"Theoretical?  Yeah, I Think So, I Think We Could Do It.  Uh, Technically There Are Still A Lot Of

Yeah, flying's great.  It's a completely different sensation.  You know, you can compare parts of it to things like riding a bicycle, skateboarding, surfing, things like that - even skydiving.  It's a real feeling of freedom when you're actually controlling *makes wing gestures* the aircraft flying through the air - a little bit like a bird. 

And that's an amazing privilege to have, and it's really a nice opportunity to get up there and maneuver in three dimensions - really four dimensions if you consider speed - through the earth's atmosphere.  I absolutely love it.

How does flying feel?

I would say my favorite part of the job is not really what you'd think.  You'd think it's maybe strapping in an airplane and going up and flying - and that's a wonderful opportunity, and I love it absolutely - but really the greatest thing at NASA, and I think most people would agree, is working with the people that we have here.  

Because the people that come together with an eagerness to explore and to experiment with things and discover new opportunities and things like that - working side by side with those people is what really gets your heart pumping and makes you excited to come to work each day.  So that's what I'd say is my favorite part of the job.

What’s your favorite part of the job?

"So, the interesting answer is that there probably is a black hole near the earth.  But in space terms, when we say near the earth, we don't mean really that close to the earth.  Maybe about ten or twenty light years away.  Just like the nearest stars are about ten or twenty light years away.  So the difference is that that black hole today is just sitting there, not doing anything. 

The black holes we know about are much farther away, thousands of light years away.  And they're really really bright because they're sucking in gas which gets heated up to millions and billions of degrees and shines in really bright x-rays.  So if one of those really bright black holes were one of the close black holes, about twenty light years away, it would kill us all."

What would happen if a Black hole would be near the earth? What would be the consequences to humans?

When I learned that I had been medically disqualified from consideration of being an astronaut, I was devastated.  My whole life, since I was five years old, I had set my sights on becoming an astronaut, and now I was told that would never happen.  I was- I wanted to quit NASA. I wasn't sure what to do.

But then I took a step back and I realized: maybe I'm twenty-six years old and I don't know everything.  Maybe there are other careers for me here at NASA that I've never considered because I was never aware of them. And I'm very grateful for the fact that I did take the time to think that because you know what? It was true. 

Because I was not able to be an astronaut, I have been able to have what I think is a more fulfilling and impactful career here at NASA.  So for those of you watching, if you have a dream that gets taken away from you, take a step back, reconsider it, and acknowledge that maybe you don't know everything.  And there could be something even greater waiting for you out there.

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

My mother gave me the best advice I'd ever received, and it was "trust your instincts."  I've applied that when I was afraid to go away to college, and she told me, "Trust your instincts, stay at home."  

I've applied that every time I take on a new position where I'm afraid: I think I can do it, I'm not sure if I know everything that's required, but I'm pretty sure I could do it.  So trust your instincts, even though you don't have all the information, believe in yourself and you can achieve great things.

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

“Black holes are just...pure gravity.”

Whats the best metaphor/ explanation of blackholes youve ever heard?

"So a black hole is just pure gravity.  In technical terms, that means that Einstein taught us that gravity is energy.  Energy is mass (E = mc2) .

Mass creates more gravity, so you get this essentially runaway effect where gravity is causing energy is causing mass is causing more gravity.

And it just pulls itself in on itself more and more and more, and you get this runaway called a singularity surrounded by an event horizon, which is the black hole."

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.

The CAPCOM is the person in mission control that talks to the crew.  They are responsible for translating all of the discussions and events that occur on the flight loop and mission control into actions and summaries that can be easily understood by the crew.

They are also there to be the advocate for the crew in those discussions in mission control, since the crew can't be there themselves.  So the CAPCOM is really a bridge between what we view as ground mission control and the crew on board.

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The flight director is the single authority in mission control.  That person is also responsible for the actions and activities that occur at all of the other mission control centers across the world in support of the International Space Station.  You always have to have one boss and that flight director in Houston is it.

We are responsible for the safety of the crew.  We are responsible for the integrity of the spacecraft.  And we are responsible for the successful execution of the mission.  So any decisions that need to be made in the real-time environment fall under the flight director's authority.

What responsibility and duties does your job include?

I remember my first day on console as the first non-astronaut CapCom, and the very first time the crew called down. I was getting ready to key my mike and speak back up and they asked me a question, and I looked at the Flight Director beside me, he gave me a go, and I answered.  And there was a pause.  

And it was Frank Culbertson, and he called down and he was like, "Ginger!  Is it really you? Oh my gosh, it's so awesome to hear your voice!"  

So that kind of eased my tension.  The reality was the first set of crews that I wound up working with I had trained alongside for four years.  SO it was a treat to be able to be in a position where I could talk to my friends.  But I understood what they'd gone through, I understood Mission Control, and I could be their advocate in Mission Control.  And I could tell from day one that they trusted me and they were happy that I was there.

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.

Ah, that's a really good question!  I think I would say, study as much as you did, but also try to have a little bit of fun.

Hey, Kate! What would you say/what advice would you give to your younger self? ✨