." From my earliest childhood, air travel had actually regularly captivated me. I endured in the boonies and also the fields, so I really did not have neighbors to go as well as enjoy with. If I wasn't operating, I was actually delegated to my personal gadgets, and also frequently, I would certainly merely be actually mesmerized due to the wildlife and specifically, the beast of preys that I would find." To me, they worked with a freedom of some kind or even an additional. These birds and also the view they possess-- they may absorb a lot. So, coming from that point on, I recognized I desired to be actually involved in trip as well as flying." I [delighted in] all factors air travel, all points spaceflight. I could not receive enough of it. I became an avid visitor, whereas before, I had not been much of an audience. I could not acquire enough component to review my heroes coming from flight as well as area. They became my good example and also the road that they took involved, eventually or even yet another, a rather thorough education and dedication to accomplish well academically, physically, or athletically. Therefore, I tossed myself right into that whole sort of state of mind." When I was actually working for the Flying force, I had the capacity to soar and also work on airplane that I would certainly hope approximately, examining in the publications Flying Full week as well as Space Modern Technology. Below they are actually, ideal in front of me." ... Therefore, my job has been actually as close as possible to that of a flight exam designer. And afterwards, precisely the heels of being captivated through atmospherical air travel, operating in human spaceflight has actually placed me over the Moon.".-- Dr. Donald Mendoza, Principal Engineer, NASA Design & Protection Center, NASA's Ames Research Center.Photo Credit Score: NASA/Dominic HartInterviewer: NASA/Thalia Patrinos.Browse through some of our various other Faces of NASA.