." From my earliest childhood years, flight had constantly mesmerized me. I lived out in the boonies as well as the farmlands, so I really did not possess next-door neighbors to go as well as enjoy with. If I had not been functioning, I was delegated my very own units, and also commonly, I would certainly simply be actually spellbinded due to the wild animals and especially, the beast of preys that I will observe." To me, they worked with a freedom of some kind or one more. These birds and the view they have-- they can absorb so much. Therefore, coming from that aspect on, I recognized I would like to be actually involved in air travel and also air travel." I [delighted in] all traits air travel, all traits spaceflight. I could not get enough of it. I became an enthusiastic audience, whereas before, I wasn't much of an audience. I could not acquire enough product to review my heroes coming from flight as well as space. They became my role models as well as the course that they took entailed, at some time or even one more, a fairly thorough education and learning and devotion to perform effectively academically, physically, or even athletically. Thus, I tossed on my own into that entire type of frame of mind." When I was actually benefiting the Aviation service, I had the capacity to fly and service plane that I would fantasize around, examining in the magazines Aviation Full week and Space Modern Technology. Listed below they are, appropriate in front of me." ... Therefore, my job has actually been actually as close as achievable to that of a tour test developer. And then, exactly on the heels of being captivated by atmospherical tour, doing work in human spaceflight has put me over the Moon.".-- Doctor Donald Mendoza, Main Engineer, NASA Design & Safety Facility, NASA's Ames Research Center.Photo Credit Rating: NASA/Dominic HartInterviewer: NASA/Thalia Patrinos.Take a look at some of our other Faces of NASA.