Evelyn Miralles

Co-authored NASA's DOUG (Dynamic Onboard Ubiquitous Graphics) software, used continuously since 2000 to train astronauts for spacewalks

Evelyn Miralles built her technical education across two countries: an associate's degree from Andrés Bello Catholic University in Venezuela, then a bachelor's degree in Computer Graphics from Lamar University in Texas in 1990, followed later by a bachelor's in Computer Information Systems and an MBA, both from the University of Houston–Clear Lake. Her defining professional achievement was co-authoring NASA's Dynamic Onboard Ubiquitous Graphics software, known as DOUG — a virtual reality system that lets astronauts rehearse spacewalk tasks in a realistic simulated 3D environment before ever attempting them in actual microgravity. DOUG has been in continuous NASA use since 2000, meaning every astronaut who has performed a spacewalk in the last two-plus decades trained using software Miralles helped build. Her work contributed to the STS-61 Hubble Space Telescope repair mission in 1993, one of NASA's most technically demanding servicing missions, and to essentially every Space Shuttle and International Space Station mission that followed during her 23-year NASA career. In 2019, she moved into academic leadership, becoming Associate Vice President for Strategic Information Initiatives and Technology at the University of Houston–Clear Lake. Her work has been publicly recognized well beyond NASA itself: BBC named her to its 100 Inspiring Women list in 2016, CNET named her one of the 20 Most Influential Hispanics in Technology in both 2015 and 2016, and NASA awarded her its Silver Snoopy Award in 2012 — an honor voted on by astronauts themselves for contributions to flight safety and mission success.

Miralles built virtual reality simulation software that lets astronauts practice complex spacewalk tasks in a realistic 3D environment on the ground, so their first attempt at a difficult maneuver isn't in the actual, unforgiving environment of space.

Her VR training software is a direct ancestor of the same simulation-based training philosophy behind flight simulators — practicing high-stakes procedures safely on the ground before doing them for real.

Every astronaut who has performed a spacewalk since 2000 trained using virtual reality software she helped build.NASA's Silver Snoopy Award, which she received in 2012, is voted on by astronauts themselves.

Wikipedia; AARP feature

Photo: NASA · Public domain · Source

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