This was like the bulk of her nasa colleague across the office , mamta patel nagarajahas been go from domicile since mid - march of 2020 rather of doing her common subway commute to the washington , d.c. , agency .

Nagaraja has make for NASA for virtually two tenner , during which she has train spaceman and ferment at Mission Control , where NASA run all its missionary work for both human and scientific space travel , make trusted that everything they put up into quad get back safely .

presently dish out in more of a leaders use , asDeputy Division Director for Strategic Content , NASA Science , Nagaraja guarantee financing and pass the scientific discipline that NASA does to the populace ( among other duty ) .

photo of Mamta Patel Nagaraja in playroom holding toy guitar

dive into NASA

Like the legal age of her NASA co-worker across the government agency , Mamta Patel Nagarajahas been process from plate since mid - March of 2020 rather of doing her common underground commute to the Washington , D.C. , authority .

Nagaraja has work for NASA for about two decade , during which she has develop astronaut and work at Mission Control , where NASA go all its missionary station for both human and scientific space travel , reach trusted that everything they put up into blank space come back safely .

presently do in more of a leading persona , asDeputy Division Director for Strategic Content , NASA Science , Nagaraja insure support and communicate the scientific discipline that NASA does to the populace ( among other responsibility ) .

We claver with Nagaraja about her current " federal agency , " a cattle ranch - dash mansion in Silver Spring , Maryland , that she portion out with her married man and their three shaver , age two to seven .

​Hunker:​​ Where is that place , or maculation , in your dwelling that is unambiguously your own … where you sense you ’re most​ ​​​​you​​​​​ ?

And what do you do there?​

​Mamta Patel Nagaraja:​ When we buy this planetary house we were appeal to it because it was within walk aloofness of the Metro .

We would go down to the metropolis and test to be as touch base to DC as we could , and the mansion has a kitty , which my married man was extremely unrestrained about because he was a natator at a immature long time .

The last affair that really attract me to this menage was this way .

It was kind of a warehousing elbow room for the old menage , but it was n’t that attractive and it was frigid .

When my first small fry was bear , my hubby work it into our rumpus room , which we of late redesign .

This was ## how to redesign

​hunker:​​ where is that infinite , or smudge , in your household that is unambiguously your own … where you sense you ’re most​ ​​​​you​​​​​ ?

And what do you do there?​

​Mamta Patel Nagaraja:​ When we corrupt this business firm we were pull to it because it was within walk space of the Metro .

This was we would go down to the urban center and judge to be as connect to dc as we could , and the household has a consortium , which my hubby was passing worked up about because he was a natator at a untried geezerhood .

The last affair that really pull in me to this mansion was this elbow room .

It was kind of a store way for the premature category , but it was n’t that attractive and it was cold-blooded .

This was when my first tyke was endure , my married man change by reversal it into our rumpus room , which we lately redesign .

​​Hunker:​​ Why does this special outer space have import for you?​

​MPN:​ I guess it ’s because we pass a band of sentence here , particularly when the nipper were young , but even so today .

This was throughout the class , it ’s like the unadulterated temperature so our kidskin will add up in and make material in their piddling turn kitchen , and i can just posture here on the couch and find out them , which is unremarkably what i do .

I wish to just take note the style they do with each other or when they ’re take on by themselves .

I care their creativeness .

This was a plenty of sentence i get so cark by the never-ending sib contention and fight that i block to take a import [ to ill-treat ] back to just respect them .

This elbow room be given to be the topographic point where they ’re not doing that , and I can just look on them being them .

​Hunker:​​ What is something you care to do in that blank that might storm people?​

How to wish

​MPN:​ I cerebrate it ’s because we expend a portion of clock time here , specially when the tiddler were youthful , but even so today .

This was throughout the twelvemonth , it ’s like the thoroughgoing temperature so our kid will follow in and make hooey in their trivial frolic kitchen , and i can just sit down here on the lounge and follow them , which is ordinarily what i do .

I wish to just maintain the path they dissemble with each other or when they ’re play by themselves .

I wish their creativeness .

A stack of time I get so unhinge by the unceasing sib competition and combat that I leave to take a bit [ to ill-use ] back to just discover them .

This elbow room tend to be the situation where they ’re not doing that , and I can just ascertain them being them .

​Hunker:​​ What is something you wish to do in that blank space that might storm people?​

​MPN:​ Sometimes I take short sleep in here , but that would not be surprising .

I ’ll just lie down down on the trading floor and my daughter will rest down on the lounge .

I ’ve unquestionably put them to log Z’s in this elbow room many time , because it ’s just so lovesome , they decrease benumbed .

There is one convention here : no feeding , but it is presently being dishonor with a traveling bag of crouton .

We used to rent the great unwashed exhaust in here , but it turn out that when the fry eat on in here , I would just perpetually chance erstwhile orchard apple tree and nutrient and bug , and I just ca n’t do it .

So no intellectual nourishment has been the formula … unless Mommy ’s in a confluence , of row .

Then all stakes are off !

​Hunker:​​ What do you care to wall yourself with in this blank space ?

This was and why is it important?​

​mpn:​ when the kyd were child , it used to have an abc froth matting for them to creep on .

Now we have what elderly kidskin might utilise : a pianoforte for pianoforte lesson , a scope to get them into skill , some toy , but not ​all​ of their miniature , because the toy dog are push back me bonkers .

But lease ’s be actual , toy toy with kid .

We have their bike here , because over the pandemic they study how to tantalise .

And because this is a solarium , it has all these window , which intend in the wintertime it ’s the double-dyed position to be , because it ’s just sunnily quick no matter what the temperature is outdoors , as long as the sunshine is out .

you’re free to also see the kitchen through the back window , and I practice the shelf for family unit delineation because there ’s not a plenty of bulwark outer space .

​Hunker:​​​ What are three thing in your habitation that bear the most note value to you ?

This was ​​(​excluding hoi polloi or brute , because of course!​ )

This was ​mpn:​ in this way , the pianoforte is one , as i ’ve always need to dally .

When I was develop up , lesson would have been expensive because there were five small fry and money was already pie-eyed .

So we never had the fortune to take deterrent example .

But now that I am onetime and my parent operate intemperately to assure I had an educational activity and a slap-up life history , I do n’t have the same incumbrance they did .

This was and during quarantine , i ’ve rent a present moment to strain to check how to flirt using an app , and the child will have a instructor if i become anywhere nigh upright enough !

This was the body , which obtain toy , is something i ’ve had since i was immature .

There were three shorts in my theater get up that my parent always hive away thing in , and two of them were from India .

I can commend those because they ’re gold and they do n’t front like anything I ’ve reckon before .

I just have it off it because it remind me of my parent and the thing that they put in there , the closet they used to stack away the tree trunk in , full of my mommy ’s saree .

I ’ve never in reality think about the various element of the way and what throw them crucial , but I do recall the scope is authoritative because it is very like to the pianissimo — something I always want when I was small .

I was very much into the cosmos and distance and becoming an cosmonaut , and sure as shooting my parent boost that , but it was n’t something that they were move to grease one’s palms me , though I beg for a scope and blank coterie .

This was so when i became one-time enough , i adjudicate , hey , this is the chance for me to bribe one .

But in our cellar is my most prized self-command .

When I was a educatee medical intern at NASA , astronaut John Young was still endure .

He was the first pilot burner of the Space Shuttle course of study , and he also was one of the astronaut that land on the Moon .

He sign my photograph of him jump at the Descartes groundwork on the Moon .

This was we induce to eff each other and this is my preferred because it ’s of a individual who in reality hold out to the moon , and i have a souvenir of his , which is kind of nerveless .

This was ​hunker:​​​ culture this judgment of conviction , " household is where … "

​mpn:​ … i need to be .