." Coming from my earliest childhood years, air travel had regularly mesmerized me. I endured in the boonies as well as the farmlands, so I didn't possess next-door neighbors to go and enjoy with. If I wasn't operating, I was actually left to my own gadgets, as well as frequently, I would certainly just be captivated due to the animals and also specifically, the beast of preys that I would certainly see." To me, they represented a freedom of some kind or another. These birds and also the perspective they possess-- they can easily take in a great deal. So, from that aspect on, I understood I desired to be actually involved in air travel and air travel." I [enjoyed] all factors trip, all points spaceflight. I couldn't acquire sufficient of it. I became a passionate visitor, whereas in the past, I wasn't much of a reader. I could not acquire adequate product to check out my heroes from flight and also room. They became my good example and also the pathway that they took involved, eventually or even yet another, a rather strenuous education and learning as well as commitment to doing effectively academically, literally, or even athletically. Thus, I tossed myself in to that whole type of way of thinking." When I was helping the Flying force, I was able to soar as well as focus on airplane that I would dream around, considering in the magazines Flying Week and also Space Technology. Below they are actually, ideal before me." ... So, my profession has actually been actually as close as feasible to that of a flight test designer. And afterwards, directly on the heels of being captivated by climatic air travel, doing work in individual spaceflight has actually placed me over the Moon.".-- Doctor Donald Mendoza, Principal Engineer, NASA Engineering & Safety And Security Center, NASA's Ames Proving ground.Picture Debt: NASA/Dominic HartInterviewer: NASA/Thalia Patrinos.Look at some of our various other Images of NASA.