." Coming from my earliest childhood, trip had actually always astounded me. I survived in the boonies and also the farmlands, so I didn't have next-door neighbors to go and also enjoy with. If I wasn't working, I was delegated my personal gadgets, and also typically, I would certainly simply be astounded due to the wildlife and specifically, the raptorial birds that I will observe." To me, they worked with an independence of some kind or even one more. These birds and also the scenery they possess-- they can enjoy a great deal. Therefore, from that point on, I recognized I desired to be actually associated with trip and also aeronautics." I [taken pleasure in] all factors tour, all things spaceflight. I could not get sufficient of it. I came to be an enthusiastic viewers, whereas previously, I wasn't much of a viewers. I couldn't receive adequate product to check out my heroes from tour and also area. They became my good example and also the pathway that they took involved, eventually or another, a pretty rigorous education and learning and also commitment to accomplish properly academically, literally, or athletically. So, I threw on my own right into that entire form of mentality." When I was actually working for the Air Force, I had the capacity to soar and also work with aircraft that I would certainly fantasize approximately, looking at in the magazines Aeronautics Full week as well as Space Technology. Here they are, correct facing me." ... Thus, my career has actually been as close as achievable to that of an air travel exam developer. And then, precisely the heels of being astounded through atmospherical flight, operating in human spaceflight has put me over the Moon.".-- Physician Donald Mendoza, Chief Developer, NASA Design & Safety Facility, NASA's Ames Proving ground.Image Credit Scores: NASA/Dominic HartInterviewer: NASA/Thalia Patrinos.Take a look at some of our various other Faces of NASA.