." Coming from my earliest childhood, air travel had consistently captivated me. I endured in the boonies and the farmlands, so I failed to possess neighbors to go and also have fun with. If I wasn't functioning, I was actually entrusted to my very own units, as well as usually, I would just be mesmerized due to the animals and especially, the raptorial birds that I would certainly view." To me, they worked with a freedom of some kind or even yet another. These birds and the viewpoint they possess-- they may take in a lot. So, coming from that point on, I knew I wished to be actually involved in air travel as well as aviation." I [enjoyed] all traits trip, all traits spaceflight. I couldn't obtain enough of it. I came to be a devoted audience, whereas in the past, I wasn't a lot of a viewers. I couldn't receive sufficient material to read about my heroes coming from air travel and also room. They became my role models and also the path that they took entailed, at some point or an additional, a quite rigorous learning and dedication to perform properly academically, literally, or athletically. Therefore, I tossed on my own into that entire sort of perspective." When I was actually helping the Flying force, I was able to fly and also deal with airplane that I would hope approximately, considering in the journals Flying Week and also Area Innovation. Here they are, correct before me." ... So, my occupation has actually been actually as close as feasible to that of a trip exam developer. And then, exactly on the heels of being actually astounded by climatic flight, functioning in human spaceflight has set me over the Moon.".-- Physician Donald Mendoza, Main Developer, NASA Engineering & Safety And Security Facility, NASA's Ames Research Center.Image Credit History: NASA/Dominic HartInterviewer: NASA/Thalia Patrinos.Look at several of our various other Faces of NASA.