." Coming from my earliest childhood, tour had regularly captivated me. I survived in the boonies and the farmlands, so I really did not possess neighbors to go as well as enjoy with. If I had not been functioning, I was entrusted to my personal devices, as well as often, I will merely be actually mesmerized by the creatures as well as in particular, the raptorial birds that I would find." To me, they exemplified a flexibility of some kind or another. These birds as well as the sight they have-- they can easily enjoy a great deal. Therefore, coming from that point on, I knew I wanted to be associated with trip and air travel." I [enjoyed] all traits air travel, all points spaceflight. I could not get enough of it. I ended up being an experienced visitor, whereas in the past, I had not been much of a reader. I could not get enough product to read about my heroes coming from flight as well as space. They became my role models as well as the road that they took involved, at some point or even yet another, a rather extensive education as well as dedication to perform effectively academically, actually, or even athletically. So, I threw on my own into that entire type of mentality." When I was benefiting the Air Force, I managed to fly and work on plane that I would fantasize around, taking a look at in the publications Flying Week as well as Space Innovation. Listed here they are, right before me." ... Thus, my career has been actually as close as possible to that of an air travel exam engineer. And then, directly on the heels of being mesmerized by climatic air travel, working in individual spaceflight has put me over the Moon.".-- Dr. Donald Mendoza, Chief Designer, NASA Design & Safety Center, NASA's Ames Proving ground.Photo Credit: NASA/Dominic HartInterviewer: NASA/Thalia Patrinos.Check out a few of our other Faces of NASA.