." From my earliest childhood, flight had actually consistently spellbinded me. I endured in the boonies and the farmlands, so I failed to possess next-door neighbors to go as well as have fun with. If I had not been operating, I was actually delegated my personal tools, and also usually, I would certainly simply be actually mesmerized due to the wildlife as well as in particular, the predators that I will see." To me, they stood for a flexibility of some kind or an additional. These birds and the viewpoint they have-- they can absorb a lot. Therefore, coming from that point on, I recognized I intended to be associated with flight and also flying." I [delighted in] all things tour, all factors spaceflight. I couldn't acquire good enough of it. I came to be an avid reader, whereas previously, I wasn't a lot of a reader. I could not receive sufficient material to read about my heroes from air travel and space. They became my role models as well as the road that they took included, eventually or even an additional, a quite strenuous education and also commitment to carry out well academically, physically, or even athletically. Therefore, I tossed on my own in to that whole entire type of mindset." When I was actually benefiting the Flying force, I had the ability to fly as well as work with airplane that I would hope approximately, checking out in the journals Aeronautics Full week and Room Technology. Below they are actually, correct before me." ... Therefore, my job has actually been actually as close as achievable to that of an air travel test engineer. And then, right on the heels of being captivated through atmospherical air travel, operating in individual spaceflight has actually set me over the Moon.".-- Doctor Donald Mendoza, Principal Engineer, NASA Design & Security Center, NASA's Ames Research Center.Photo Credit Rating: NASA/Dominic HartInterviewer: NASA/Thalia Patrinos.Browse through a few of our other Images of NASA.