." From my earliest childhood years, air travel had always spellbinded me. I lived out in the boonies as well as the farmlands, so I didn't possess next-door neighbors to go and also enjoy with. If I had not been operating, I was actually left to my personal tools, and commonly, I will just be astounded by the animals and also specifically, the birds of prey that I would certainly view." To me, they stood for an independence of some kind or even an additional. These birds as well as the sight they have-- they may absorb so much. Therefore, from that point on, I understood I intended to be associated with tour as well as aviation." I [delighted in] all points flight, all factors spaceflight. I couldn't acquire sufficient of it. I became an avid reader, whereas before, I had not been much of an audience. I couldn't acquire adequate component to review my heroes coming from flight as well as space. They became my good example and also the pathway that they took entailed, at some time or even another, a fairly strenuous education and also devotion to accomplish effectively academically, actually, or athletically. Therefore, I tossed on my own right into that whole entire type of mentality." When I was actually working with the Aviation service, I had the ability to soar as well as work with plane that I will fantasize approximately, checking out in the publications Aviation Full week and Area Modern Technology. Here they are, best in front of me." ... Thus, my profession has actually been actually as close as feasible to that of a flight examination developer. And afterwards, right on the heels of being astounded by atmospherical tour, functioning in human spaceflight has placed me over the Moon.".-- Dr. Donald Mendoza, Main Developer, NASA Design & Safety And Security Facility, NASA's Ames .Picture Credit Rating: NASA/Dominic HartInterviewer: NASA/Thalia Patrinos.Check out a few of our various other Faces of NASA.