Answertime - Blog Posts

Could you theoretically time travel through a black hole or other object with such intense mass?

Out of all the theories and fantasies created around blackholes, which of them, in your opinion, do you think could come closest to reality?

Why are we studying them? What’s purpose of this field for us on earth?

How do blackholes form and how do they move ?

I love astrophysics and especially black holes and I want to pursue a career on them, but to be honest I'm scared to be not good enough or not clever enough. How did you decide to work on black holes? How did you become the person you are today?

Is it at all possible to send a drone into a black hole and collect the data of what it’s like inside? If not, how close do you we are to possibly achieving that?

uhmm, can you tell me what exactly a black hole is? or what iy does? thanks, just really confused and curious on how it actually works.

What would happen if I go into a black hole? Do you think I would disappear forever or would I still exist inside the black hole?

Got a question about black holes? Let’s get to the bottom of these odd phenomena. Ask our black hole expert anything! 

Black holes are mystifying yet terrifying cosmic phenomena. Unfortunately, people have a lot of ideas about them that are more science fiction than science. Don’t worry! Our black hole expert, Jeremy Schnittman, will be answering your your questions in an Answer Time session on Wednesday, October 2 from 3pm - 4 pm ET here on NASA’s Tumblr! Make sure to ask your question now by visiting http://nasa.tumblr.com/ask!

Jeremy joined the Astrophysics Science Division at our Goddard Space Flight Center in 2010 following postdoctoral fellowships at the University of Maryland and Johns Hopkins University. His research interests include theoretical and computational modeling of black hole accretion flows, X-ray polarimetry, black hole binaries, gravitational wave sources, gravitational microlensing, dark matter annihilation, planetary dynamics, resonance dynamics and exoplanet atmospheres. He has been described as a "general-purpose astrophysics theorist," which he regards as quite a compliment. 

Fun Fact: The computer code Jeremy used to make the black hole animations we featured last week is called "Pandurata," after a species of black orchid from Sumatra. The name pays homage to the laser fusion lab at the University of Rochester where Jeremy worked as a high school student and wrote his first computer code, "Buttercup." All the simulation codes at the lab are named after flowers.

Make sure to follow us on Tumblr for your regular dose of space: http://nasa.tumblr.com

And that’s a wrap!! Thank you for all the wonderful questions in this Tumblr Answer Time, and we hope you learned a little something about what it takes to launch humans to space. 

You can follow all of our latest Space Station news on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook. 

What has been the best memory you have so far at NASA?

What do you do to relax in stressing situations?

What responsibility and duties does your job include?

What’s the best piece of advice you have ever received?

What future missions are you looking forward to the most?

How did the crews react to you being the first non-astronaut CapCom? I understand it was quite an important thing to people that the CapCom could empathise with their experiences.

What aspect of spaceflight always blows your mind, even after all this time?

Hello! When preparing for a mission what are your primary concerns for the astronauts safety- what do you focus on with the most intensity to feel confident in sending a crew up?

What was your favorite thing about working in Mission Control? (Also, you are the best

Before my question I would like to congratulate you on your career at Nasa, it must be amazing to work there even if you didn’t achieve your dream of being an astronaut, you can still lead missions from the ground. (Sorry if my punctuation is a bit off) as for my question, what has it been like to work at nasa all of these years and get to help with so many missions? Do you ever get nervous for the people who’s lives are in your hands? Signed ~ Phillip

in a male dominated profession, what were some obstacles you faced as the first Hispanic female flight director and how did you overcome them? what would be your advice to young women interested in the space program?

What was your favorite part of being a Flight Director?

What would you say to a person who has few opportunities to excel due to social determinants that he cannot control (nationality, money, family, education)?

How did you deal with the disappointment of being medically disqualified for astronaut candidacy?

What was the most fun you had in Mission Control?

... and we’re ‘GO’ for launch! 🚀

NASA Flight Integration Chief and past Mission Control Flight Director, Ginger Kerrick, is here answering your questions during this Tumblr Answer Time. Tune in and join the fun!

We’re sending people to space this week 🚀 Here’s your chance to ask a past Flight Director in Mission Control your questions!

Ginger Kerrick will be taking your questions in an Answer Time session on Friday, September 27 from 12pm - 1 pm ET here on NASA’s Tumblr! Ginger served as a Flight Director in Mission Control for 11 years and is now the Flight Integration Division Chief at Johnson Space Center. Find out what it’s like to send humans to space and learn more about her position as our first female Hispanic flight director. Make sure to ask your question now by visiting http://nasa.tumblr.com/ask!

Ginger Kerrick, as a child, dreamed of growing up to be either a basketball player or an astronaut. When neither dream came to fruition, Kerrick developed a fresh perspective – best summed up by the phrase “It just wasn’t meant to be” – and later became part of our team, serving in the Mission Control Center at the NASA Johnson Space Center as a Flight Director who has, to date, supported 13 International Space Station and five joint space shuttle missions. It was there that Kerrick, a few years earlier, became the first non-astronaut Capsule Communicator (CapCom), the flight controller that speaks directly to the astronaut crew in space, on behalf of the rest of the Mission Control team. 

Today, Ginger Kerrick is the Flight Integration Division Chief at our Johnson Space Center. Her department is responsible for crew safety and training, among a list of other duties. She has worked for NASA since 1994, and interned here while she was earning a bachelor’s degree in physics from Texas Tech University. She also has a master’s degree in physics from the university.

Make sure to follow us on Tumblr for your regular dose of space: http://nasa.tumblr.com

That’s a wrap! Thanks for all the great questions.

Follow Serena on Twitter at @AstroSerena and follow the International Space Station on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook to keep up with all the cool stuff happening on our orbital laboratory.

How does the whole sleeping situation work with 0 gravity, or do sleep mid air?

Hello Serena! I was wondering if given the chance would you be apart of a mission to mars in the near future, and if you could bring a personal item with you what would it be?