Space

Ana Luisa Monge-Naranjo and Bruce James Callow show us that dreams we had as kids do come true. In their book "Hacia las estrellas: Costa Rica en la NASA" (“From the stars: Costa Rica in the NASA”) they tell the stories of 13 Costa Ricans who have reached for the stars and fulfilled their dream of working for the NASA (National Aeronautics and Space Administration).

The satellite, named Project Irazú in honor of one of Costa Rican’s iconic volcanoes, was built by the Central American Aeronautics and Space Association (ACAE) and the Costa Rican Technological Institute (TEC).

The CubeSat1U satellite was developed to help Costa Rican scientists gather information about the country’s efforts to mitigate carbon emissions.

The VASIMR engine being developed by Costa Rican physicist Franklin Chang Díaz is one step closer to proving itself the best technology for propelling the next generation of spacecraft.

You've heard of Franklin Chang and Sandra Cauffman, but Costa Rica has sent other talents to NASA as well. Listen in on our chat with three Tico rockstar scientists.

Tico engineers will be responsible for the satellite's final assembly that will take place here during the second half of this year.