The Boy Who Reached for the Stars (Paperback)

Elio Morillo

ISBN 10: 0063214326 / ISBN 13: 9780063214323

Published by HarperCollins Publishers Inc, New York, 2026

About this Item

Paperback. Inspiring and joyous.People"Heartwarming . . . infectious . . . Morillo's The Boy Who Reached for the Stars is every bit the inspiration he means it to be."Kirkus ReviewsThe engineer known as the space mechanic speaks to both our future and past in this breathless memoir of his journey from Ecuador to NASA and beyond.Elio Morillos life is abruptly spun out of orbit when economic collapse and personal circumstances compel his mother to flee Ecuador for the United States in search of a better future for her son. His itinerant childhood sets into motion a migration that will ultimately carry Elio to the farthest expanse of human endeavor: space.Overcoming a history of systemic adversity and inequality in public education, Elio forged ahead on a journey as indebted to his galactic dreams as to a loving mother whose sacrifices safeguarded the ground beneath his feet. Today, Elio is helping drive human expansion into the solar system and promote the future of human innovationfrom AI and robotics to space infrastructure and equitable access.The Boy Who Reached the Stars is both a cosmic and intimate memoir spun from a constellation of memories, reflections, and intrepid curiosity, as thoroughly luminous as the stars above. Shipping may be from multiple locations in the US or from the UK, depending on stock availability.

Seller Inventory # 9780063214323

Bibliographic Details

• Title: The Boy Who Reached for the Stars (Paperback)
• Publisher: HarperCollins Publishers Inc, New York
• Publication Date: 2026
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 0063214326
• ISBN 13: 9780063214323
• Binding: Paperback
• Condition: new

About this title

Synopsis

“Inspiring and joyous.”—People

"Heartwarming . . . infectious . . . Morillo's The Boy Who Reached for the Stars is every bit the inspiration he means it to be."—Kirkus Reviews

The engineer known as the “space mechanic” speaks to both our future and past in this breathless memoir of his journey from Ecuador to NASA and beyond.

Elio Morillo’s life is abruptly spun out of orbit when economic collapse and personal circumstances compel his mother to flee Ecuador for the United States in search of a better future for her son. His itinerant childhood sets into motion a migration that will ultimately carry Elio to the farthest expanse of human endeavor: space.

Overcoming a history of systemic adversity and inequality in public education, Elio forged ahead on a journey as indebted to his galactic dreams as to a loving mother whose sacrifices safeguarded the ground beneath his feet. Today, Elio is helping drive human expansion into the solar system and promote the future of human innovation—from AI and robotics to space infrastructure and equitable access.

The Boy Who Reached the Stars is both a cosmic and intimate memoir spun from a constellation of memories, reflections, and intrepid curiosity, as thoroughly luminous as the stars above.

About the Author

Elio Morillo is a space systems engineer at Blue Origin. Previously he worked at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory on the Mars 2020 mission, where he was a system testbed and operations engineer for the Perseverance rover and Ingenuity, the Mars helicopter. Born in Ecuador and raised in Puerto Rico and New York, Elio graduated from the University of Michigan with an undergraduate degree in mechanical engineering and a minor in electrical engineering as well as a master’s in systems engineering and design. In his free time, he enjoys giving talks on space, volunteering, and mentoring. Elio is passionate about exploration, expansion, and equitable access to space.