." From my earliest childhood years, air travel had actually consistently spellbinded me. I endured in the boonies and the fields, so I really did not have next-door neighbors to go and also enjoy with. If I wasn't operating, I was left to my personal units, as well as commonly, I would only be mesmerized due to the creatures as well as specifically, the beast of preys that I would certainly see." To me, they exemplified a freedom of some kind or yet another. These birds as well as the viewpoint they have-- they can consume a lot. Therefore, from that point on, I understood I desired to be involved in trip and flying." I [delighted in] all things flight, all points spaceflight. I could not receive good enough of it. I came to be an enthusiastic visitor, whereas in the past, I had not been a lot of a viewers. I couldn't acquire enough product to check out my heroes from trip as well as area. They became my shining example and the course that they took entailed, eventually or one more, a fairly thorough education as well as commitment to doing properly academically, literally, or even athletically. So, I tossed on my own into that whole entire kind of mindset." When I was helping the Air Force, I was able to soar as well as service plane that I would hope around, examining in the magazines Aviation Full week and Space Modern Technology. Right here they are actually, right in front of me." ... Thus, my occupation has actually been as close as possible to that of a flight test engineer. And afterwards, precisely the heels of being astounded through atmospheric tour, functioning in human spaceflight has put me over the Moon.".-- Dr. Donald Mendoza, Main Designer, NASA Engineering & Security Facility, NASA's Ames .Image Credit Rating: NASA/Dominic HartInterviewer: NASA/Thalia Patrinos.Take a look at some of our other Faces of NASA.