It's a love that's never faded for Heriberto Reynoso. 

"I began building robots at a very young age, it all started with legos obviously but it transitioned into taking apart household appliances and then messing with RC cars,” Reynoso said.

Building his first robot at 14, Reynoso, applied for a scholarship from NASA in college which eventually turned into an internship and he began working at the jet propulsion laboratory in Pasadena, California to develop a program to control a robotic arm. 

In that same laboratory they were testing the rover that would become perseverance.

"It all starts as a prototype so they loved what I developed for moon rise and they said hey we want something for MSR Mars Sample Return called perseverance," Reynoso said.

So the work began. 

"So we got the same program to control the six wheels, the vision, and the mast which is the robotic arm which is what we use to grab samples from rocks,” Reynoso said.

Those samples will be brought back to earth to see if life was ever on, or could ever live on Mars. 

"It's kind of like a dream come true, most folks, they see that when they're older and they're like oh finally I feel great, my life's work has now been completed. “Reynoso said. “I feel like I was able to get that in about ten year time."

His goal is to mentor students in the Valley now through his company, Reybotics, so the next generation of Valley scientists and engineers can make their mark as well.