Scared Monkeys Discussion Forum

NASA 'love triangle' saga dominating the news

 The story causing the most talk this morning on radio shows and the cable news networks has to be that of NASA astronaut Lisa Nowak, 43, who was arrested early Monday in Orlando after allegedly attacking and attempting to kidnap a woman who she thought was involved with the object of her affection -- another astronaut.

Nowak was just in a Florida court for a hearing. A judge ordered her to have no contact with the other parties if she is freed on bond. He set the bond at $15,000.

There is a copy of the Orlando police report here. It describes in detail what the victim told police, and reports that Nowak told an officer that she dispensed pepper spray into the woman's car. "That was stupid," Nowak said to the officer, according to the police report.

Our Gannett colleagues at Florida Today have much more on the case.

Our USA TODAY colleague Traci Watson is also working the story.

Watson notes that last year, Nowak flew on the second shuttle mission after the Columbia accident. The assignment was high-profile and prestigious, says Watson, since it was a test flight to study safety improvements made after the accident. She'd been training to fly on a mission several years later, but NASA decided to fly her on the test flight.


Police said Nowak drove 900 miles to be at the Orlando airport when the other woman was due to arrive there. Nowak allegedly donned a disguise and was armed with a BB gun and pepper spray when she confronted the woman, whom she believed was a competitor for the affections of Navy Cmdr. William Oefelein.

Nowak and Oefelein, 41, were both first-time fliers during separate shuttle missions last year. They trained together but never flew together. Both are married. Nowak has three children.

One detail that is getting repeated a lot: That Nowak wore a diaper while traveling, so that she wouldn't have to stop on the way. As AP notes, she would know what that is like: Astronauts wear diapers during launch and re-entry.

Update at 10:30 a.m. ET. Watson passes a long a detail that is ironic in hindsight:


During Nowak's shuttle mission, her family dedicated a song to her and it was used to wake the astronauts up one day.


The tune: All Star, by the band Smash Mouth.


(Photo from Orange County Sheriff's Department via AP.)

Posted by Mark Memmott at 10:04 AM/ET, February 06, 2007 in Crime | Permalink
Comments
Nno NASA policy on fraternization

This is so sad for these 2 womens families. I also would think it is embarrassing to the male that  Nowalk was persuing.

I feel sad for the chidren and husband of Lisa Nowak, and for her victim. But the love triangle thing doesn't surprise me at all. The Marshall Space Flight Center has affairs and stuff going on all the time. These people spend more time with their co-workers than they do their families, so I can see how an attachment would develop.
I guess there won't be any more shuttle flights for this astronaunt.

What happened to this woman?
Driving non stop in diapers so she would not have to make any stops.

 :shock:  :shock:  :shock:
A care package of a steel mallet, fold out knife, mace and or pepper spray....

Showing up in a trenchcoat and wig...

Truth is stranger than fiction....

She obviously was out for more than just a chit chat with her romantic rival....

Sickening.

Astronaut posts bail after being charged with attempted first-degree murder  
   

Navy Cmdr. William Oefelein.
 
 By Traci Watson, USA TODAY
ORLANDO — Astronaut Lisa Nowak was charged Tuesday with the attempted murder of an Air Force engineer who Nowak purportedly believed to be her rival for the affections of a male astronaut. She posted $25,000 bail and was released from jail.
It was the first time NASA officials could recall that an active astronaut has faced a felony charge.

Nowak, 43, also is charged with attempted kidnapping, attempted burglary of a vehicle and battery for alleged incidents on Sunday and Monday.

Nowak had posted bail on the lesser charges Tuesday morning when the Orlando authorities added the attempted first-degree murder charge. At a second hearing this afternoon, the judge added another $10,000 in bail, over the objections of prosecutors who wanted Nowak kept in jail. She posted bail and was released with a monitoring device.

According to an affidavit released by the Orlando police department, Nowak drove more than 900 miles from Houston, where she lives and works, to the Orlando airport and confronted Colleen Shipman early Monday.

Nowak was wearing diapers to avoid having to stop during the drive, according to Orlando police records. She suspected Shipman was romantically involved with astronaut William Oefelein, police said.

Nowak is married to a NASA engineer who works on the International Space Station. They have a son in high school and younger twin girls. NASA declined to reveal whether Oefelein, 41, who has two children, is married.

Wearing a wig and trench coat, the affidavit said, Nowak followed Shipman from the airport terminal to Shipman's parking place. After Nowak pounded on Shipman's car window, Shipman rolled it down a few inches and Nowak blasted her with chemical spray, police records said. Shipman drove away and called police.

Police said that when they arrived, they saw Nowak discarding a garbage bag. Inside, they said, were a BB pistol, a steel mallet, a new folding knife with a four-inch blade, several feet of rubber tubing and several plastic garbage bags.

In Nowak's car, parked at a hotel several miles away, police found six latex gloves, e-mails from Shipman to Oefelein, a love letter from Nowak to Oefelein and handwritten directions to the Orlando airport and Shipman's house 30 miles from Orlando.

They also found diapers. Astronauts are accustomed to wearing diapers for the long countdown before launching in the space shuttle and also for spacewalks.

Nowak told police that her relationship with Oefelein was "more than a working relationship but less than a romantic relationship," according to records.

The attempted murder charge was a surprise.

Originally, Nowak was charged only with battery, attempted kidnapping and attempted burglary of a vehicle. On Tuesday morning, a judge considering only those charges set bail for Nowak and said she would have to wear a monitoring device to ensure she didn't approach Shipman's home or her workplace, Patrick Air Force Base.

The base is close to NASA's Kennedy Space Center, where the shuttles are housed and launched. All astronauts spend significant amounts of time at Kennedy, especially during the prepartions for a mission. Oefelein's first space mission was in December.

Nowak flew her first mission into space in July, serving as a mission specialist. She is considered an expert shuttle robot arm operator, and logged 13 days in space during a mission that launched on the Fourth of July.

A U.S. Navy captain, Nowak was selected to NASA's astronaut corps in 1996 after serving as a military test pilot. A graduate of the U.S. Naval Academy and U.S. Naval Postgraduate School, Nowak has logged more than 1,500 hours in 30 aircraft.

Tuesday's court appearance is a tragic turn for a woman who only a few months ago couldn't quit smiling while she was in orbit.

Nowak was sick at first, as many astronauts are during the first few days after liftoff. While in orbit, she said in a televised press conference that she was confused by the corridors of the space station, where her shuttle parked for a week, and she found her job of operating the robotic arms on the shuttle and station more difficult than her training had led her to believe.

But Nowak overcame her nausea and confusion. As she described what space was like, she beamed with joy.

"It was definitely a long wait, and it was definitely worth it," said Nowak, who waited nearly 10 years from the time she joined NASA to take her first flight. "This is the trip of a lifetime. …It's thrilling to be up here."

Oefelein piloted Discovery on a 13-day International Space Station assembly flight in December. From window perches inside the shuttle and the station, he orchestrated four spacewalks during one of the most complex outpost construction missions to date. Nicknamed "Billy O," Oefelein, a U.S. Navy commander, came to NASA in 1998.

Since Nowak and Oefelein are active-duty Naval officers, they may face military charges from the incident.

The Navy will most likely wait for civilian criminal courts to handle Nowak's case before considering disciplinary action against her, said Lt. Ligia Cohen, a Navy spokeswoman at the Pentagon. Military code for officers forbids fraternization.

Eugene Fidell, president of National Institute of Military Justice, said Nowak could also be court-martialed on the attempted murder, attempted kidnapping and other charges.

In Nowak's court appearance Tuesday, she looked up only to answer the judge's questions in a strangled voice. Nowak responded "yes" when asked if she understood that she was to have no contact with Shipman.

Also appearing in court was Nowak's boss, Steve Lindsey, the chief of the astronaut office. Lindsey was also the commander of Nowak's shuttle mission, a high-profile flight that tested safety improvements made after the 2003 disintegration of shuttle Columbia.

Lindsey told the judge that it would not be a problem to keep Nowak away from Florida. Outside the courtroom, he said his primary concern was for the well-being of his former crewmember, whose work on the shuttle mission he'd praised as "masterful to watch."

"This is a private, personal matter, it's a legal matter, that she and her family have to deal with," Lindsey said. "We're done here supporting her. … We're a close family, and we try to take care of our own."

Several people who knew Nowak said they were baffled by the allegations. They described her as a sweet, happy person who did not seem capable of the dark actions that she's accused of.

"I'm absolutely shocked," said former astronaut John Herrington, who came to NASA in the same astronaut class as Nowak and left the agency about 18 months ago. "Whatever transpired (between Nowak and Oefelein), it was not something I noticed," he said.

Nowak and her husband hosted Easter dinners at their house and tried to include everyone, he recalled.

"She is a wondeful person. She is a very nurturing person," said former NASA flight surgeon Jonathan Clark, whose wife Laurel was also in Nowak's class. The women were friendly, sharing a Naval career and a love of gardening and flowers.

After Laurel Clark died in the Columbia accident in 2003, Nowak helped Jonathan Clark sort out the paperwork from the Navy and also cared for the Clarks' son Iian.

"Sometimes bad things happen to good people, and that's certainly the case here."

Clark, who has voiced criticism of NASA since his wife's death, says the agency has turned a blind eye to both astronauts' mental troubles and their extramarital affairs.

"Now you see this is the consequence of not dealing with it — you have someone whose life is destroyed," he said. "Maybe they'll start dealing with it."

For now, NASA has put Nowak on a 30-day leave and removed her from mission duties.

"In (Nowak's) case we still have to find out what happened here," said NASA spokesman Doug Peterson. "It's a very serious charge. To say at this point (whether she'll fly in space again) would be speculation."

Peterson declined to say whether Oefelein's chances of flying in space will be lessened by what happened. Because Oefelein served as a pilot on the December mission, he might be in line to serve as the commander of a shuttle flight, a highly coveted position.

Peterson said it's also too early to know whether NASA's process for choosing astronauts would be affected by Nowak's situation. Astronaut selection is highly rigorous. Very few applicants make it into the astronaut corps, and most people have to apply two or three times before being accepted. The screening process includes a written psychological test and a session with mental-health specialists.

"History shows our selection process has worked very well through the years," Peterson said. "However this turns out, it's probably an aberration from anything we've ever seen."

Yet it is not unheard of for astronauts to suffer from psychological complaints, says Clark, a former flight surgeon. Astronaut John Blaha suffered from depression during a stay on the Russian space station Mir in the 1990s, and astronaut Charles Brady committed suicide in July.Less seriously, many astronauts develop a mild case of the blues after returning from orbit. They spend years preparing for a 11- to 14-day shuttle mission. Once it's over, there is an inevitable letdown from the intense training and the adrenaline of the flight, says Herrington.

"You work so hard, the flight is over so quickly," he says. Everyone wonders whether he or she will fly again and how soon, he says.

Contributing: Florida Today, Andrea Stone, Tom Vanden Brook

Posted 2/5/2007 10:09 PM ET  
Updated 2/6/2007 9:29 PM ET E-mail | Save | Print | Reprints & Permissions | Subscribe to stories like this  
 
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Nutty story indeed  Jacque..

Thank you all for this information.

I have never seen such a strange case in my whole life. I heard the court case today and she has a top notch lawyer with a lot of gravitas.

The big question is "what happened between the time she took all the vast physical and mental tests" to qualify for the very small percentage of people who become astronauts and go into space until such time as she got sick. She was the expert on operating the robotic arms on the shuttle.

Regarding the launch and time in space, Nowak was sick at first, as many astronauts are during the first few days after lift off. While in orbit, she said in a televised press conference that she was confused by the corridors of the space station, where her shuttle parked for a week, and she found her job of operating the robotic arms on the shuttle and station more difficult than her training had led her to believe.  

What, why and how did their psychological testing miss her psychological problems?  

Well, she landed on earth and was debriefed. Now her psyche is off. It's been said she was on drugs.

One of the things in the world that makes me angrier than hell is to see people with mental illness who are not diagnosed early enough.  Also, there are not enough tests to really know what's in a person's mind.

I saw an interview with an astronaut who actually knew this woman and was in the same 1996 Nasa class with her.

He said that when you come down from space there are plenty of physical tests you go thru but he doesn't feel that you get tested very well for how this trip may have affected your mind and emotions.

People who knew this woman say she was the sweetest and most kind and bright person they ever met which makes this all the more shocking.

If her intent was to indeed kill this other woman at least tragedy was averted and she did not get to carry out her deed.

News interview also stated that she had recently broken up with her husband of 19 years.

This whole story is very sad for everyone involved.

Statement from family of Lisa Nowak
Originally published February 6, 2007
The family of Lisa Nowak released this statement today:

The family will not be granting interviews at this time, but does want to issue the following statement in response to numerous media requests.


 
 
We are naturally saddened and extremely concerned about the serious allegations being made against Lisa. We love her very much, and right now, our primary focus is on her health and well-being.

Lisa is a very intelligent, accomplished individual. As a graduate of the U.S. Naval Academy, and in her professional career in the Navy and NASA's Space Shuttle program, she has served over 20 years with an unblemished record. Lisa attained the rank of Captain, and flew as a Mission Specialist aboard the Space Shuttle Discovery in July 2006.

Personally, Lisa is an extremely caring and dedicated mother to her three children. She has been married for 19 years, although she and her husband had separated a few weeks ago.

Considering both her personal and professional life, these alleged events are completely out of character and have come as a tremendous shock to our family.

We are anxious to allow the facts to develop so that we can better understand what happened, and why. We hope that the public will keep an open mind about what the facts will eventually show and that the legal system will be allowed to run its course.

Finally, we are very grateful for the expressions of love and support that we have received from family and friends, and we ask for your continued thoughts and prayers for our family.

[/b]

http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/nationworld/orl-astprofile0707feb07,1,4129098.story?coll=chi-news-hed

This is informative.
Also gives profiles and pics of all three....

Profile of Capt. Colleen Shipman

Laurin Sellers
Sentinel Staff Writer
Published February 7, 2007


CAPE CANAVERAL -- Neighbors affectionately call her "the little general" because she is so petite.

But on Tuesday, U.S. Air Force Capt. Colleen Shipman, 30, was nowhere to be found as reporters descended on her usually tranquil neighborhood, setting up camp outside her tan-and-white townhouse.



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Read Shipman's petition for protection (PDF)


Video updates on Lisa Nowak's arrest

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Photos: The Lisa M. Nowak case

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Graphic: How the incident unfolded
February 7, 2007

Stories

Psychologists: Nowak possibly driven to extremes by love, jealousy

Nowak could face charges from military authorities

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DOCUMENTS: Arrest reports, restraining order and more about the astronaut case

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Profile of NASA astronaut Lisa Nowak


Profile of NASA astronaut William A. Oefelein
February 6, 2007

RELATED ITEMS

 Talk about it: What do you think of the arrest?
 Audio: 'We're here supporting Lisa' -- Interview with NASA official Steve Lindsey
 1st of 2 charging affidavits
 2nd of 2 charging affidavits
 Lisa M. Nowak's official NASA bio
 2005 NASA interview with Nowak
 NASA coverage of Nowak's Discovery flight


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Follow developments in the arrest of shuttle astronaut Lisa Marie Nowak




"She's not coming home," one resident yelled to the dozen or so news media. "Not to all this."

So it was the neighbors who found themselves thrust into the limelight, fielding questions about Shipman, her astronaut boyfriend and the female astronaut accused of trying to kill her.

"It is just so bizarre," said Babette Merchant, 45, who has known Shipman for the past two years. "She is one of the sweetest people I have ever known, and she certainly didn't deserve any of this."

Lisa Marie Nowak, 43, a mission specialist on NASA's second post-Columbia shuttle flight in July, is facing charges of attempted murder. According to police, Nowak drove from Houston to Orlando to confront Shipman about her relationship with space-shuttle pilot Bill Oefelein.

Majeau and other residents of the Madison Cay complex said Shipman had talked of dating Oefelein, but that they had never heard her speak of Nowak.

"She was really proud of it," Bill Bailey said of Shipman's romance with the astronaut. "She was jumping for joy after his mission when he came back home safely. She didn't talk a lot about him, but we all knew."

All three residents said Shipman, an engineer who is stationed at Patrick Air Force Base and works in the space program at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, is well-liked in the small community.

"She always has a smile," Bailey said. "I've never heard her say anything bad about anybody."

Laurin Sellers can be reached at 321-795-3251 or lsellers@orlandosentinel.com.

see related stories on pages A1 and A7.



Copyright © 2007, Orlando Sentinel

I don't condone her behavior but I do have questions regarding this Oefelein and was he double-dipping? I also found Nowak's phrasing describing their relationship as less than romantic but more than friendship? Excuse my french but is this to mean sex buddies? I have to ask, something is unseen here still, just my intuition.

I hope she can get some help and salvage her life, her children deserve that.

Thanks for the info Jacq  :wink:

Profile of NASA astronaut William A. Oefelein

Michael Cabbage
Sentinel Space Editor
Published February 6, 2007


CAPE CANAVERAL -- William A. Oefelein lived in relative obscurity for a NASA astronaut until Lisa Nowak's arrest Monday catapulted him into the national spotlight.

Described by Nowak as someone with whom she had "more than a working relationship, but less than a romantic relationship," the 41-year-old Navy commander did not respond to requests for an interview Tuesday. Oefelein, a former TOPGUN pilot, works at NASA's Johnson Space Center in Houston, with Nowak and other astronauts. The father of two children, he was divorced in 2005.

Oefelein grew up in Anchorage, Alaska. His desire to explore was nurtured by the state's vast, icy wilderness. A test pilot, he often said the lack of roads eventually led him to the skies.

"People [in Alaska] are more adventurous, and they like the openness," explained Oefelein during a 2006 NASA interview.

Oefelein left Alaska after high school to earn a bachelor's degree in electrical engineering from Oregon State University. Following graduation, he joined the U.S. Navy and earned his wings as a Naval aviator in 1990. His early assignments included overseas deployments to the Persian Gulf as a fighter pilot aboard an aircraft carrier.

After attending the Navy's TOPGUN fighter weapons school, Oefelein graduated in 1995 from the Navy's test pilot school at Patuxent River, Md., where he returned as an instructor two years later.

In 1998, he was working as a strike operations officer for a carrier wing in Virginia, when he got the phone call he had been waiting for. He had been selected to join NASA's astronaut corps.

"A lot of folks who do that test pilot work also went on to fly space shuttles," Oefelein said during last year's NASA interview. "I started talking to a bunch of those folks and at that point it just seemed natural for me to go to the next phase and try to fly space shuttles. I never really, as a kid, wanted to become an astronaut; I just wanted to fly airplanes and explore."

Oefelein made his first and only flight to space as shuttle Discovery's co-pilot in December. During the 12-day mission, he and six crewmates helped rewire the electrical system aboard the international space station.

Michael Cabbage can be reached at mcabbageorlandosentinel.com or 321-639-0522.





Copyright © 2007, Orlando Sentinel

Yes I find that comment a little weird too.
Friends with benefits???
Or....perhaps she wanted it to be more romantic and it was unrequited....

And in her mind she thought that this Shipman was standing in her way...

Who knows.....Would be interesting to hear a comment from the Male in this Triangle....

Lisa Nowak seems a little dilusional to me. No one who is rational and in touch with reality behaves this way. As intelligent as she is, if her thinking processes were not impaired, she'd know how crazy the plan was, and that she'd get caught.
It's just a sad story.

Yes something snapped in her.

NASA is revising its psychological screening of astronauts after one of them, Lisa Nowak, was charged with attempted murder.

A mental evaluation is likely in the works for the NASA astronaut arrested in Orlando accused in a bizarre love triangle.

Right now, Lisa Nowak is back in Texas. She flew home Wednesday, one day after being charged with trying to murder a woman she believed was in a relationship with another astronaut she was also going after.

Nowak ducked from the cameras again while getting escorted off the plane in Houston. She's charged with attempted murder after police say she confronted Air Force Captain Colleen Shipman at OIA Monday.
   
Meanwhile, Orlando Police say they found a can of pepper spray or mace in the area where Nowak was arrested. They're now trying to figure out if the can is connected to the case.  

In the wake of the Nowak scandal, NASA will review its psychological screening process that allows people to become astronauts.

The top man at NASA ordered the review at the agency. NASA says it will also review the ongoing mental and medical evaluations that are done once a person is named an astronaut.
   
NASA leaders spoke on TV for the first time Wednesday about the incident involving Lisa Nowak.

"As far as how the astronaut core took this, I think folks were shocked and concerned,” Bob Cabana said. “As you said, we are a close knit group and we try and support one another."

NASA has ordered the director of the Johnson Space Center to conduct the review of astronaut screening and see if any changes are needed to procedures.

Today's Top Stories
Astronaut Restraining Order
Astronaut Arrest

I wish they had taken a closer look before Lisa Nowak went off the deep end. You'd think the suicide of an astronaut would have spurred some action before this lady began unraveling, but apparently they didn't see the need. I hope they can prevent the other astronauts from being involved in another tragedy due to mental health issues.

A peek a boo into Nowak’s tumultuous life
by Gunika Khurana - February 11, 2007 - 0 comments

 Love is a strange thing and sometimes it lands people in a mare’s nest. Take the recent case of Navy Captain Lisa Nowak, who was charged for attempted murder. The tragedy not only brought tears to Nowak and her family members, but it also struck hard at the appreciated image of astronauts as ‘superior’ individuals who can muddle through stresses that might tumble the rest of us.

Since the case has ultimately resolved now, the lesson it brought with it is that astronauts are normal human beings and acute mental stress can break them down too.

Lisa Nowak, born on May 10, 1963, became interested in space when she was a mere child of five. Hard work etched her way to success and she became an astronaut for NASA in 1996 and also qualified as a mission specialist in robotics.

Nowak, the first Italian American women, went into space on July 4, 2006, on the STS-121 mission, which included a trip to the International Space Station.

Inspite of being married with Richard T. Nowak, Lisa fancied fellow astronaut William Oefelein and had a soft corner for him. Love surely makes people do bizarre acts, and so was the case with Lisa.

She allegedly held the Colleen Shipman had an affair with Oefelein, and that was the main reason for her to attack Shipman.

On February 5, 2006, Nowak was arrested at Orlando International Airport on charges of attempted kidnapping, battery, attempted vehicle burglary with battery, and destruction of evidence.

Astronaut Bill Oefelein took leave from NASA after the incident and went to join girlfriend Colleen Shipman in Florida.

The event has been highly publicized in media and has dominated newspapers, sites, programmes and conversations.

It has put NASA under a state of shock, which has been renown for its mentally fit astronauts. Space agency spokesman James Hartsfield said, “in spite of the extensive psychological testing astronauts go through, we don't track the personal lives of the individuals that work for the agency."

Former NASA psychiatrist Dr. Patricia Santy commented, "I really believe that NASA goes overboard in promoting how heroic and super all these people are. They themselves have forgotten these are ordinary people and in that kind of celebrity culture, there's a sense of entitlement." Space policy and history writer Howard McCurdy of American University said, "The astronaut culture is still a carry over from 'The Right Stuff' days. It is very high intensity; it is very competitive."

There is a lot of psychological and psychiatric screening before the admission, but during the term of service, there are no formal psychological evaluations.

Although, the act of driving 900 miles to deal with a woman deemed as a rival for the affections of another astronaut seems gonzo, there is yet no evidence that proves Nowak was undergoing psychological problems.

Not only did Nowak’s act dominated in the media, it will soon be seen ruling the Big screen as well. I am sure some of you must have sensed that this was coming, and it won’t be a big shock to know that “the strange saga of Lisa’ will be turned into a movie.

Granada America, the U.S.-based production entity of ITV and one of Europe's largest broadcasters and producers has optioned the film rights to a New York Times article on Lisa Nowak.

Ken Rodriguez: Nowak more a troubled person than a troubled astronaut



After returning to Earth, the second man to walk on the moon descended into a dark world.
Depression. Divorce. Alcoholism. Buzz Aldrin became a tortured soul.
   
As Aldrin once told Psychology Today, "Going to the moon couldn't be topped."

Others have struggled on Earth. Charles Duke became a violent drunk before finding God. Neil Armstrong became a recluse and once snapped at an author, "How long must it take before I cease to be known as a spaceman?"

Then there's Lisa Nowak. She waited 10 years to fly in space. Seven months after realizing her dream, she separated from her husband. A little later, police arrested her.

What she did and why she did it is well known. Whether her actions reveal cracks in the screening process at NASA is under debate. But one line of thinking is gaining popularity: Nowak is the latest astronaut to succumb to post-space trauma, the emotional crash that follows a heavenly high.

One U.S. newspaper headline: "Life after space often a challenge"

One British newspaper headline: "Houston, some of us have a problem"

True?

Aaron Cohen isn't so sure.

"I think Lisa Nowak is a case all by herself," says Cohen, a 1949 Jefferson High School graduate.

Cohen does not know Nowak. But he knows astronauts. He spent almost seven years as director of the Johnson Space Center. He was instrumental in the design and development of the Apollo 11 Command and Service Module that orbited the moon and reconnected with the lunar module that carried Aldrin and Armstrong to the surface. His career at NASA dates to 1962.

In short, Cohen knows most who have flown into space, and he concludes: Far more astronauts adjust to Earth like Eileen Collins than Lisa Nowak.

Collins was the first female shuttle pilot. She logged more than 870 hours in space. The Encyclopedia Britannica named her one of the top 300 women in history. She left NASA in 2006 without a whiff of scandal in her career.

Collins hasn't had long to adjust to life after space. But Cohen rattles off the names of others who have and thrived — Bonnie Dunbar (CEO of the Museum of Flight), Gene Cernan (Houston businessman) and Mike Coats, current Johnson Space Center director, among them. "You can go on and on through the list," says Cohen.

Even so, Cohen acknowledges the post-space demons that torment some. And he says Nowak may have been almost uniquely susceptible.

Nowak waited longer than most others in her class to reach space. And, unlike many earlier astronauts, Nowak knew she'd probably make one trip.

"That's not a good reason to do what she did," Cohen says, "but where does she go from here?"

Some journalists-turned-pop psychologists have diagnosed Nowak. Mentally ill, they say. What she did was insane.

You could say that about Clara Harris and Andrea Yates. Harris ran over her cheating husband. Yates drowned her five children.

Neither Yates nor Harris ever flew into space. Nowak never killed anyone. But you could argue Nowak has more in common with Harris and Yates than with troubled astronauts. At the time of their arrests, Yates, Harris and Nowak lived in the Houston suburb of Clear Lake.

Now back to Cohen. History seems to support his view. From here, Nowak looks like an astro-anomaly.

Of the more than 400 people who have flown into space, only one has been charged with attempted murder.



--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Call Ken Rodriguez at (210) 250-3369 or e-mail krodriguez@express-news.net.  


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I wonder if the space flight itself can cause a chemical change and/or unbalancing in some susceptible people? The human body is stressed to some degree during an astronaut's time in space. Maybe some do not recover in the same way, or are altered enough to have continuing problems when they return to Earth.

That's an interesting theory....
And sounds plausible.

It does seem awfully strange for a person with her backround to do something totally off the wall and out of character not too long after she returned from space.

By her backround I mean yes, she is an overacheiver and smart and ambitious.  But so many of her friends are so shocked and stressed what a sweet nice girl she always was.

What could put her over the edge so drastically without any warning signs beforehand.

The human body was not built for outer space. And women seem to have a slightly more delicate balance in body chemistry than men, so it does make me wonder if she experienced some kind of interruption in her normal body chemistry. I remember reading that she was sick for the first day or so in space, so who knows what happened to make her come so unhinged.
It could have been extreme stress. Being an astronaut, wife, and mother may have been too much, even for a high achiever. Everyone has a limit, and damage from stress is cumulative.
I feel sorry for her children. It must be hard for them to try to understand what happened to their Mother when no one has any answers.

Didn't have anything to do with 'being in space'.

If you look at Ken's article above you will see she and some of the other 'space' folks had problems with one of the most common psych problems effecting a lot of folks, Post Traumatic Stress syndrome. It appears a lot of folks are affected by extremes in many situations in their lives and just can't seem to handle it afterwards. Once you've been to or over the top, what's left?

Course I think she's just lovesick like a lot of folks get and then do some really extreme things because of it. Ya just don't hear about a lot of them because the folks aren't in highly public situations. In most 'bar' situations it's just keying a paint job or knifing a tire or even a real 'catfight'. In this case that gal was just gonna put the 'fear of god' in her competitor and got caught by the media.

The biggest chuckle in the whole story was about the diaper thing as if that were really strange, when in fact, in her world it was almost completely normal, all fighter pilots have been wearing them since long range missions began. Fighters and some bombers don't have toilets in them and extended flights with in air refueling don't allow many 'reststops'. The vernacular for 'flight suit' is actually 'Poopy suit'.

Yep, I agree.

Well all in all it's sad.

And pretty scary when let yourself think what may have happened if Shipman was not able to get away.

Nice to see you post again Carnut...

ORLANDO, Fla. — Florida prosecutors charged an astronaut Friday with trying to kidnap a romantic rival, but they declined to file an attempted murder charge recommended by police. Lisa Nowak, 43, was formally charged almost a month after she was arrested at an Orlando airport parking lot.

Police have said the mother of three had raced 900 miles in her car from Houston to Orlando on Feb. 5 to confront a woman she viewed as a rival for a space shuttle pilot’s affection. Nowak donned a wig and trench coat, then sprayed a chemical into the woman’s car when she wouldn’t let Nowak in, police said.

Officers found a BB-gun, a new steel mallet, knife and rubber tubing in Nowak’s car, and recommended she be charged with attempted murder.

Nowak pleaded not guilty last month on all counts that police recommended. Her attorney, Donald Lykkebak, said that she denies the charges filed Friday: attempted kidnapping with intent to inflict bodily harm, burglary with an assault using a weapon and battery.

“The state attorney appears to recognize that the initial charges were overreaching,” Lykkebak said. “Unfortunately ... the state’s current assessment still overstates the conduct.”  
   
 
Nowak believed Colleen Shipman was romantically involved with Navy Cmdr. William Oefelein, a pilot during space shuttle Discovery’s trip to the space station last December, according to police. After the confrontation, Shipman drove to a parking lot booth for help.

Kepler Funk, Shipman’s attorney, said Shipman was pleased prosecutors talked to her before filing the new charges.

Nowak flew on Discovery last summer and won praise for operating the shuttle’s robotic arm. NASA relieved her of all mission duties after her arrest and placed her on a 30-day leave, which is up next Thursday. She is free on bond with an ankle tracking device.

Her arrest was a black eye for NASA, which had been basking in the success of three shuttle missions last year. After the arrest, the space agency began reviewing its psychological screening process for astronauts.

She had been scheduled to be the ground communicator with the space shuttle Atlantis crew that is scheduled to launch on a mission to the international space station no earlier than late April.

“As of this morning, there is no change in her status and I do not have information on what her status will be when the 30-day leave is up,” said NASA spokesman James Hartsfield in Houston.
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she got ONLY a 30 day leave from Nasa? Are they nuts?

NOT attempted murder? what else was she gonna use a mallet , knife, and tubing for? Fixing space robots?

 I am seriously beginning to wonder about the integrity of our judicial system lately.

 Oh wait I just read it again..it was in the Florida Courts..ah ok, that explains a little bit anyways. :roll:

http://www.cnn.com/2007/LAW/03/06/astronaut.arrested.ap/index.html

Sexy e-mails shed light on astronaut's bizarre behavior
POSTED: 8:26 a.m. EST, March 6, 2007
Story Highlights• Documents released Monday reveal relationships in alleged astronaut romance
• Included are steamy e-mails from Colleen Shipman to Bill Oefelein
• Lisa Nowak apparently downloaded e-mails to Oefelein from her rival
• Astronaut Nowak is charged with trying to kidnap Shipman February 5
Adjust font size:
ORLANDO, Florida (AP) -- NASA astronaut Lisa Nowak's bizarre 900-mile road trip to confront a romantic rival may have been sparked when she uncovered steamy e-mails sent to her boyfriend by the other woman, documents released Monday showed.

Nowak had collected more than a dozen e-mails sent to her one-time boyfriend, space shuttle pilot Bill Oefelein, including one he received during his shuttle mission, according to the documents, released late Monday by the Orange-Osceola State Attorney's Office.

"First urge will be to rip your clothes off," Air Force Capt. Colleen Shipman wrote to Oefelein while he was aboard shuttle Discovery in December. "But honestly, love, I want you to totally and thoroughly enjoy your hero's homecoming."

Police have said Nowak, 43, raced 900 miles in her car from Houston to Orlando on February 5 to confront Shipman, 30.

Nowak donned a wig and trench coat, then sprayed a chemical into the woman's car when Shipman wouldn't let Nowak in, police said.

Nowak was charged Friday with attempted kidnapping and burglary with assault. She pleaded not guilty on all counts.

Since her arrest, Nowak has told police that her relationship with Oefelein was more than a working relationship but less than a romantic one.

But Oefelein, 41, told investigators they had been romantically involved since 2004.

The Orlando Sentinel reported that the documents released Monday also included transcripts of interviews with Oefelein by police.

"I would [have] never predicted this," Oefelein told a detective about his breakup with Nowak, a mother of three, according to the Sentinel. "She had actually wished me a nice weekend, knowing Colleen was gonna spend it with me."

The Sentinel reported that Nowak apparently downloaded the e-mails from Oefelein's home computer. (Read Orlando Sentinel coverage)

Nowak pleaded not guilty last month on all counts that police recommended. Her attorney, Donald Lykkebak, said that she denies the charges filed Friday.

"The state attorney appears to recognize that the initial charges were overreaching," Lykkebak said. "Unfortunately ... the state's current assessment still overstates the conduct."

Meanwhile, NASA's boss told lawmakers on Wednesday the agency failed to recognize Nowak's troubled mental state.

"Clearly she [Nowak] is in major trouble, and clearly we failed as an institution to recognize that she was very troubled," NASA Administrator Michael Griffin told Sen. Byron L. Dorgan, a North Dakota Democrat. (Full story)

Nowak flew on Discovery last summer and won praise for operating the shuttle's robotic arm. NASA relieved her of all mission duties after her arrest and placed her on a 30-day leave, which is up on Thursday.

Copyright 2007 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

I wish I'd saved the link but it appears one week prior to all of this, Oefelein called Nowak  the other woman's name in bed ?

Nothing excuses the behavior of Nowak but I also think he may have lied to her repeatedly and I do know what that feels like, and it does tend to send one over the edge emotionally. He now says he and Nowak were first "involved" in 2004, he divorced in 2005 ?

now he's a big captain of the space shuttle, does he think only with his little head? sure appears so  :roll: sounds like clinton, smells like clinton too

I hear ya NONE...

If she is going to go after anyone go after the DUDE.
 :roll:

None & Jacqueline, I hear ya both....made me think of:

"Oh what a tangled web we weave, When first we practice to deceive"

I would think that if this had been going on for some time, all parties were in deception mode, and she lost it.  The mind is a very delicate thing, one minute there, next gonzo.  Watched my neighbor & friend have a couple of breakdowns and still can't believe it, but it happens.

After seeing on the news about the emails and stuff, not that I agree with her actions, which were a bit over the top, but I can certainly see that happening. It makes sense now why she would have acted in such a manner. Sounds like an impulse thing that was torturing her. Gawd, some men can be so cruel. What is it they say..."a woman scorned..blah blah"

I heard on a radio talk show today that NASA revealed Nowak is no longer an employee.  Also, the fact that she fraternized with another officer is against military rules and she would be subject to military proceedings (not sure if this part was official or speculation on the part of the talk show host.)  I would hope the cad of a boyfriend is also in hot water.

Bobo, CNN is announcing she was 'terminated' and will return to the Air Force or Navy, whichever she came from for active duty. They also said HE is 'under review'..........well I think he should be escorted off the property too. I just really think he played both ends against the middle and likely was the catalyst for much of this. I still think she should have gotten a grip though, he's obviously not worth this !

HE is a skunk.....
Of course this woman went over the top.....
And would never her condone her actions.
But I can see what whipped her up in such a fury.

Lisa belongs to the US Navy and was on "assignment" to the space program. The space program has dismissed her and she is returning to the Navy.

Yes, I have heard many stories about astronauts who have a hard time adjusting to life back on earth. I would think that by now the space center should have a program dealing with this issue.

I am sharing my updated thoughts about Lisa Nowak. While space might cause a chemical change in the body, I don't think it causes a change in the brain ... but it may be closely related to depression and loss, but I can't see it leading up to wanting to kill someone.

An astronaut is still a human being. I think the reason Lisa did what she did was the human experience of infatuation. She was crazy jealous. And people DO freak out upon hearing their lovers are cheating on them. Depression is hell in general.

I don't know how old Lisa is but I betcha she did not have a lot of previous relationships. That made her more vulnerable.

I'd agree louise that those of us who didn't have lots of one night stands or were promiscuous might have a larger issue in dealing with infidelity. Nowak was perhaps infatuated but he certainly had issues even minding his important job in space without sexy emails back to earth with his other paramour long before he anted up to Nowark he was two-timing her. I think it's worse than infatuation, I think Nowark thought he loved her. Of course when one has an affair you are perhaps lying down with a dog, it's unfortunate this dog didn't have a sign around his neck to alert others.

I expect Nowak spent more time studying and working hard in order to become an astronaut, but I'd also argue that some of us just don't believe our morality can be dictated by our hormones. I think it's sad now that ultimately her morality and good judgment was destroyed by his likely manipulating the hell out of her.

So I'd just like to see him lose his job at the very least, he did play a part in this and if NASA thinks I'm proud of his other accomplishments then they are sorely mistaken.

It would be interesting to know if this Shipman woman is still seeing this Romeo.

If she were smart she would dump his ass soon if she has not already done so.

I feel bad for Colleen Shipman. Her private life has been exposed to the world because of this mess. I'm sure she must be profoundly hurt and embarassed by the whole thing, and none of it was really her fault. She seemed to love the guy. How could she go on with him after all this anyway? I wouldn't think they have a future together now, even if they did plan one before.
We should all take a lesson from it though, and not put anything too intimate in an email. You just never know what will come back to haunt you.

pdh3- you and I so often agree but on this point with Shipman, I have to disagree. She must have been living under a rock in recent years not to know that fraternization of this type, sending emails to him in space while he was 'on the job' was a huge risk to her. He was receiving and reading those while on NASA equipment also?

She's not real bright then, astronauts are reliant upon much IT hard and software with the shuttle. Even emails you read at your personal address while on company time and company hardware, is fair game. She was very foolish.

I agree with you none, but you said it better than I could.  She deserves the same fraternization reprimand Oefelein gets.   And I do hope he gets one.

I think the only people in this situation I feel sorry for are the families, especially the children of Lisa.

As for the other 3.  They were all adults.

All three made bad choices but only one went over the edge, and over the edge big time.

The way I see it they all pretty much suck. :lol:

The new info about Oefelein is very disturbing. Tax dollars at work, we send him into space so he can get e-mails from his mistress. How STUPID both parties are, notwithstanding what Nowak did. Yes indeed the content of her messages to him are part of NASA's record and that will never go away. They may deep-six them as a PR move, but they still happened. BTW, NASA SHOULD HAVE KNOWN WHAT WAS GOING ON and put the kibosh on all the foolishness.

Talk about being fooled by appearances. I watched the coverage of that mission and Nowak came across to me as an impressive, articulate, attractive gal. How she could go so wrong so quickly is unreal.

I do agree that it was stupid to send emails that were so personal, but the astronauts are allowed to communicate with family and loved ones while in space via email. She never thought anything like this would happen, I'm sure. Ms. Shipman seems to have been really in love with her astronaut, and I don't see that she deserves to be embarassed. She is not married, and neither was Mr. Olefelein when she started seeing him. I don't really get the hostility towards her at all. Lisa Nowak was a married mother of 3 when she got involved with another man, and Mr. Astronaut was also married, and a father. Those two are really the the culprits of the whole mess. They have hurt so many innocent people.
I live in a NASA town, and I can tell you that all kinds of stuff like adultery goes on all the time, and has since the beginning of the space program. The people working in the space industry have a 60% divorce rate. The original astronauts were not faithful to their wives for the most part, and nothing has changed much. The space program demands 60-80 hour work weeks at times, and people get very close to one another at work, and become strangers at home. I personally experienced that in my life, and so have most of my friends. All of us have ex-husbands who were or still are working in the space program in one capacity or another. I'd be willing to bet there are many other astronauts that have done the same thing. NASA turns a blind eye, and always has. They could care less about the emails, except that now they have been made public, and are an embarassment. I've seen many, many emails a lot worse than that one going across the NASA email network with my own eyes, and pictures too.
It's just the culture of NASA, and the type of people it attracts. Brilliant, hard-working, but not always the best at personal relationships.

PDH3, thanks so much for your latest post.

Very informative and really paints a clearer picture to those of us who are not privy to the thing you are by growing up in the Nasa surroundings.

The way you have described the nasa community seems very similar to some people who are in law enforcement.  Divorce rate is very high for people in those fields as well.

As for Shipman, I just hope she cuts her ties with this guy.

I am sure he did not think that Nowack would go bonkers over this situation but in a sense he put Shipman's life in danger by being a player.

One would think that NASA would be more PR-conscious than to let the stuff go on. They should have realized that that "culture" is an accident waiting to happen. It's kind of surprising that something like this hasn't happened before.

I was aware that NASA marriages are a very-endangered species.  Most of the more famous astronauts had divorces. Neil Armstrong himself is divorced, so both of the first 2 men to walk on the moon had their marriages break up.

I have been told that this is endemic in the military also. So actually, all 3 principals in this case being military, it's pretty much in the numbers that something like this happened.

I wanted to post the latest update on this, I suspect it won't get high profile exposure either but Olefin did lose his job and I still maintain he should have.

http://news.aol.com/topnews/articles/_a/man-in-love-triangle-to-leave-nasa/20070525190909990001?ncid=NWS00010000000001

Rick and I both worked in consulting pdh3, that means you travel a great deal and he was away the majority of the last two years? Does that justify illicit liasons? not in my opinion, we all have choices we make and consulting is high pressure and draining too, which is why it pays so well?

Olefin played both ends against the middle, look at the fall-out? In this day and age even NASA needs to monitor emails and have governance policies regarding them. If not, they aren't meeting the standards of internet governance and I for one am not going to agree that's AOK.

none - With all due respect....I never said I agreed with the NASA policy of turning a blind eye to the personal lives of their employees, and I was not justifying it at all. How did you ever get that impression? I just wanted to explain the culture that exists in the world of those involved in the astronaut scandal. An explanation is not an endorsement.
In fact, I begged my husband to change the focus of his career as an engineer, and I wanted to move away from this town due to the casual attitiudes about marriage and family that exists here. I was scared when I realized the way his profession affected families. We have the highest divorce rate in the state in my county, and it is because of the type of people who work in the space, technical, and engineering fields. Of course, there are exceptions, and some people manage to stay married, but most don't. We've even had a local TV station due a special report on the fact that marriages in this area are crumbling at a high rate...now almost 70%. It's like a contagious disease, in a way, because it is condoned in the professional community, and there are no career consequences unless you go as far as Lisa Nowak did.
Technical people, for the most part look at things much differently than others, and I think NASA just sees the divorce rate as collateral damage. In order to have the best people working as NASA employees, or as contractors, it's just part of doing business. This is just the first time that someone crossed a line publically. I have heard of many ugly things happening, and I know of several cases of domestic abuse involving NASA employees. They have never been all that well behaved, except for John Glenn, who was the most decent of all the orginal astronauts. He was always loyal to his wife, and was very protective of her.
I personally know of people having affairs at the work place, including my husband, who did testing for NASA as a contractor. Many of his co-workers had affairs as well, while actually on a government facility, during the work day. One woman even got pregnant, and tried to pass the baby off as her husband's child. I have little respect for most NASA employees as people, even though I have great respect for the work that they do, and for their brilliance as scientists and engineers.
I'm the last person who would think it's ok to behave this way, but NASA has simply looked the other way for over 40 years, so I don't expect it to change, even with this shameful incident.

pdh3-

I am so sorry this happened to you, I lived through infidelity in a very public way in my first marriage, it's a hideous experience. I have never understood why a spouse couldn't just state they wanted 'out' of a marriage first, I surely wouldn't wish to be with someone who doesn't wish to be with me. It's the height of self-indulgence to be unfaithful in the modern world IMO.

I really have to wonder what's going on with our government when NASA allows this to continue unabated? Who is agreeing to look the other way above NASA? Of course with Clinton's sexual escapades as our president one can imagine it's not a top priority for our government.

Thank you for sharing and for explaining, again I am so sorry this happened to you.

http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/nation/6523966.html
Nowak's romantic rival and her ex-love will wed
Orlando Sentinel
July 10, 2009, 7:52PM
The couple thrust into the spotlight by former astronaut Lisa Nowak plan to marry next year.

Colleen Shipman and Billy Oefelein announced their engagement this week in their hometown newspapers — the Anchorage (Alaska) Daily News and Beaver County (Pa.) Times.

Orlando police say Nowak, a mission specialist on space shuttle Discovery's flight in July 2006, drove from Houston to Orlando International Airport in February 2007. She's accused of trying to attack Shipman, a former U.S. Air Force officer, who was dating Oefelein, also an astronaut at the time and Nowak's former love.

Nowak is charged with attempted kidnapping and burglary with assault, which is punishable of up to life in prison. She also faces a misdemeanor battery charge. A trial is set for Dec. 7.

Nowak is still assigned to the Corpus Christi air station, where she works on special projects in the curriculum department, according to the Navy.

Oefelein and Shipman retired from the military and are living in Alaska, where she works as a freelance writer for a small business and he is a test-pilot instructor.

Oefelein popped the question on June 20 while on a 110-mile canoe trip on Beaver Creek in Alaska. “That night, Billy O. retrieved a ring he had hidden in the fishing box and proposed ... on bended knee,” the announcement said.

Astronauts in love triangle to marry (remember Nowak and adult diapers story?)
posted by Muffybeeeeee

http://scaredmonkeys.net/index.php?topic=5655.0

Wednesday 11 November 2009

Jilted astronaut Lisa Nowak gets year's probation

Astronaut who drove 1,000 miles across US armed with pepper spray to confront love rival avoids trial with plea bargain

The astronaut who drove 1,000 miles across the US – armed with pepper spray and allegedly wearing a nappy – to confront a love rival has been given a year's probation after charges of attempted kidnapping were dropped in a plea bargain.

The story, with all the elements of the most baroque daytime soap opera – handsome married astronauts, glamorous air force officers, amorous emails exchanged in outer space – gripped the nation when it broke two years ago.

But the trial due to start next month has been dropped. Instead Lisa Nowak will serve a year's probation, do 50 hours' community service and must send a letter of apology to Colleen Shipman, an air force captain at the time of the incident and her rival for the affections of Nasa astronaut Bill Oefelein.

Nowak and Oefelein, who met while training to go into space but never flew on the same mission, were sacked by Nasa when the story broke and returned to their careers in the navy. Shipman, who testified that she was permanently traumatised by the incident, left her job on medical grounds and now lives in Alaska with Oefelein.

Nowak and Oefelein had a three-year affair before he left both her and his wife for Shipman. Nowak learned of this when she found copies of emails, many lodged as evidence, including one sent by Shipman when Oefelein was on board the shuttle Discovery.

Nowak had copies of the emails in her car when she drove from her home in Houston, Texas, to confront Shipman on 5 February 2007 after she finished work at Orlando International airport in Florida. She was wearing a wig, trenchcoat and dark glasses when she was arrested after pepper-spraying Shipman's car, inside which the terrified woman had locked herself. Nowak was also reported to be wearing an adult nappy so she would not have to make any stops on her trip, a claim later denied by her lawyer.

She initially faced charges of kidnap and battery, and was warned she could be charged with intention to murder. In court in Orlando yesterday, Nowak said: "I am sincerely sorry for causing fear and misunderstanding and all the intense public exposure you have encountered." She pleaded guilty to burglary of a car, third-degree felony and misdemeanor battery.

Shipman told the court she was still terrified, kept a shotgun and had alarms installed at home. "It was in her eyes, a blood-chilling expression of unlimited rage and glee," she said. "I am 100% certain Lisa Nowak came here to murder me."

A Nasa internal inquiry after the incident caused the agency further mortification, with allegations that astronauts were permitted to board spaceships or training flights despite medical warnings that they were drunk or unfit. Annual psychological screenings, and codes of conduct for astronauts, are being introduced.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2009/nov/11/astronaut-lisa-nowak-probation

 ::MonkeyHaHa::

(http://z.about.com/d/weirdnews/1/0/f/T/-/-/LisaNowak170.jpg)

 ::MonkeyHaHa::
'Diaper Lady' Shuttle Astronaut Strikes Plea Deal in Love Triangle Attack
Thursday November 12, 2009

The naval officer and former astronaut at the center of a bizarre love triangle has pleaded guilty to felony burglary of a car and misdemeanor battery.
Lisa Nowak, who rode the Shuttle Discovery to the International Space Station in 2006, allegedly drove nonstop from Texas to Orlando in February, 2007, to confront a woman who was seeing the same man -- William A. Oefelein, who was also an astronaut at the time.

Police say Nowak told them she wore diapers so she wouldn't have to visit any restrooms along the way. Then, dressed in a wig and trench coat, she pretended to be in need of help at the Orlando Airport as she flagged down Air Force Captain Colleen Shipman.

She allegedly sprayed Shipman with pepper spray, and was intent on kidnapping her... but Shipman managed to get away and call police... leading to some of NASA's strangest and most unwanted headlines.

The plea deal means Nowak will not serve any jail time beyond the two days she already spent in custody, and will have to take an anger management course and fulfill 50 hours of community service.

Nowak was a mission specialist on STS-121, a 2006 shuttle Discovery flight to the International Space Station. Until this incident, NASA had never fired any astronauts... but both Nowak and Oefelein were dismissed and reassigned to the Navy, and a new astronaut code of conduct was created. (Love, Sex & Marriage)

http://weirdnews.about.com/b/2009/11/12/diaper-lady-shuttle-astronaut-strikes-plea-deal-in-love-triangle-attack.htm

http://www.cfnews13.com/News/Local/2010/5/24/judge_denies_lisa_nowak_probation_request.html
 Judge Denies Lisa Nowak's Probation Request
Tuesday, May 25, 2010 4:18:40 AM
Reported by Stephanie Coueignoux

ORLANDO -- A judge has denied the early probation for for Lisa Nowak, the former astronaut and Navy captain caught in a violent love triangle in 2007.

Even though Judge Mark Lubet denied the request, which was filed by Nowak's attorney, she will have more freedom.

Colleen Shipman, the romantic rival Nowak was charged with trying to harm, wrote a letter to the judge objecting to Nowak's request.

She wrote: "I believe Captain Nowak's request to be quite arrogant considering the premeditated and malicious nature of her crime."

While Lubet denied the request, he placed Nowak on administrative probation, meaning she won't have to check in with a parole officer any longer.

Nowak is not allowed to contact Shipman or William Ofelein, the other astronaut in the love triangle.

She's also still forbidden to travel to Alaska or California unless it's on official Navy business.

Nowak has about six more months of probation left.

Back in November 2009, Nowak pleaded guilty to one count of battery and one burglary of a conveyance.

http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/metropolitan/7160865.html
Panel reportedly wants Nowak out of Navy
August 19, 2010

 According to an NBC News report on Thursday, a Navy board of inquiry has recommended that former astronaut Lisa Nowak should be ousted from the Navy with a less-than-honorable discharge and be demoted from captain to commander.

The action came after a hearing in Jacksonville, Fla., at which Nowak was present.

Nowak, who flew on a space shuttle mission in 2006, was arrested after making a 900-mile drive from Houston to Orlando in 2007 to confront a rival for the affections of space shuttle pilot Bill Oefelein. Nowak was terminated as an astronaut by NASA soon after her arrest, and she was reassigned to Corpus Christi Naval Air Station.

In November, she pleaded guilty to felony burglary and misdemeanor battery. Nowak was given a year's probation on the civilian criminal convictions.

The board of inquiry will forward its recommendation to Navy Secretary Ray Maybus, who will make the final decision on Nowak's punishment.

http://www.click2houston.com/news/27226991/detail.html
Ex-Astronaut Lisa Nowak Wants Record Sealed
March 17, 2011

Former astronaut Lisa Nowak, who lost her NASA job over a bizarre airport attack on a romantic rival, is asking a judge to seal her criminal record.
 ::snipping2::
The court motion filed earlier this month requests that her record be sealed "as it is a significant hindrance to the future economic well-being of her family."

http://www.usatoday.com/news/nation/2011-07-29-astronaut-lisa-nowak-discharged-navy_n.htm?csp=obinsite
Ex-astronaut Lisa Nowak forced out of Navy
July 29, 2011

(AP) A former astronaut banished from NASA after she confronted a romantic rival in a bizarre episode is being expelled from the Navy, officials said Thursday.
Capt. Lisa Nowak will retire with an "other than honorable" discharge and her pay grade will be knocked down one rank, Assistant Secretary of Navy Juan Garcia said in a statement.

Nowak's conduct "fell well short" of what is expected of Navy officers and she "demonstrated a complete disregard for the well-being of a fellow service member," Garcia said.
 ::snipping2::
Nowak was sentenced in 2009 to a year of probation in the altercation after pleading guilty to burglary charges.

Since her dismissal from the astronaut corps, Nowak has been working at the Chief of Naval Air Training station in Corpus Christi, Texas. She will be demoted to commander when her retirement takes effect Sept. 1.

The "other than honorable" discharge may affect veterans' benefits for Nowak, who has been in the Navy for 20 years. A call to her mobile phone was not returned.

The decision by the Navy came after a board of inquiry heard testimony last year.