#WebbTelescopeWomen Silvia Scheithauer

Silvia Scheithauer, Scientist for Webb’s MIRI instrument at the Max Planck Institute for Astronomy (MPIA) in Heidelberg, Germany

What is your role in Webb?

As a systems engineer I have worked on the assembly and qualification of Webb’s MIRI and NIRSpec instrument wheel mechanisms. Afterwards I joined the MIRI test team analysing the MIRI instrument performance and supporting the test activities at the different NASA sites.

Why are you excited about Webb?

I have been involved in Webb since 2006, when I started at the Max Planck Institute for Astronomy (MPIA) working on the MIRI instrument. Having touched hardware that will finally fly in space, having joined the test team proving that MIRI performs perfectly, having accompanied MIRI during the several test activities at NASA over so many years – makes it part of my life. I am really looking forward to the launch and commissioning of Webb. This will then be the most exciting moment of my career!

What has been the highlight of your career so far?

In 2013 I joined the first cryo-vacuum test of MIRI after its integration into the instrument structure at the Goddard Space Flight Center. This was the first cold test after its transportation to NASA. MIRI had been put into the huge cryo-chamber, which had been used for the Apollo tests decades ago. It was impressive to see this huge chamber and the large clean room facilities that carried so much history of space flight. But the most interesting questions for us were “Did MIRI survive the transport? Was the performance still as good as in the last measurements taken in Europe and ready to fly?” It was a remarkable moment and a big relief when the first test data came in and the answer was a huge “Yes!”

Did you have a mentor during your career, and if so, how did they inspire you?

I did not have one specific mentor or role model during my career. But in all stages of my education and work life I met great people and was benefiting from lots of input and positive feedback, consolidating my belief that hard work and the readiness to pick-up tasks that need to be done pays off in the end. Today I am involved in great space projects as well as ground-based projects, and I am excited to work on them and to see them 'fly'.

What advice could you offer to young people thinking of pursuing a career in STEM?

Have dreams – you need them to keep yourself motivated. But also be realistic – great things need hard work, dedication and the strong will to continue even if things go not so well for a while. Be open to opportunities on your way – even if they may not be the ones you had in mind originally.

The 2021 International Women’s Day theme is “Choose to Challenge”. What are the biggest challenges you’ve fought to overcome in your career?

One day I became responsible for a project that was far behind schedule and struggling with large technical issues. It seemed to be impossible to finish in time. Luckily, there was a strong need and will within the stakeholder community to make this project 'fly'. Although it was a tough time, it was great to see how this challenge bonded the team together. Being part of this team and finally leading the project to success was an exciting feeling and I valued this experience much more than I would have done if it would have been an easy task.