." From my earliest childhood, trip had actually always mesmerized me. I survived in the boonies and also the farmlands, so I failed to possess neighbors to go and also play with. If I had not been functioning, I was actually left to my personal tools, and also typically, I would only be spellbinded due to the creatures and specifically, the raptors that I would observe." To me, they embodied an independence of some kind or one more. These birds as well as the viewpoint they have-- they may absorb a lot. So, coming from that factor on, I recognized I intended to be involved in tour and aeronautics." I [taken pleasure in] all things trip, all traits spaceflight. I couldn't obtain good enough of it. I ended up being an experienced reader, whereas previously, I had not been much of a visitor. I could not get sufficient product to review my heroes coming from trip as well as space. They became my good example as well as the pathway that they took included, at some time or even yet another, a rather strenuous education and learning as well as devotion to perform well academically, physically, or even athletically. Therefore, I tossed on my own right into that whole entire form of attitude." When I was working with the Air Force, I had the capacity to soar as well as service plane that I would hope around, checking out in the journals Aviation Full week and Area Modern Technology. Right here they are actually, appropriate facing me." ... So, my job has actually been as close as feasible to that of a flight test designer. And afterwards, right on the heels of being spellbinded by climatic trip, doing work in individual spaceflight has actually set me over the Moon.".-- Doctor Donald Mendoza, Chief Designer, NASA Design & Safety And Security Facility, NASA's Ames Proving ground.Photo Credit Scores: NASA/Dominic HartInterviewer: NASA/Thalia Patrinos.Look at several of our other Images of NASA.