." From my earliest childhood, air travel had constantly captivated me. I endured in the boonies and the fields, so I failed to possess neighbors to go as well as play with. If I wasn't functioning, I was actually delegated my personal tools, and usually, I would just be actually captivated due to the creatures and also specifically, the beast of preys that I would certainly observe." To me, they exemplified an independence of some kind or an additional. These birds and the perspective they have-- they may consume a great deal. So, from that aspect on, I understood I would like to be involved in air travel and also aviation." I [delighted in] all factors tour, all factors spaceflight. I couldn't get good enough of it. I came to be an enthusiastic reader, whereas in the past, I had not been much of a visitor. I could not receive adequate product to check out my heroes coming from trip as well as area. They became my shining example and also the course that they took entailed, at some point or even one more, a rather thorough learning and devotion to carry out properly academically, physically, or even athletically. Thus, I threw myself into that entire type of mentality." When I was helping the Aviation service, I had the ability to fly and focus on plane that I will fantasize approximately, considering in the publications Flying Week as well as Area Technology. Right here they are actually, correct facing me." ... So, my profession has actually been as close as feasible to that of a trip test developer. And then, directly on the heels of being actually astounded through atmospheric flight, working in individual spaceflight has set me over the Moon.".-- Doctor Donald Mendoza, Chief Developer, NASA Design & Protection Center, NASA's Ames .Picture Credit Scores: NASA/Dominic HartInterviewer: NASA/Thalia Patrinos.Take a look at several of our various other Images of NASA.