." From my earliest childhood, tour had constantly captivated me. I lived out in the boonies and also the farmlands, so I really did not possess neighbors to go and play with. If I had not been working, I was actually entrusted to my personal gadgets, and often, I would only be actually mesmerized by the wild animals and specifically, the raptors that I would certainly find." To me, they embodied a freedom of some kind or even another. These birds and also the perspective they possess-- they can easily enjoy a lot. Therefore, from that point on, I recognized I intended to be involved in trip as well as air travel." I [enjoyed] all points air travel, all traits spaceflight. I could not obtain good enough of it. I ended up being an enthusiastic viewers, whereas previously, I wasn't much of an audience. I couldn't receive adequate component to review my heroes from air travel as well as space. They became my good example and the course that they took involved, eventually or yet another, a quite rigorous learning and also dedication to doing well academically, literally, or athletically. So, I threw on my own in to that entire type of frame of mind." When I was actually working with the Air Force, I had the ability to fly as well as work on aircraft that I would certainly dream approximately, examining in the publications Aviation Full week and Room Innovation. Listed below they are, right facing me." ... Therefore, my job has actually been actually as close as possible to that of an air travel examination engineer. And after that, directly on the heels of being actually astounded by atmospherical tour, functioning in human spaceflight has actually placed me over the Moon.".-- Doctor Donald Mendoza, Chief Developer, NASA Design & Protection Facility, NASA's Ames .Graphic Credit: NASA/Dominic HartInterviewer: NASA/Thalia Patrinos.Look at a number of our various other Faces of NASA.