." Coming from my earliest youth, trip had always captivated me. I lived out in the boonies as well as the fields, so I didn't have next-door neighbors to go as well as play with. If I wasn't working, I was delegated my personal devices, as well as usually, I would certainly only be captivated due to the wild animals and also especially, the raptorial birds that I would certainly view." To me, they represented a liberty of some kind or even yet another. These birds as well as the perspective they have-- they can take in a lot. So, coming from that aspect on, I knew I desired to be actually associated with tour as well as aviation." I [appreciated] all things air travel, all traits spaceflight. I couldn't receive good enough of it. I became a passionate visitor, whereas previously, I wasn't much of an audience. I couldn't get sufficient component to check out my heroes coming from trip as well as space. They became my role models and the road that they took involved, at some time or one more, a rather thorough learning and commitment to accomplish properly academically, literally, or athletically. So, I tossed on my own right into that whole type of attitude." When I was benefiting the Aviation service, I managed to fly as well as focus on airplane that I would certainly dream approximately, taking a look at in the publications Air travel Week as well as Area Modern Technology. Below they are actually, best in front of me." ... So, my profession has been actually as close as possible to that of a flight exam designer. And after that, precisely the heels of being captivated by climatic tour, doing work in individual spaceflight has actually placed me over the Moon.".-- Dr. Donald Mendoza, Chief Engineer, NASA Design & Safety Facility, NASA's Ames .Photo Credit Report: NASA/Dominic HartInterviewer: NASA/Thalia Patrinos.Look at several of our various other Images of NASA.