." Coming from my earliest youth, flight had actually constantly spellbinded me. I survived in the boonies and also the farmlands, so I didn't possess next-door neighbors to go as well as enjoy with. If I had not been functioning, I was actually delegated to my own tools, as well as typically, I would only be actually spellbinded due to the creatures as well as in particular, the raptorial birds that I would view." To me, they stood for a liberty of some kind or even yet another. These birds and also the view they possess-- they may take in a lot. Therefore, from that factor on, I knew I wished to be actually associated with air travel and aviation." I [enjoyed] all things flight, all things spaceflight. I could not acquire enough of it. I ended up being a serious reader, whereas in the past, I wasn't much of a reader. I couldn't get sufficient material to check out my heroes coming from trip as well as space. They became my good example and the road that they took involved, at some point or an additional, a rather rigorous education and also devotion to carry out well academically, literally, or even athletically. Thus, I threw on my own right into that whole entire type of mindset." When I was actually working with the Aviation service, I had the capacity to fly and focus on aircraft that I would certainly dream approximately, taking a look at in the journals Aviation Week and also Room Modern Technology. Here they are, appropriate in front of me." ... Thus, my job has actually been actually as close as possible to that of a trip exam designer. And afterwards, right on the heels of being actually spellbinded through atmospheric flight, working in human spaceflight has set me over the Moon.".-- Physician Donald Mendoza, Main Designer, NASA Design & Safety And Security Center, NASA's Ames Proving ground.Picture Credit History: NASA/Dominic HartInterviewer: NASA/Thalia Patrinos.Look into several of our other Images of NASA.