." Coming from my earliest childhood, air travel had constantly captivated me. I endured in the boonies and also the fields, so I really did not possess neighbors to go and also have fun with. If I had not been functioning, I was actually entrusted to my own gadgets, and also usually, I would certainly only be actually captivated due to the animals as well as specifically, the birds of prey that I would observe." To me, they exemplified a liberty of some kind or even one more. These birds and also the view they possess-- they can enjoy so much. Therefore, coming from that point on, I understood I wanted to be associated with tour and flying." I [taken pleasure in] all things air travel, all points spaceflight. I couldn't get good enough of it. I became an enthusiastic reader, whereas in the past, I wasn't much of a reader. I could not acquire sufficient component to check out my heroes from flight and room. They became my good example as well as the pathway that they took included, eventually or another, a rather strenuous education and learning and also devotion to perform properly academically, physically, or even athletically. Therefore, I tossed myself into that whole form of frame of mind." When I was actually benefiting the Air Force, I had the ability to fly as well as focus on plane that I would certainly dream about, considering in the journals Aviation Week and Room Technology. Right here they are actually, best facing me." ... So, my profession has been as close as achievable to that of a tour exam designer. And after that, directly on the heels of being spellbinded through atmospherical tour, operating in human spaceflight has actually placed me over the Moon.".-- Doctor Donald Mendoza, Chief Engineer, NASA Design & Protection Center, NASA's Ames Research Center.Graphic Credit Scores: NASA/Dominic HartInterviewer: NASA/Thalia Patrinos.Have a look at a number of our various other Images of NASA.