<html><head><meta http-equiv="content-type" content="text/html; charset=utf-8"></head><body style="overflow-wrap: break-word; -webkit-nbsp-mode: space; line-break: after-white-space;"><div dir="auto" style="overflow-wrap: break-word; -webkit-nbsp-mode: space; line-break: after-white-space;"><div dir="auto" style="overflow-wrap: break-word; -webkit-nbsp-mode: space; line-break: after-white-space;"><div dir="auto" style="overflow-wrap: break-word; -webkit-nbsp-mode: space; line-break: after-white-space;"><div dir="auto" style="overflow-wrap: break-word; -webkit-nbsp-mode: space; line-break: after-white-space;"><font face="Gill Sans" size="4">Hi all,</font><div><br></div><div><font face="Gill Sans" size="4"> I’m on a flight to Brazil... Rio de Janeiro, Campos dos Goytacazes,<span class="xt0psk2"><span style="border: 1pt none windowtext; padding: 0in;"> Santa Maria Madalena,</span></span> Criciúma, Içara, Macapa, & São Paulo…it is my first International trip of the year…I actually had trips planned every month but for various reasons they all were postponed…I tried to limit trips to 2 weeks and give myself more time at home, so many projects awaiting but this is almost 4 weeks…I’ve often said my favorite country is always the country I’m in because I only focus on where I am and enjoy every minute…Norway really launched my international speaking career but Brazil skyrocketed it to a level that is beyond my icomprehensionn…the main reason it going to other countries I only focus on schools….it is the same in Brazil but I have three avenues of reaching the kids…I believe this is my 27th trip to Brazil, been to well over a hundred cities, visited hundreds of schools, and it has been so very special. </font></div><div><font face="Gill Sans" size="4"> I’m also dealing with some physical limitations due to knee issues which makes it a challenge to get around…on these trips, they are full speed every day, going from school to school, city to city, many long drives and long flights…it is critical to be able to get around quickly to stay up with all the events…I started this news letter about 17 years ago…it was a few friends sharing the magic of NASA and Kennedy Space Center…it is amazing that it now has around 1400 members in about 18 countries….I know some of you are still with me from the beginning…over this time, no matter what happened in my life, I’ve always share it…surgeries, cancer, car wrecks, major back and neck injuries…just life and the challenges it presents…the goal has always been the same…stay positive, be thankful, and keep smiling…so often you would share it with the kids and I would get so many sweet well wishes…how can I not feel so fortunate…</font></div><div><font face="Gill Sans" size="4"><br></font></div><div><font face="Gill Sans" size="4"> The Space Program continues to grow…at KSC there are launches every week, sometime 2 a week, sometimes 2 a day…it is wonderful…it never gets old…the most fun is sharing it with some of you who visit and we get to see a launch…today was amazing as Space X launched its Mega rocket for the first time…try to imagine, the NASA Artemis mission with the SLS rocket, the most powerful rocket ever launched just last year….the Space X rocket is more than twice as powerful…it was in Texas so we did not see it live but watched with millions of others as the countdown went to zero….the engines fired….it seemed like it took forever to lift off….there were so much flames I thought it was burning up on the pad but it did launch and everything went well until separation of the ship from the rocket…this did not happen….it started tumbling and had to be destroyed….</font></div><div><font face="Gill Sans" size="4"><br></font></div><div><font face="Gill Sans" size="4">It is now Wednesday, as so often happens, I start this with the intention of finishing it but get side tracked…so we will try today….I am on my way to a school, my fifth one, it has been amazing…the kids are so wonderful…I always say, I can not explain it but I feel it…AND LOVE IT…it pushes me to do more…today is Friday…I will get this to you…</font></div><div><font face="Gill Sans" size="4"><br></font></div><div><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><span style="color: rgb(5, 5, 5);"><font face="Gill Sans" size="4">We have to stay positive and always be thankful… remembering to do our best, enjoy everything we do, believe in ourselves, and let those we care about most know (I always say this, we all need to take it to heart…hugs and smiles. STAY SAFE, TAKE CARE, Love ya, Gabe</font></span><span style="font-size: 16pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; color: rgb(5, 5, 5);"><o:p></o:p></span></p></div><div><font face="Gill Sans" size="4"><br></font></div><div><font face="HelveticaNeue" style="font-size: 21px;"><font color="#ff2600">To see the ISS from your home:</font> <a href="https://spotthestation.nasa.gov/">https://spotthestation.nasa.gov/</a></font></div><div><br></div><div><h3 class="entry-title mh-posts-large-title" style="font-family: "Open Sans", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-style: inherit; font-variant-caps: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; font-size: 1.5rem; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: 1.3; vertical-align: baseline;"><a href="https://spaceflightnow.com/2023/04/20/spacex-launches-largest-rocket-ever-built-but-test-flight-ends-in-explosion/" title="SpaceX launches largest rocket ever built, but test flight ends in explosion" rel="bookmark" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant-caps: inherit; font-weight: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); text-decoration: none;">SpaceX launches largest rocket ever built, but test flight ends in explosion</a></h3><div class="mh-meta entry-meta" style="font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant-caps: inherit; margin: 5px 0px 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; font-size: 0.8125rem; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; color: rgb(151, 151, 151);"><span class="entry-meta-date updated" style="margin: 0px 10px 0px 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant-caps: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: inherit; vertical-align: baseline;"><span class="fa fa-clock-o" style="margin: 0px 5px 0px 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; font-family: FontAwesome; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: normal; line-height: 1; vertical-align: baseline; display: inline-block; text-rendering: auto; -webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased;"></span><a href="https://spaceflightnow.com/2023/04/" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant-caps: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; color: rgb(151, 151, 151); text-decoration: none;">April 20, 2023</a></span></div></div><div><figure class="mh-posts-large-thumb" style="margin: 0px 0px 10px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; font-family: "Open Sans", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; position: relative;"><a class="mh-thumb-icon" href="https://spaceflightnow.com/2023/04/20/spacex-launches-largest-rocket-ever-built-but-test-flight-ends-in-explosion/" title="SpaceX launches largest rocket ever built, but test flight ends in explosion" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant-caps: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); text-decoration: none; display: block; position: relative; width: 678.046875px; height: 381px; overflow: hidden;"></a></figure></div></div></div></div></div></body></html>