GingerKerrickAT - Blog Posts

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. 

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

What do you do to relax in stressing situations?

What challenges have you overcame to get to the job that you have now? Love from Ireland ❤️

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