." From my earliest childhood years, flight had regularly spellbinded me. I lived out in the boonies and the farmlands, so I failed to have next-door neighbors to go as well as enjoy with. If I had not been working, I was delegated my own tools, and also frequently, I would certainly only be actually mesmerized by the animals and specifically, the raptorial birds that I would certainly observe." To me, they embodied a flexibility of some kind or an additional. These birds as well as the viewpoint they have-- they may consume so much. So, coming from that factor on, I recognized I wished to be actually involved in tour and also flying." I [delighted in] all traits tour, all things spaceflight. I couldn't get enough of it. I ended up being a devoted audience, whereas previously, I had not been a lot of an audience. I couldn't get enough product to review my heroes from tour as well as room. They became my shining example and also the pathway that they took entailed, eventually or yet another, a rather strenuous education as well as dedication to accomplish well academically, actually, or athletically. Thus, I threw myself right into that whole type of frame of mind." When I was actually helping the Air Force, I had the capacity to fly as well as focus on airplane that I will fantasize approximately, considering in the journals Flying Week as well as Room Modern Technology. Listed below they are actually, best facing me." ... Therefore, my career has actually been as close as possible to that of an air travel examination engineer. And afterwards, right on the heels of being mesmerized by atmospheric tour, working in individual spaceflight has actually placed me over the Moon.".-- Doctor Donald Mendoza, Principal Engineer, NASA Design & Safety Facility, NASA's Ames .Photo Credit Report: NASA/Dominic HartInterviewer: NASA/Thalia Patrinos.Look into some of our other Images of NASA.