Full post below.<\/strong><\/p>\nIt\u2019s hard to believe it\u2019s time to say goodbye after 25 years at NASA \u2014 and what a ride it\u2019s been.<\/p>\n
I\u2019ve wanted to work at NASA \u2013 National Aeronautics and Space Administration since I was five years old, sitting in front of the TV in 1970 watching the Apollo 13 crisis unfold in real time. Even as a kid, I was completely captivated \u2014 by the astronauts, the mission control teams, and the sheer courage and ingenuity on display. That moment lit a spark that never went out.<\/p>\n
I still remember my very first day at NASA JPL, walking in with that mix of awe and nerves, wondering if I\u2019d ever feel like I belonged, imposter syndrome is a true feeling. Then came my first visit and detail at NASA HQ \u2014 surreal doesn\u2019t even begin to cover it.<\/p>\n
Over the years, I\u2019ve had the incredible privilege of witnessing and being a part of some unforgettable moments: the landing of the Mars rover (still gives me chills), watching shuttle launches in person, experiencing the total eclipse with the Heliophysics team from NASA Goddard Space Flight Center Goddard, and countless other launches that reminded me why space never stops being inspiring. One of the most surreal moments was meeting some of the Apollo 13 crew \u2014 standing in front of the very people who sparked that childhood dream.<\/p>\n
The last chapter of my journey, working in Heliophysics, brought new challenges and discoveries that pushed me in ways I didn\u2019t expect. Being appointed to the NASA Advisory Committee was a true honor \u2014 a chance to give back to the community that gave me so much. Special shout out to Antti Pulkkinen and Gina A. DiBraccio<\/p>\n
This isn\u2019t just a goodbye to a workplace \u2014 it\u2019s a farewell to a whole era of my life. I\u2019m leaving with a full heart, deep gratitude, and memories I\u2019ll carry with me always. My last day will be October 1st of this year, and while I may be stepping away from the day-to-day, I\u2019ll always be cheering for this amazing community from the sidelines.<\/p>\n
As I look toward what\u2019s next, I\u2019m open to remote opportunities where I can continue to contribute, collaborate, and stay curious. If you hear of anything or just want to connect, please don\u2019t hesitate to reach out.<\/p>\n
Thank you to everyone who\u2019s been part of this ride \u2014 for your brilliance, your kindness, and for making NASA feel like home.<\/p>\n
Clear skies,
Eddie from NASA<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Keith\u2019s note: the pace at which people are leaving NASA is going up. People with 25 years like…\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":36811,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[8],"tags":[29619,29989,916,2578,15819,159,67,132,68],"class_list":{"0":"post-36810","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-science","8":"tag-drp","9":"tag-eddie-gonzales","10":"tag-nasa","11":"tag-personnel","12":"tag-rif","13":"tag-science","14":"tag-united-states","15":"tag-unitedstates","16":"tag-us"},"share_on_mastodon":{"url":"https:\/\/pubeurope.com\/@us\/114792416163268536","error":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/36810","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=36810"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/36810\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/36811"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=36810"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=36810"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=36810"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}
![\"Farewell](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/EddieFromNASA.png\")
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