." From my earliest childhood years, flight had actually consistently astounded me. I lived out in the boonies and the farmlands, so I really did not have neighbors to go as well as have fun with. If I wasn't functioning, I was actually delegated to my very own units, and often, I would simply be actually spellbinded due to the animals and also in particular, the raptorial birds that I will view." To me, they worked with a flexibility of some kind or even an additional. These birds and the view they have-- they can easily take in a lot. Therefore, coming from that aspect on, I recognized I intended to be actually associated with flight and also air travel." I [delighted in] all things flight, all things spaceflight. I couldn't acquire sufficient of it. I ended up being an experienced reader, whereas in the past, I had not been much of a viewers. I could not receive sufficient component to read about my heroes from flight and also area. They became my role models as well as the road that they took included, at some time or an additional, a pretty thorough education and learning and devotion to doing well academically, physically, or even athletically. Therefore, I threw myself right into that whole entire kind of attitude." When I was working for the Flying force, I had the ability to fly as well as service plane that I would dream about, considering in the publications Aeronautics Full week and Space Technology. Listed below they are actually, right before me." ... Therefore, my occupation has actually been as close as feasible to that of a trip exam designer. And then, exactly on the heels of being actually astounded by climatic flight, operating in human spaceflight has put me over the Moon.".-- Dr. Donald Mendoza, Main Designer, NASA Design & Safety Center, NASA's Ames Research Center.Photo Credit Score: NASA/Dominic HartInterviewer: NASA/Thalia Patrinos.Browse through some of our various other Faces of NASA.