The boy who reached for the stars: a memoir

Introduction

Launchpad: from Ecuador to the unknown

Landing site selection: New York

Pad reconstruction: Puerto Rico and the kindness of strangers

Ground support: Adverse weather conditions

Load and go: The academic dynamics that shaped my dreams

Defying initial conditions: Built to be tougher than expected

Launch vehicle rollout: Developing an empire state of mind

Final countdown: Education, the silver bullet to poverty

Liftoff: Skyrocketing to my dreams

Mission Control Center: The data that helped shape my identity

Max pressure: Inching closer to real-world results

Cruise phrase: Mastering engineering while monitoring a family reality

Trajectory correction: Preparing to reach for the stars

Entry, descent, and landing: The Rover, the helicopter, and me

Surface operations: Searching for joy

Epilogue: Beaming toward a compassionate future.