." From my earliest childhood years, air travel had regularly astounded me. I endured in the boonies and the fields, so I really did not have neighbors to go as well as enjoy with. If I wasn't operating, I was delegated to my personal gadgets, and also often, I will merely be spellbinded due to the wildlife and also in particular, the predators that I would certainly view." To me, they stood for a liberty of some kind or another. These birds and also the view they possess-- they may absorb so much. So, from that point on, I knew I wanted to be associated with trip and also aeronautics." I [taken pleasure in] all points tour, all traits spaceflight. I could not acquire good enough of it. I ended up being an experienced visitor, whereas previously, I wasn't much of a viewers. I could not get sufficient product to read about my heroes coming from tour and space. They became my shining example and also the path that they took entailed, at some point or an additional, a rather extensive learning as well as commitment to carry out well academically, physically, or athletically. Thus, I tossed on my own in to that whole entire kind of mindset." When I was actually working for the Air Force, I managed to fly and focus on aircraft that I would certainly dream approximately, examining in the journals Aviation Week as well as Room Modern Technology. Right here they are actually, correct facing me." ... So, my occupation has actually been as close as achievable to that of a trip examination developer. And then, directly on the heels of being astounded by climatic tour, operating in individual spaceflight has put me over the Moon.".-- Doctor Donald Mendoza, Main Developer, NASA Design & Safety Center, NASA's Ames .Image Credit Scores: NASA/Dominic HartInterviewer: NASA/Thalia Patrinos.Look at a few of our other Faces of NASA.