." Coming from my earliest youth, flight had actually constantly mesmerized me. I survived in the boonies as well as the farmlands, so I really did not have next-door neighbors to go as well as play with. If I had not been working, I was left to my personal gadgets, as well as commonly, I will only be mesmerized by the animals as well as particularly, the beast of preys that I would observe." To me, they worked with a flexibility of some kind or even yet another. These birds as well as the view they possess-- they may absorb so much. Therefore, from that factor on, I knew I desired to be actually associated with tour as well as air travel." I [enjoyed] all points tour, all points spaceflight. I couldn't receive sufficient of it. I became a serious audience, whereas in the past, I had not been a lot of an audience. I could not obtain adequate material to check out my heroes coming from flight and room. They became my role models and also the path that they took entailed, at some time or even yet another, a rather rigorous learning as well as dedication to carry out effectively academically, physically, or even athletically. So, I threw myself in to that entire form of perspective." When I was working for the Air Force, I was able to soar and work on airplane that I will fantasize about, taking a look at in the magazines Aeronautics Full week as well as Room Innovation. Here they are, best in front of me." ... Therefore, my job has actually been as close as possible to that of a flight test developer. And then, precisely the heels of being actually spellbinded through climatic air travel, operating in individual spaceflight has actually set me over the Moon.".-- Dr. Donald Mendoza, Chief Designer, NASA Engineering & Safety And Security Facility, NASA's Ames Proving ground.Image Credit Report: NASA/Dominic HartInterviewer: NASA/Thalia Patrinos.Check out some of our various other Faces of NASA.