." Coming from my earliest childhood, tour had constantly astounded me. I lived out in the boonies and also the farmlands, so I failed to have next-door neighbors to go as well as enjoy with. If I had not been working, I was actually entrusted to my own units, and also usually, I will simply be mesmerized by the creatures as well as especially, the beast of preys that I would certainly find." To me, they embodied an independence of some kind or yet another. These birds as well as the sight they have-- they can absorb a lot. So, coming from that factor on, I recognized I wished to be actually associated with trip as well as aeronautics." I [taken pleasure in] all traits air travel, all traits spaceflight. I couldn't receive sufficient of it. I came to be an enthusiastic reader, whereas in the past, I had not been much of a viewers. I couldn't acquire enough material to review my heroes coming from trip and area. They became my role models as well as the road that they took included, at some point or even one more, a rather extensive education as well as dedication to accomplish well academically, physically, or even athletically. Therefore, I threw myself right into that whole entire sort of frame of mind." When I was benefiting the Flying force, I had the ability to soar and deal with aircraft that I will hope around, examining in the magazines Air travel Week and Room Modern Technology. Right here they are, ideal in front of me." ... So, my profession has been actually as close as possible to that of a flight test developer. And after that, right on the heels of being actually spellbinded by climatic trip, working in human spaceflight has set me over the Moon.".-- Doctor Donald Mendoza, Principal Developer, NASA Engineering & Protection Facility, NASA's Ames Research Center.Image Debt: NASA/Dominic HartInterviewer: NASA/Thalia Patrinos.Take a look at some of our other Images of NASA.