." From my earliest youth, air travel had consistently captivated me. I survived in the boonies as well as the fields, so I failed to possess next-door neighbors to go and enjoy with. If I wasn't functioning, I was delegated to my own gadgets, as well as usually, I would only be mesmerized due to the wildlife and specifically, the raptors that I would find." To me, they exemplified an independence of some kind or an additional. These birds as well as the scenery they have-- they can take in a lot. So, coming from that aspect on, I recognized I would like to be associated with tour and aeronautics." I [taken pleasure in] all points tour, all things spaceflight. I could not acquire enough of it. I came to be a devoted reader, whereas in the past, I had not been a lot of a viewers. I couldn't acquire sufficient product to read about my heroes coming from tour and also space. They became my role models as well as the road that they took entailed, at some point or yet another, a quite strenuous education and devotion to perform effectively academically, actually, or even athletically. Thus, I threw myself in to that whole entire type of attitude." When I was actually working for the Flying force, I managed to fly and also deal with aircraft that I would certainly fantasize approximately, considering in the magazines Aeronautics Week as well as Area Technology. Below they are actually, right before me." ... Therefore, my occupation has actually been actually as close as feasible to that of a flight test designer. And afterwards, right on the heels of being astounded through climatic trip, working in human spaceflight has set me over the Moon.".-- Physician Donald Mendoza, Principal Developer, NASA Engineering & Safety And Security Center, NASA's Ames Research Center.Image Credit History: NASA/Dominic HartInterviewer: NASA/Thalia Patrinos.Have a look at a few of our various other Faces of NASA.