." Coming from my earliest childhood years, trip had always astounded me. I survived in the boonies and also the farmlands, so I didn't have next-door neighbors to go as well as have fun with. If I had not been operating, I was left to my very own gadgets, and typically, I will just be spellbinded by the wild animals as well as in particular, the beast of preys that I will find." To me, they represented an independence of some kind or even an additional. These birds and the sight they have-- they can consume so much. So, from that factor on, I recognized I would like to be actually associated with flight and also flying." I [appreciated] all points tour, all traits spaceflight. I could not acquire enough of it. I became a devoted reader, whereas before, I wasn't a lot of a viewers. I couldn't get sufficient component to review my heroes coming from trip and also space. They became my role models as well as the road that they took involved, eventually or one more, a quite strenuous education and learning as well as commitment to perform properly academically, actually, or athletically. So, I tossed on my own in to that whole form of attitude." When I was working with the Flying force, I was able to fly and also work on plane that I would certainly hope about, checking out in the journals Aviation Week and Area Innovation. Below they are, ideal in front of me." ... Thus, my occupation has been actually as close as possible to that of a trip examination engineer. And afterwards, precisely the heels of being actually spellbinded by atmospheric tour, functioning in individual spaceflight has put me over the Moon.".-- Doctor Donald Mendoza, Main Designer, NASA Engineering & Protection Center, NASA's Ames Research Center.Photo Credit Scores: NASA/Dominic HartInterviewer: NASA/Thalia Patrinos.Browse through a number of our various other Faces of NASA.