." Coming from my earliest childhood, air travel had actually consistently spellbinded me. I survived in the boonies as well as the farmlands, so I didn't possess next-door neighbors to go as well as have fun with. If I had not been functioning, I was delegated my personal units, and often, I would only be actually astounded by the animals and in particular, the predators that I will find." To me, they represented an independence of some kind or one more. These birds and also the scenery they have-- they may enjoy a lot. Therefore, from that point on, I recognized I wished to be associated with flight as well as air travel." I [taken pleasure in] all traits trip, all traits spaceflight. I could not receive good enough of it. I ended up being an enthusiastic reader, whereas previously, I had not been much of a visitor. I couldn't get enough component to check out my heroes from air travel and also space. They became my role models and the course that they took involved, eventually or one more, a fairly thorough education and learning and devotion to doing well academically, physically, or even athletically. Therefore, I tossed myself in to that whole type of mentality." When I was actually helping the Flying force, I had the capacity to soar and also deal with plane that I would certainly fantasize around, examining in the publications Aviation Week and also Room Technology. Here they are actually, appropriate facing me." ... So, my occupation has actually been actually as close as achievable to that of a tour examination engineer. And afterwards, precisely the heels of being spellbinded through atmospherical air travel, operating in human spaceflight has actually put me over the Moon.".-- Dr. Donald Mendoza, Principal Developer, NASA Engineering & Safety Center, NASA's Ames Proving ground.Graphic Credit History: NASA/Dominic HartInterviewer: NASA/Thalia Patrinos.Check out several of our other Images of NASA.