Elio Morillo

Elio Morillo is an Ecuadorian-born immigrant, space systems engineer, author, and advocate for Latino leadership in STEM. Raised in Puerto Rico and New York City, he earned his degrees in Mechanical Engineering and Systems Engineering & Design from the University of Michigan before joining NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory. At JPL, Elio helped lead the Mars 2020 mission, testing the Perseverance rover and working on the Ingenuity Mars helicopter, where he authored the sequence that woke the helicopter for its first historic flight on another planet.

Today, Elio serves as Avionics Test Manager at Blue Origin, where he leads integration and testing of lunar landers that will help return humanity to the Moon. He is also the award-winning author of The Boy Who Reached for the Stars (HarperCollins), where he shares his inspiring life journey from Ecuador to NASA and Blue Origin.

Beyond engineering, Elio is a Lifetime Member of the Society of Hispanic Professional Engineers and an active advocate for diversity, equity, and inclusion. Through mentorship, media appearances, social media, and keynote talks, he empowers the next generation of leaders to break barriers, embrace resilience, and boldly pursue their dreams—both on Earth and among the stars.