." Coming from my earliest youth, flight had actually regularly mesmerized me. I endured in the boonies and also the farmlands, so I failed to have next-door neighbors to go as well as play with. If I had not been working, I was delegated my very own units, and also often, I would certainly simply be astounded by the wild animals as well as especially, the birds of prey that I will see." To me, they stood for an independence of some kind or one more. These birds and the perspective they possess-- they can easily consume a lot. Therefore, coming from that point on, I knew I would like to be actually associated with air travel and also flying." I [appreciated] all traits flight, all factors spaceflight. I could not get enough of it. I became an experienced reader, whereas before, I wasn't a lot of a visitor. I could not receive enough component to read about my heroes coming from trip and room. They became my role models and also the course that they took involved, at some point or one more, a quite rigorous education and also dedication to doing effectively academically, physically, or athletically. Therefore, I threw on my own into that entire sort of frame of mind." When I was actually working for the Air Force, I managed to fly and also deal with plane that I would certainly fantasize around, considering in the publications Aviation Full week and also Room Technology. Below they are actually, correct facing me." ... So, my profession has been actually as close as achievable to that of a flight examination designer. And after that, precisely the heels of being actually mesmerized by climatic air travel, working in individual spaceflight has placed me over the Moon.".-- Physician Donald Mendoza, Chief Designer, NASA Engineering & Safety And Security Center, NASA's Ames Research Center.Picture Debt: NASA/Dominic HartInterviewer: NASA/Thalia Patrinos.Look into a number of our various other Faces of NASA.