." From my earliest childhood, trip had actually regularly captivated me. I survived in the boonies and also the fields, so I didn't possess neighbors to go and also play with. If I had not been functioning, I was left to my personal gadgets, as well as commonly, I would certainly just be actually mesmerized by the wildlife and also especially, the birds of prey that I would certainly see." To me, they embodied a flexibility of some kind or even yet another. These birds as well as the sight they have-- they can absorb a great deal. So, coming from that factor on, I understood I intended to be actually associated with trip and also aeronautics." I [appreciated] all points flight, all points spaceflight. I could not get enough of it. I ended up being a passionate viewers, whereas in the past, I had not been a lot of an audience. I could not acquire sufficient material to check out my heroes from trip and room. They became my good example and the course that they took entailed, at some time or even one more, a rather extensive learning as well as devotion to perform properly academically, physically, or even athletically. So, I tossed on my own right into that whole form of frame of mind." When I was actually helping the Flying force, I managed to soar and service aircraft that I will fantasize about, checking out in the journals Air travel Week and Area Modern Technology. Listed here they are, ideal in front of me." ... Therefore, my job has been as close as possible to that of a flight examination designer. And after that, precisely the heels of being astounded by atmospheric tour, doing work in human spaceflight has placed me over the Moon.".-- Doctor Donald Mendoza, Chief Engineer, NASA Design & Safety Facility, NASA's Ames Research Center.Graphic Credit Scores: NASA/Dominic HartInterviewer: NASA/Thalia Patrinos.Look at a few of our other Faces of NASA.