The young engineer known as "the space mechanic" (@THESPACEMECHANIC) shares his gripping story, from his childhood in Ecuador to his work on NASA's Mars 2020 mission. Elio Morillo was four years old when a series of economic and family difficulties forced his mother to leave Ecuador with him. In New York, and later in Puerto Rico, thanks to the sacrifices and unconditional support of his mother, Elio discovered the transformative power of education and effort, as well as friendship and the selfless help of strangers. His determination led him to work at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory for the Mars 2020 Mission, where he was a system tested and operations engineer for the Perseverance rover and Ingenuity, the Mars helicopter. The boy who reached for the stars is a proof that, if you set your mind to it, you too can make your dreams come true, even if they are as big as reaching for the stars. 256 pages pb