." Coming from my earliest childhood, air travel had actually always mesmerized me. I endured in the boonies and the fields, so I really did not possess next-door neighbors to go and also play with. If I wasn't operating, I was actually delegated to my own tools, and typically, I will merely be spellbinded by the wildlife and in particular, the raptors that I would certainly find." To me, they represented an independence of some kind or even another. These birds and the sight they possess-- they can consume a great deal. Therefore, from that aspect on, I understood I wanted to be actually associated with trip as well as aeronautics." I [enjoyed] all points flight, all things spaceflight. I could not receive good enough of it. I ended up being a devoted viewers, whereas previously, I wasn't much of a visitor. I couldn't receive enough product to check out my heroes from air travel and space. They became my good example and also the path that they took involved, at some point or another, a quite rigorous education as well as commitment to doing effectively academically, physically, or athletically. Thus, I threw myself in to that whole entire sort of frame of mind." When I was actually working for the Aviation service, I managed to fly and work with aircraft that I would certainly fantasize approximately, checking out in the magazines Air travel Full week as well as Space Modern Technology. Listed below they are actually, right in front of me." ... Therefore, my job has been actually as close as achievable to that of a trip exam designer. And then, precisely the heels of being mesmerized by atmospherical flight, working in human spaceflight has put me over the Moon.".-- Physician Donald Mendoza, Main Developer, NASA Engineering & Safety And Security Facility, NASA's Ames Proving ground.Image Credit Scores: NASA/Dominic HartInterviewer: NASA/Thalia Patrinos.Look into several of our other Faces of NASA.