." Coming from my earliest childhood, flight had constantly spellbinded me. I survived in the boonies and also the fields, so I really did not have next-door neighbors to go and have fun with. If I wasn't working, I was actually delegated to my own tools, and often, I would merely be actually spellbinded due to the creatures and also particularly, the birds of prey that I would certainly observe." To me, they exemplified a freedom of some kind or even yet another. These birds and the perspective they possess-- they can easily absorb a great deal. So, coming from that point on, I understood I intended to be associated with tour as well as air travel." I [taken pleasure in] all traits trip, all traits spaceflight. I couldn't obtain enough of it. I came to be an avid audience, whereas before, I wasn't a lot of a viewers. I couldn't get enough component to check out my heroes from tour and also area. They became my shining example and also the course that they took involved, at some time or even yet another, a rather rigorous education and also devotion to accomplish effectively academically, literally, or even athletically. Therefore, I tossed on my own into that entire type of way of thinking." When I was helping the Air Force, I was able to soar and also work on aircraft that I would fantasize about, looking at in the magazines Air travel Full week and also Area Technology. Here they are actually, appropriate before me." ... Therefore, my profession has been as close as possible to that of an air travel exam developer. And then, right on the heels of being actually spellbinded by atmospherical trip, doing work in individual spaceflight has actually set me over the Moon.".-- Physician Donald Mendoza, Principal Engineer, NASA Engineering & Safety Center, NASA's Ames .Picture Credit Score: NASA/Dominic HartInterviewer: NASA/Thalia Patrinos.Check out a number of our various other Images of NASA.