Mamta Patel Nagaraja spent 24 years at NASA, most recently as Associate Chief Scientist for Exploration and Applied Research, before leaving the agency in February 2025 amid office closures. In this episode of the Astro Ben Podcast she talks with host Ben Gamble about what that career looked like from the inside and why she is now a free agent in STEM.
She led biomedical and physical sciences work for the International Space Station, Artemis and commercial space missions, and she shares her view of the challenges NASA faced in 2025, how science is communicated, and a difficult working environment. She also looks ahead to her next steps and offers advice to NASA's new leadership.
If you follow the space industry, NASA careers or the future of human exploration, this is a candid conversation with someone who lived it. For more on the wider sector, hear John Abbott on the UK space sector or Skyler Chan of GRU Space on building a hotel on the Moon, or browse the full Astro Ben Podcast archive.
What you will hear
Her work leading biomedical and physical sciences for the ISS, Artemis and commercial space missions
Why she left NASA in February 2025
Her views on NASA's challenges in 2025 and on science communication
Her next steps and advice for NASA's new leadership
Guest links
Mamta Patel Nagaraja: LinkedIn, Threads, TikTok
Listen
Play this episode on Libsyn | Spotify | Apple Podcasts | YouTube
New space interviews every week. Look up. Listen in.