." Coming from my earliest childhood, trip had regularly captivated me. I endured in the boonies as well as the farmlands, so I really did not possess next-door neighbors to go and also play with. If I had not been functioning, I was actually left to my own devices, as well as typically, I would just be mesmerized due to the creatures and particularly, the raptors that I will view." To me, they represented an independence of some kind or another. These birds and also the sight they possess-- they can easily take in so much. So, from that factor on, I recognized I wanted to be actually associated with flight and also aviation." I [enjoyed] all things tour, all traits spaceflight. I could not receive enough of it. I became a passionate reader, whereas previously, I wasn't a lot of a visitor. I couldn't receive enough material to check out my heroes from trip and space. They became my role models and the course that they took included, at some point or yet another, a pretty thorough education and learning as well as dedication to accomplish effectively academically, actually, or even athletically. Thus, I tossed myself in to that whole entire kind of perspective." When I was working with the Air Force, I had the capacity to fly and service aircraft that I would certainly fantasize approximately, checking out in the publications Air travel Week and also Area Innovation. Below they are, ideal facing me." ... Thus, my occupation has actually been as close as achievable to that of a trip examination developer. And then, right on the heels of being actually captivated through atmospheric trip, operating in human spaceflight has actually put me over the Moon.".-- Dr. Donald Mendoza, Main Engineer, NASA Design & Protection Center, NASA's Ames Research Center.Image Credit Report: NASA/Dominic HartInterviewer: NASA/Thalia Patrinos.Visit some of our various other Images of NASA.