{"id":561,"date":"2025-12-16T03:00:28","date_gmt":"2025-12-16T02:00:28","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/100blogs.ovh\/36\/index.php\/2025\/12\/16\/unexpected-trajectory-erin-sholls-path-to-human-spaceflight-safety\/"},"modified":"2025-12-16T03:00:28","modified_gmt":"2025-12-16T02:00:28","slug":"unexpected-trajectory-erin-sholls-path-to-human-spaceflight-safety","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/100blogs.ovh\/36\/index.php\/2025\/12\/16\/unexpected-trajectory-erin-sholls-path-to-human-spaceflight-safety\/","title":{"rendered":"Unexpected Trajectory: Erin Sholl\u2019s Path to Human Spaceflight Safety"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Career paths are rarely a straight line and often include some unexpected curves. That is certainly true for Erin Sholl, deputy chief of the Space Transportation Systems Division within the Safety and Mission Assurance Directorate at NASA\u2019s Johnson Space Center in Houston. From struggling with multiplication tables in elementary school to supporting the International Space Station from the Mission Control Center, her journey has been full of twists and turns.<\/p>\n

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\"A<\/a><\/figure>
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Erin Sholl (second from right) received the Johnson Space Center Director\u2019s Commendation Award in 2017 for significant achievements and exemplary contributions to the International Space Station and Commercial Crew Programs as the Safety and Mission Assurance Visiting Vehicles Group lead. <\/div>\n
NASA\/James Blair<\/div>\n<\/figcaption><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

Despite her early difficulties in math and science, Sholl eventually grew to love and excel in both subjects. She planned to study chemical engineering in college \u2013 inspired by a love of chemistry and a favorite high school teacher \u2013 but discovered a greater affinity for physics once she arrived at Pennsylvania State University. She switched her major to aerospace engineering and soon met a classmate who had interned at Johnson. After that, Sholl declared, \u201cThe dream was born!\u201d <\/p>\n

Her first position at Johnson was as a trajectory operations officer for the Flight Operations Directorate. She spent six years supporting the space station on console in the Mission Control Center, describing the experience as \u201csomething out of the movies.\u201d When Sholl went looking for a new challenge, she landed in the Safety and Mission Assurance Directorate.<\/p>\n

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\"A<\/a><\/figure>
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Erin Sholl working on console as a trajectory operations officer in the Mission Control Center during the STS-128\/17A mission in 2009. <\/div>\n
NASA\/Lauren Harnett<\/div>\n<\/figcaption><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

\u201cI was drawn to the Operations and Visiting Vehicles Branch because it had many similar aspects to my previous position \u2013 real-time operations and visiting vehicles,\u201d she said. \u201cI worked various roles over the next 12 years, gradually taking on more responsibility, and eventually becoming a group lead, then branch chief.\u201d Sholl also served as acting deputy chief for the Space Habitation Systems Division, which oversees the Operations and Visiting Vehicles Branch. Her performance drew the attention of the Space Transportation Systems Division\u2019s chief. \u201cHe asked me to come be his deputy, and that is where I still am today!\u201d<\/p>\n

The Space Transportation Systems Division provides system safety, reliability, and risk analysis for human spaceflight programs. The division works with the different program offices to reduce risk through technical assessments and guidance on Safety and Mission Assurance requirements throughout program and project lifecycles.<\/p>\n

Sholl works closely with the division chief to support strategic planning, budgeting, and operations. \u201cA key part of my role is connecting with people \u2013 both inside and outside the division \u2013 to ensure smooth communication and representation of the team\u2019s needs,\u201d she said. She leverages her relationship-building and strategic thinking skills to lead initiatives that advance the division\u2019s and the directorate\u2019s goals and to mentor employees.<\/p>\n

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Erin Sholl (center) receives a certificate of achievement from Terrence Wilcutt, former director of the Office of Safety and Mission Assurance (SMA) at NASA Headquarters, and Patricia Petete, former director of SMA at Johnson, after completing requirements for the Safety and Mission Assurance Technical Excellence Program in System Safety. <\/div>\n
Image courtesy of Erin Sholl<\/div>\n<\/figcaption><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

Sholl believes strongly in the power of mentorship. \u201cHaving various mentors, both formal and informal, has been so important throughout my career,\u201d she said. \u201cListening to what these people were saying about my strengths led me to a path I\u2019d never considered because I hadn\u2019t seen those things in myself.\u201d Being a mentor and advocate for team members is one of Sholl\u2019s favorite parts of the leadership positions she has held, particularly as branch chief. \u201cI really felt like I could connect with my people and advocate for them in a way that felt meaningful,\u201d she said. <\/p>\n

She encourages young professionals to seek out mentors or opportunities to shadow colleagues in different roles. \u201cRelationships are the key to everything,\u201d she said. \u201cThe more people you meet and the more you learn about different paths in space exploration, the better off you will be in your career.\u201d<\/p>\n

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Susan Schuh, Flight Crew Integration Operational Habitability (OpsHab) team lead and Erin Sholl host a JSC Parenting community event in 2023.<\/div>\n
Image courtesy of Erin Sholl<\/div>\n<\/figcaption><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

Sholl noted that professional relationships can be bolstered by activities outside of the office. She played a key role in establishing and growing JSC Parenting, a virtual community of about 600 employees who share information and support each other on issues related to caregiving, schooling, and balancing work with family life. \u201cMy leadership within the community enhances my professional leadership and positively impacts my colleagues,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n

Sholl also emphasized the importance of being open to trying new things, even if an opportunity seems to diverge from your expected career path. \u201cI volunteer for everything because I am always eager to learn more and find out what else I might be good at and how else I can serve my team,\u201d she said. \u201cI think it\u2019s easy to feel intimidated hearing about other people\u2019s career paths, because they often sound so perfectly planned and successful. You rarely hear about the pivots, setbacks, or decisions made for personal reasons.\u201d <\/p>\n

The reality, she added, is more complex. \u201cI tried for many roles I didn\u2019t get, and it took a lot of trial and error to find my path to a career I really love.\u201d<\/p>\n

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Career paths are rarely a straight line and often include some unexpected curves. That is certainly true for Erin Sholl, deputy chief of the Space Transportation Systems Division within the Safety and Mission Assurance Directorate at NASA\u2019s Johnson Space Center in Houston. From struggling with multiplication tables in elementary school to supporting the International Space […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[4],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-561","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-ciencia"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/100blogs.ovh\/36\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/561","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/100blogs.ovh\/36\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/100blogs.ovh\/36\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/100blogs.ovh\/36\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/100blogs.ovh\/36\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=561"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/100blogs.ovh\/36\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/561\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/100blogs.ovh\/36\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=561"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/100blogs.ovh\/36\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=561"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/100blogs.ovh\/36\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=561"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}