." From my earliest childhood years, tour had actually always mesmerized me. I endured in the boonies and the farmlands, so I really did not have next-door neighbors to go and have fun with. If I had not been operating, I was delegated to my very own gadgets, and often, I would certainly simply be astounded due to the creatures and especially, the predators that I would see." To me, they embodied a liberty of some kind or an additional. These birds and also the sight they have-- they can consume a great deal. So, from that aspect on, I knew I wished to be actually involved in tour as well as aviation." I [taken pleasure in] all things tour, all things spaceflight. I couldn't get enough of it. I ended up being a passionate audience, whereas before, I had not been a lot of a visitor. I couldn't acquire sufficient material to read about my heroes from trip and also area. They became my shining example and also the road that they took entailed, eventually or an additional, a rather strenuous education and learning and also dedication to perform effectively academically, actually, or athletically. Therefore, I tossed myself right into that entire kind of frame of mind." When I was actually working for the Flying force, I had the ability to fly and also work with plane that I would certainly dream around, considering in the magazines Aviation Full week as well as Space Innovation. Listed below they are, right before me." ... Thus, my occupation has actually been as close as feasible to that of a trip test developer. And then, directly on the heels of being mesmerized through climatic air travel, operating in individual spaceflight has actually placed me over the Moon.".-- Dr. Donald Mendoza, Chief Designer, NASA Design & Security Center, NASA's Ames Proving ground.Image Credit Score: NASA/Dominic HartInterviewer: NASA/Thalia Patrinos.Browse through several of our other Images of NASA.