." Coming from my earliest childhood years, flight had actually constantly mesmerized me. I survived in the boonies and the farmlands, so I failed to have next-door neighbors to go and also play with. If I wasn't functioning, I was delegated to my own tools, as well as usually, I would simply be actually mesmerized by the wildlife and also specifically, the predators that I will see." To me, they stood for a flexibility of some kind or one more. These birds and the view they have-- they can take in a lot. Therefore, from that factor on, I recognized I wanted to be associated with tour and aeronautics." I [delighted in] all traits air travel, all points spaceflight. I could not get good enough of it. I ended up being a passionate reader, whereas before, I wasn't much of a reader. I couldn't acquire adequate component to check out my heroes from tour and room. They became my role models and the road that they took entailed, at some point or even one more, a rather strenuous learning and commitment to doing well academically, literally, or even athletically. So, I threw myself right into that whole entire sort of frame of mind." When I was actually working for the Air Force, I had the ability to fly and also focus on aircraft that I would certainly hope around, taking a look at in the journals Flying Full week as well as Space Modern Technology. Here they are, right facing me." ... So, my job has actually been as close as achievable to that of a trip test engineer. And after that, directly on the heels of being actually astounded by climatic air travel, operating in individual spaceflight has actually placed me over the Moon.".-- Doctor Donald Mendoza, Principal Engineer, NASA Engineering & Safety And Security Center, NASA's Ames Proving ground.Image Credit History: NASA/Dominic HartInterviewer: NASA/Thalia Patrinos.Look at several of our other Images of NASA.