Mira Hiser: Making a Dream Into a Reality | NASA

Mira Hiser: Making a Dream Into a Reality | NASA

Mira Hiser: Making a 

Dream Into a Reality

NASA intern Mira Hiser trying on a mock-up astronaut suit during a break at the hackathon at NASA's Johnson Space Center.

With each person’s journey comes different challenges, different goals and different destinations. When Mira Hiser was just a young girl growing up in Ukraine, she often expressed her desire to become an astronaut and took pride in her ability to name all the planets in the solar system. Little did she know that several years later she would play an important role as an intern at NASA’s Johnson Space Center in Houston, Texas.

Hiser’s journey was no easy feat, as growing up in Ukraine presented a unique set of obstacles. “I was raised in the environment where the words ‘woman’ and ‘engineer’ do not go together,” Hiser reflected. Her family did not have a computer until she was 14 years old, but this did not stop her from being one of the strongest students in her computer class. However, it was not until she moved to the United States that she decided to pursue her passion in computer science. “When I came to the U.S., I met some inspirational people. I got exposed to new ideas of gender equality. I decided to try myself in computer science, and I was trying to do everything possible and impossible to intern at NASA.” Her determination paid off.

NASA intern Mira Hiser in the HIVE lab at NASA's Johnson Space Center exploring virtual reality designed to visualize how the spacesuits will interact with the environment in the International Space Station.

Much of her free time was spent reading various books about NASA’s missions and biographies about astronauts. While Hiser was waiting for internship opportunities to be posted online, she contacted each NASA center in hopes of discovering which career fairs they were attending, stating, “If NASA isn’t coming to me, I’m coming to NASA.” She applied to every opportunity for which she qualified, and was overcome with emotion when she accepted an internship offer for the fall 2018 session at Johnson. Her motivation and perseverance have continued to shine in her work every single day at NASA.

As a human interface developer in the Human Integrated Vehicles and Environment (HIVE) lab at NASA, one of Hiser’s main tasks was to develop responsive platform-independent user interfaces designed to support customizable web-based displays for long-duration space missions. This allow users to display visual creations without the need to know any programming code. “As NASA uses complex systems during its human spaceflight missions, it is crucial to give the astronauts the ability to create displays on the fly,” says Hiser. “My project gives the astronauts an opportunity to do so in situations when they do not have a preprogrammed display they need.”

NASA intern Mira Hiser with her coworkers (left to right) Gabe, Glenn and Mr. Hats (dummy) in an audio lab at NASA's Johnson Space Center to help record data.

Hiser’s contributions will reach far beyond the span of her internship. The coding she provided will be useful for astronauts in future space missions. “The fact that my code may be used for the space missions by the astronauts is super exciting,” said Hiser. “As I am writing this, I still cannot believe that my code could be used for something so big and important.” Even after a long day at work, Hiser walks out feeling happy and proud of her work on the project.

Aside from her work in the HIVE lab, Hiser was also chosen to be a point of contact for the NASA on Campus Intern Committee. In this role, Hiser led a team of interns who visited local schools to educate and encourage students to pursue STEM-related fields. When visiting the schools, they give virtual reality tours of the International Space Station, conduct interactive STEM activities and talk about their experiences with NASA. When reflecting on her experience in this position, she stated, “Being able to inspire children to pursue STEM education and to work at NASA, as we did, is a big honor for me and a great opportunity to improve my leadership skills.” By getting involved in programs like this, Hiser utilizes her passion and experience to inspire students worldwide to chase their dreams and reach new heights.

Following the completion of her computer science and engineering degree at Ohio State University, Hiser hopes to return to NASA and contribute to space exploration. Regardless of where Hiser’s journey takes her after graduation, her NASA experience has prepared her for a bright future.

Are you interested in pursuing a NASA internship? Apply today at intern.nasa.gov.

Last Updated: Feb. 21, 2019

Editor: Flint Wild