NASA Love Triangle

[Jacqueline]

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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[pdh3]

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.

[Jacqueline]

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.

[pdh3]

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.

[Carnut]

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.

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'.

[klaasend]

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.

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.

[Jacqueline]

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...

[Jacqueline]

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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[Seamonkey]

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.

[2NJSons_Mom]

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.

[nonesuche]

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   sounds like clinton, smells like clinton too

[Jacqueline]

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   sounds like clinton, smells like clinton too

I hear ya NONE...

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

[2NJSons_Mom]

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.

[Seamonkey]

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"

[Bobo2]

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.

[nonesuche]

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 !

[Jacqueline]

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.

[LouiseVargas]

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.

[nonesuche]

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.

[Jacqueline]

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.