." From my earliest childhood years, flight had regularly 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 have fun with. If I wasn't functioning, I was delegated to my very own units, and usually, I would certainly only be astounded by the wild animals as well as particularly, the birds of prey that I would certainly see." To me, they represented a freedom of some kind or another. These birds as well as the perspective they possess-- they can absorb a lot. So, coming from that factor on, I recognized I wanted to be actually involved in trip and air travel." I [taken pleasure in] all things tour, all traits spaceflight. I could not receive good enough of it. I came to be a passionate viewers, whereas in the past, I wasn't a lot of a visitor. I couldn't receive adequate material to review my heroes from trip as well as room. They became my shining example and also the road that they took involved, eventually or even an additional, a fairly strenuous education and learning and also dedication to accomplish properly academically, actually, or even athletically. So, I threw on my own right into that whole kind of mentality." When I was actually working with the Flying force, I had the capacity to soar and deal with plane that I will hope about, considering in the journals Flying Full week and Room Innovation. Below they are actually, best before me." ... Thus, my profession has actually been actually as close as achievable to that of a trip exam designer. And afterwards, right on the heels of being astounded through atmospherical tour, functioning in individual spaceflight has actually put me over the Moon.".-- Doctor Donald Mendoza, Main Engineer, NASA Engineering & Protection Facility, NASA's Ames .Picture Credit Score: NASA/Dominic HartInterviewer: NASA/Thalia Patrinos.Visit several of our various other Faces of NASA.