Who Is Valerie Thomas and What Is the Illusion Transmitter?

The Illusion Transmitter was invented by a trailblazing Black female NASA scientist

This March, we are celebrating the outstanding achievements of female creatives throughout history. Today, we look back on the life and accomplishments of a trailblazing black female scientist who made enormous contributions to NASA’s research and technological development: Valerie Thomas.

Valerie Thomas was born in Maryland in 1943. As a child, she developed an interest in technology after watching her father tinker with the mechanical parts of radios and television sets. Aged eight, she read a book called The Boys First Book of Radio and Electronics, piquing her interest. She asked her father to help her with projects featured in the book, but he allegedly refused.

It was 40s and 50s America and, time and time again, those around her did their best to discourage Valerie from pursuing studying math and science. Yet, despite receiving a lack of support, Valerie’s determination did not waver.

While math and science courses were limited at her all-girls high school, she was able to take a physics course and eventually went on to be one of two women who graduated with a degree in physics from Morgan State University.

Valerie excelled at university and was offered a position as a data analyst at NASA following her graduation. While working at NASA, Valerie managed their image processing systems and oversaw the development of "Landsat," the first satellite ever to send images from space.

Lightbulb Moment (Quite Literally!)

In 1976, she attended a seminar where she saw an exhibit demonstrating an optical illusion. The exhibit used concave mirrors to trick the viewer into believing that a light bulb continued to glow even after it had been unscrewed from its socket. This intrigued Valerie, and she began thinking about ways to apply this science in her work. By the following year, she had begun experimenting with flat and concave mirrors.

Patenting the Illusion Transmitter

Valerie’s research led her to believe that the physics of how light and concave mirrors work, creating the illusion that a 3D object is in a place that it is not, was not only a potential breakthrough for commercial television but could also revolutionize how NASA delivered images from space. Unlike flat mirrors, which produce images that appear to be inside or behind the mirror, concave mirrors create images that appear to be real or in front of the mirror.

Valerie applied for a patent on December 28, 1978. In 1980, Thomas received the patent for the Illusion Transmitter, which could reproduce an image at a remote site using parabolic mirrors. This technology was subsequently adopted by NASA and has since been adapted for use in surgery and the production of television and video screens.

Other Achievements

Up until her retirement in 1995, Valerie held a number of positions at NASA, including Project Manager of the Space Physics Analysis Network and Associate Chief of the Space Science Data Operations Office. She helped to develop computer program designs that supported research on Halley's Comet, the ozone layer, and satellite technology. Alongside her work at NASA, she also mentored youths under the National Technical Association and Science Mathematics Aerospace Research and Technology, Inc.

Valerie received several NASA awards for her achievements, including the Goddard Space Flight Center Award of Merit and the NASA Equal Opportunity Medal.

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