: : :Suppose I choose a large black hole. One large enough so that my space ship won't be torn apart by the gravitational gradient. : : :Suppose my spaceship has an engine powerfull enough to provide some velocity away from the object in the centre of the black hole. Not very difficult, as long as the black hole is a big one. : : :Then as long as my engine is stocked with fuel, I can escape the black hole. Can't I. : : :My question is, using a fusion engine, whats the smallest black hole I could cross the event horizon and survive to tell the tale??

: : It depends. The engine would have to be able to thrust you faster than light in order to escape the sigularity. : I almost agree!! Like the others, you are thinking in terms of a particle with a bullet like velocity. I am talking about a particle or spaceship with the ability to accelerate. Not the same thing. I do not need to reach C because all I need to do is to continuously beat the ever present gravity from the black hole and maintain some forward velocity - however small! There is more than one way to skin a cat approach. If my engine could in theory reach the speed of light, I do not have to do it all at once. All I need to do is pour on the power and keep going forward at 1mph until I am free of the black hole. This would be one hell of an engine I admit. But at least it is possible, unlike reaching C.