p.m.

To hype up the event among the Spanish-speaking crowd, Nat Geo Mundo hosted a live streaming-video session Jan. 12 with Neri Vela himself. He used social media to engage with Nat Geo Mundo's some 5 million Facebook fans.

In eight episodes, Neri Vela hopes to clear up several doubts regarding space and help to educate Latin Americans on the wonders of space travel.

Neri Vela in 1985 flew aboard a U.S. Space Shuttle mission, becoming the first and only Mexican and the second Latin American to travel to space.