." From my earliest youth, trip had always captivated me. I survived in the boonies and the fields, so I didn't possess next-door neighbors to go as well as play with. If I had not been functioning, I was actually delegated my own devices, and also usually, I will only be actually spellbinded due to the wildlife and also especially, the raptors that I will observe." To me, they represented a flexibility of some kind or even yet another. These birds and also the viewpoint they have-- they can easily enjoy so much. Therefore, from that factor on, I understood I wanted to be involved in tour and also air travel." I [taken pleasure in] all points tour, all things spaceflight. I couldn't obtain enough of it. I became a passionate audience, whereas previously, I wasn't a lot of a viewers. I couldn't obtain sufficient product to review my heroes from tour as well as room. They became my good example and the path that they took entailed, at some point or an additional, a rather thorough learning and also devotion to perform well academically, literally, or athletically. So, I tossed on my own in to that whole entire type of state of mind." When I was benefiting the Air Force, I managed to soar as well as focus on airplane that I would certainly hope about, taking a look at in the journals Flying Week and also Area Innovation. Here they are, correct before me." ... Therefore, my profession has actually been actually as close as achievable to that of a trip test developer. And after that, exactly on the heels of being actually mesmerized through atmospherical air travel, doing work in individual spaceflight has actually set me over the Moon.".-- Dr. Donald Mendoza, Chief Developer, NASA Design & Safety And Security Facility, NASA's Ames Research Center.Photo Credit Report: NASA/Dominic HartInterviewer: NASA/Thalia Patrinos.Check out some of our other Faces of NASA.