Astronaut charged with kidnap attempt

By MIKE SCHNEIDER, Associated Press

ORLANDO, Fla. - A NASA astronaut charged with attempting to kidnap a
romantic rival in a love triangle with another astronaut was allowed
to go free on bail Tuesday on the condition that she not contact the
alleged victim.
ADVERTISEMENT

The judge told Lisa Marie Nowak she could be released on $15,500 bond,
then asked if she understood the conditions. She responded "yes."

Nowak, a married mother of three, stood in a jail uniform, looking
down during most of the hearing. She planned to return home to
Houston, and the judge ordered her to wear a tracking device.

The 43-year-old robotics specialist faces charges including attempted
kidnapping, attempted vehicle burglary with battery, destruction of
evidence and battery.

Police said she drove 900 miles, donned a disguise and was armed with
a BB gun and pepper spray when she confronted a woman she believed was
a competitor for the affections of Navy Cmdr. William Oefelein, an
unmarried fellow astronaut.

Nowak rode aboard Discovery in July. Oefelein, 41, piloted the space
shuttle Discovery in December. They trained together but never flew
together.

Nowak told police that her relationship with Oefelein was "more than a
working relationship but less than a romantic relationship," according
to an arrest affidavit. Police found a love letter to Oefelein in her
car.

According to authorities, Nowak believed another woman, Colleen
Shipman, was romantically involved with Oefelein. When Nowak found out
Shipman was flying to Orlando from Houston, Nowak decided to confront
her early Monday, according to the arrest affidavit.

Nowak raced from Houston to Orlando wearing diapers in the car so she
wouldn't have to stop to go to the bathroom, authorities said.
Astronauts wear diapers during launch and re-entry.

Dressed in a wig and a trench coat, she waited for Shipman's plane to
land and then boarded the same airport shuttle bus Shipman took to get
to her car, police said. Shipman told police she noticed someone
following her, hurried inside the car and locked the doors, according
to the arrest affidavit.

Nowak rapped on the window, tried to open the car door and asked for a
ride. Shipman refused but rolled down the car window a few inches when
Nowak started crying, the statement said. Nowak then sprayed a
chemical into Shipman's car, the affidavit said. Shipman drove to the
parking lot booth and police were called.

An officer reported following Nowak and watching her throw away a bag
containing the wig and BB gun. Police also found a steel mallet, a 4-
inch folding knife, rubber tubing, $600 and garbage bags inside a bag
Nowak was carrying when she was arrested, authorities said.

Two other astronauts attended the hearing. Steve Lindsey, commander of
Nowak's Discovery flight last July, testified that Nowak would obey
the conditions of her release.

Chris Ferguson, a pilot on the mission, also attended the hearing.
Asked afterward about Nowak's behavior, Ferguson said "perplexed is
the word I'm sticking with."

Oefelein and Shipman, who the Houston Chronicle said worked at Patrick
Air Force Base near the
Kennedy Space Center, did not immediately return calls seeking
comment.

NASA spokesman James Hartsfield in Houston said that, as of Monday,
Nowak's status with the astronaut corps remained unchanged. "What will
happen beyond that, I will not speculate," he said.

Hartsfield said he couldn't recall the last time an astronaut was
arrested and said there were no rules against fraternizing among
astronauts.

Police said Nowak told them that she only wanted to scare Shipman into
talking to her about her relationship with Oefelein and didn't want to
harm her physically.

"If you were just going to talk to someone, I don't know that you
would need a wig, a trench coat, an air cartridge BB gun and pepper
spray," said Orlando police Sgt. Barbara Jones. "It's just really a
very sad case."

According to NASA's official biography, Nowak is a Naval Academy
graduate who has a master's degree in aeronautical engineering. She
has a teenage son and younger twin girls.

Oefelein has two children and began his aviation career as a teenager
flying floatplanes in Alaska, according to a NASA biography. He
studied electrical engineering at Oregon State University and later
earned a master's degree in aviation systems at the University of
Tennessee Space Institute. He has been an astronaut since 1998.

___

Associated Press writers Kelli Kennedy and Jessica Gresko in Miami
contributed to this report.


http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20070206/ap_on_re_us/astronaut_arrested

On Feb 6, 10:12 am, "AirRaid" > wrote:

> Nowak, a married mother of three,

Probably not married much longer...

Austin

Well... she's a great candidate for a political office.

If that doesn't work out, since she's a pilot she could
haul freight.

On Feb 6, 10:44 am, ktbr > wrote:
> Well... she's a great candidate for a political office.
>
> If that doesn't work out, since she's a pilot she could
> haul freight.


She can ask for an airplane with extra long range and no bathroom on
board.

They let her out on bail? Being an astronaut, isn't she a "flight risk" ?
;)
"AirRaid" > wrote in message
ups.com...
> Astronaut charged with kidnap attempt
>
> By MIKE SCHNEIDER, Associated Press
>
> ORLANDO, Fla. - A NASA astronaut charged with attempting to kidnap a
> romantic rival in a love triangle with another astronaut was allowed
> to go free on bail Tuesday on the condition that she not contact the
> alleged victim.
> ADVERTISEMENT
>
> The judge told Lisa Marie Nowak she could be released on $15,500 bond,
> then asked if she understood the conditions. She responded "yes."
>
> Nowak, a married mother of three, stood in a jail uniform, looking
> down during most of the hearing. She planned to return home to
> Houston, and the judge ordered her to wear a tracking device.
>
> The 43-year-old robotics specialist faces charges including attempted
> kidnapping, attempted vehicle burglary with battery, destruction of
> evidence and battery.
>
> Police said she drove 900 miles, donned a disguise and was armed with
> a BB gun and pepper spray when she confronted a woman she believed was
> a competitor for the affections of Navy Cmdr. William Oefelein, an
> unmarried fellow astronaut.
>
> Nowak rode aboard Discovery in July. Oefelein, 41, piloted the space
> shuttle Discovery in December. They trained together but never flew
> together.
>
> Nowak told police that her relationship with Oefelein was "more than a
> working relationship but less than a romantic relationship," according
> to an arrest affidavit. Police found a love letter to Oefelein in her
> car.
>
> According to authorities, Nowak believed another woman, Colleen
> Shipman, was romantically involved with Oefelein. When Nowak found out
> Shipman was flying to Orlando from Houston, Nowak decided to confront
> her early Monday, according to the arrest affidavit.
>
> Nowak raced from Houston to Orlando wearing diapers in the car so she
> wouldn't have to stop to go to the bathroom, authorities said.
> Astronauts wear diapers during launch and re-entry.
>
> Dressed in a wig and a trench coat, she waited for Shipman's plane to
> land and then boarded the same airport shuttle bus Shipman took to get
> to her car, police said. Shipman told police she noticed someone
> following her, hurried inside the car and locked the doors, according
> to the arrest affidavit.
>
> Nowak rapped on the window, tried to open the car door and asked for a
> ride. Shipman refused but rolled down the car window a few inches when
> Nowak started crying, the statement said. Nowak then sprayed a
> chemical into Shipman's car, the affidavit said. Shipman drove to the
> parking lot booth and police were called.
>
> An officer reported following Nowak and watching her throw away a bag
> containing the wig and BB gun. Police also found a steel mallet, a 4-
> inch folding knife, rubber tubing, $600 and garbage bags inside a bag
> Nowak was carrying when she was arrested, authorities said.
>
> Two other astronauts attended the hearing. Steve Lindsey, commander of
> Nowak's Discovery flight last July, testified that Nowak would obey
> the conditions of her release.
>
> Chris Ferguson, a pilot on the mission, also attended the hearing.
> Asked afterward about Nowak's behavior, Ferguson said "perplexed is
> the word I'm sticking with."
>
> Oefelein and Shipman, who the Houston Chronicle said worked at Patrick
> Air Force Base near the
> Kennedy Space Center, did not immediately return calls seeking
> comment.
>
> NASA spokesman James Hartsfield in Houston said that, as of Monday,
> Nowak's status with the astronaut corps remained unchanged. "What will
> happen beyond that, I will not speculate," he said.
>
> Hartsfield said he couldn't recall the last time an astronaut was
> arrested and said there were no rules against fraternizing among
> astronauts.
>
> Police said Nowak told them that she only wanted to scare Shipman into
> talking to her about her relationship with Oefelein and didn't want to
> harm her physically.
>
> "If you were just going to talk to someone, I don't know that you
> would need a wig, a trench coat, an air cartridge BB gun and pepper
> spray," said Orlando police Sgt. Barbara Jones. "It's just really a
> very sad case."
>
> According to NASA's official biography, Nowak is a Naval Academy
> graduate who has a master's degree in aeronautical engineering. She
> has a teenage son and younger twin girls.
>
> Oefelein has two children and began his aviation career as a teenager
> flying floatplanes in Alaska, according to a NASA biography. He
> studied electrical engineering at Oregon State University and later
> earned a master's degree in aviation systems at the University of
> Tennessee Space Institute. He has been an astronaut since 1998.
>
> ___
>
> Associated Press writers Kelli Kennedy and Jessica Gresko in Miami
> contributed to this report.
>
>
> http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20070206/ap_on_re_us/astronaut_arrested
>

"tom418" > wrote in message
...
> They let her out on bail? Being an astronaut, isn't she a "flight risk" ?
>

I'm waiting for one of the astronauts (American or foreign) to go psycho
(whether for personal, political, or religious reasons) on the space
station. That could possibly cripple the space program for a long time.

Tom Conner wrote:
> "tom418" > wrote in message
> ...
>> They let her out on bail? Being an astronaut, isn't she a "flight
>> risk" ?
>>
>
> I'm waiting for one of the astronauts (American or foreign) to go
> psycho (whether for personal, political, or religious reasons) on the
> space station. That could possibly cripple the space program for a
> long time.

As risk adverse as NASA has become I have no doubt that it would shut down
the US manned program for a minimum of 10 years. Probably closer than 20.

Something serious must have happened to her, is all I can think. She's a
retired friggin' Navy Captain?!

Her mugshot looks like one of those anti-methamphetamine campaign posters.
She's beyond just fruitbat crazy; she's broken.

-c

On Feb 6, 5:27 pm, "gatt" > wrote:
> Something serious must have happened to her, is all I can think. She's a
> retired friggin' Navy Captain?!
>
> Her mugshot looks like one of those anti-methamphetamine campaign posters.
> She's beyond just fruitbat crazy; she's broken.
>
> -c

RIght on... As a physician the thing that caught my attention was the
difference in appearance and body language between the two shots: her
in a pressure suit a short time before, and her mug shot after... The
mind and body are a single unit and the fact that her mind has a
terrible malfunction is directly reflected in her facial and body
language appearance...
It is likely that she is (was) for years a high functioning, bipolar
affective disorder, case... When their manic state is caught/focussed
on a goal they can be productive to the extreme, literally able to
work day and night... Sooner or later thay all become irrational,
however...

denny

"Denny" > wrote in message
oups.com...
> On Feb 6, 5:27 pm, "gatt" > wrote:
>> Something serious must have happened to her, is all I can think. She's a
>> retired friggin' Navy Captain?!
>>
>> Her mugshot looks like one of those anti-methamphetamine campaign
>> posters.
>> She's beyond just fruitbat crazy; she's broken.
>>
>> -c
>
> RIght on... As a physician the thing that caught my attention was the
> difference in appearance and body language between the two shots: her
> in a pressure suit a short time before, and her mug shot after... The
> mind and body are a single unit and the fact that her mind has a
> terrible malfunction is directly reflected in her facial and body
> language appearance...

Both pictures were of her in a pressure suit. There was no mug shot (in the
article I saw with two pictures).

On Feb 7, 8:30 am, "Matt Barrow" > wrote:
> "Denny" > wrote in message
>
> oups.com...
>
>
>
>
>
> > On Feb 6, 5:27 pm, "gatt" > wrote:
> >> Something serious must have happened to her, is all I can think. She's a
> >> retired friggin' Navy Captain?!
>
> >> Her mugshot looks like one of those anti-methamphetamine campaign
> >> posters.
> >> She's beyond just fruitbat crazy; she's broken.
>
> >> -c
>
> > RIght on... As a physician the thing that caught my attention was the
> > difference in appearance and body language between the two shots: her
> > in a pressure suit a short time before, and her mug shot after... The
> > mind and body are a single unit and the fact that her mind has a
> > terrible malfunction is directly reflected in her facial and body
> > language appearance...
>
> Both pictures were of her in a pressure suit. There was no mug shot (in the
> article I saw with two pictures).- Hide quoted text -
>
> - Show quoted text -

Uhh, can't tell you where it was... I did a quick google on her
yesterday and skimmed several articles... One showed her photo-op in
her pressure suit in 2006... In this she is a gorgeous lady, calm
appearance and body language, very sure of herself... The mug shot
that many of us saw was a huge contrast, she looks 20+ years older,
strained, the cords in her neck standing out, twisted body position,
etc...
(I'm ignoring the wild hair as that could be the result of her strip
search where they back comb the hair for contraband)
Just a textbook case of a psychotic break... Possibly schizophrenic
but I cannot make that diagnosis without more information...
Do a search on her and look at the various news articles - one or more
should show the mug shot...

denny

Matt Barrow wrote:
>> RIght on... As a physician the thing that caught my attention was the
>> difference in appearance and body language between the two shots: her
>> in a pressure suit a short time before, and her mug shot after... The
>> mind and body are a single unit and the fact that her mind has a
>> terrible malfunction is directly reflected in her facial and body
>> language appearance...
>
> Both pictures were of her in a pressure suit. There was no mug shot (in the
> article I saw with two pictures).


The pictures are all over the internet. She looks like somebody fresh out of
the trailer park arrested for ax murdering half of the community. Frankly, her
mug shot makes her look like a crack whore. I say that without humor.

It's absolutely amazing that a person who graduated from Annapolis, who reached
the rank of captain in the US Navy, a Naval Aviator and Astronaut.... could
suffer such a total break from reality. Life as she knows it is over. It's a
real shame.

I remember wondering if she has a tumor when I first read about this. I still
wonder. She had the world by its tail....




--
Mortimer Schnerd, RN
mschnerdatcarolina.rr.com

Denny writes:

> Uhh, can't tell you where it was... I did a quick google on her
> yesterday and skimmed several articles... One showed her photo-op in
> her pressure suit in 2006... In this she is a gorgeous lady, calm
> appearance and body language, very sure of herself... The mug shot
> that many of us saw was a huge contrast, she looks 20+ years older,
> strained, the cords in her neck standing out, twisted body position,
> etc...

You can see these in the CNN articles. It does indeed look like that set of
"Meth is Death" photos circulating around that show methamphetamine addicts
before and after their addictions.

It looks like something has gone seriously wrong with her.

> Just a textbook case of a psychotic break... Possibly schizophrenic
> but I cannot make that diagnosis without more information...

I cannot speculate on her mental condition, except to say that I find it odd
that such extreme behavioral tendencies would not have been noticed in some
way as she entered the space program.

If the strict examinations for astronauts didn't turn up these anomalies, what
sort of people are slipping through the cracks among licensed pilots?

--
Transpose mxsmanic and gmail to reach me by e-mail.

"Mortimer Schnerd, RN" <mschnerdatcarolina.rr.com> wrote:
> It's absolutely amazing that a person who graduated from Annapolis, who
> reached the rank of captain in the US Navy, a Naval Aviator and
> Astronaut.... could suffer such a total break from reality.

Why is it amazing? Smart, successful, powerful people do all sorts of
stupid and self-destructive things all the time. It's part of being human.

We've had Presidents get blowjobs in the oval office. We've had Vice
Presidents (Aaron Burr) and sports heros (OJ) charged with murder. Michael
Jackson was into child molestation. We've had corporate trainwreck after
corporate trainwreck (Enron, Tyco, WorldCom). How many times have we read
about our politicians involved with drug abuse, alcoholism, sex scandals,
fatal car accidents, and so on. The current President of Israel has been
charged with rape.

Tailhook, Abu Graib and the sexual assault scandal at the Air Force Academy
have shown that our military are not immune to human failings either.

It may be sad, but it shouldn't be amazing, or even surprising. The story
"Woman drives 1500 miles to assault love rival" probably plays out every
day. We just heard about this one because it involved high-profile people.

The bit about the diaper is just something that fed the media's lust for
anything involving bodily functions. She was using a tool to achieve a
goal that apparently astronauts use on a regular basis. There's threads
almost every day on these newsgroups about how we deal with exactly the
same issues in our airplanes. Not to mention ads in the Sporty's catalog
for products to help solve the problem. Get over it.

Tom Conner wrote:
> "tom418" > wrote in message
> ...
>> They let her out on bail? Being an astronaut, isn't she a "flight risk" ?
>>
>
> I'm waiting for one of the astronauts (American or foreign) to go psycho
> (whether for personal, political, or religious reasons) on the space
> station. That could possibly cripple the space program for a long time.
>
>

Tell me Tom, have you always had this bright and sunny disposition?
:-)

--
Heaven is where the police are British, the chefs Italian, the mechanics
German, the lovers French and it is all organized by the Swiss.

Hell is where the police are German, the chefs British, the mechanics
French, the lovers Swiss and it is all organized by Italians.

http://new.photos.yahoo.com/paul1cart/albums/

On 2/7/2007 8:56:06 AM, "Denny" wrote:

> Uhh, can't tell you where it was...


http://www.thesmokinggun.com/archive/years/2007/0206073astronut1.html?link=rssfeed

--
Peter

On Wed, 07 Feb 2007 15:14:29 +0100, Mxsmanic > wrote:

>> Just a textbook case of a psychotic break... Possibly schizophrenic
>> but I cannot make that diagnosis without more information...
>
>I cannot speculate on her mental condition, except to say that I find it odd
>that such extreme behavioral tendencies would not have been noticed in some
>way as she entered the space program.

Historically, astronaut programs have absolutely loaded with monomaniacal,
driven personalities. When you look at the competition involved for the few
flight spots available, only the most focussed, goal-oriented fanatics succeed.
These people are attuned to win, and as revelation of the slightest flaw is
likely to get them pulled off the program, they're well attuned to hiding
problems. I'm not a psychiatrist, but it seems to me that a schizophrenic might
have ADVANTAGES in such an environment.

For good insight, read Mike Mullane's "Riding Rockets: The Outrageous Tales of a
Space Shuttle Astronaut." First, it's an absolute hoot. But it otherwise
provides a view into what it takes to make it to the top. The book begins with
his physical examination for the astronaut program. He's due for a proctologic
examination, and has been given instructions for a process to clean out his
system prior to the exam. He's heard another candidate got rejected because the
process was not thorough enough...thus Mullane goes through extraordinary steps
to ensure that his colonic system is practically shining by the time the doctor
takes a look. You'll be rolling on the floor as you read it...but you see what
it takes to make it into the astronaut program.

Mullane goes into great detail of what it takes to get selected for "Prime Crew"
(e.g., scheduled for a launch). The extreme jockeying and politics. The joy of
selection, the savage desperation as one is passed over, especially as the Prime
Crews are treated like kings as their big day approaches. The way every delay
is torture, and how every launch scrub is a wire-brushing of your psyche.

But then there's the launch. You're literally on top of the world. You can
call yourself an "Astronaut" without the mental wince at never having flown.
You have made it to a very exclusive fraternity; your name is indelibly
inscribed in this history books. You can strip every other patch off your
flying jacket...you've got the one that matters.

But what happens AFTER the Shuttle lands? From the top of the pyramid, you drop
to the bottom of the heap. You're no longer in lead position on the NASA web
page. You lose your reserved parking spot right at the entrance to the
building. They take your photo down from the lobby. You watch others take your
place as Prime Crew, getting the adulation and attention that fed you for
months. With the size of the astronaut corps and the low mission rate, you face
literally YEARS before fly again. And if you're a certain age, or perhaps
didn't handle your PR duties well enough, you aren't going to fly again.

What happens to these focussed individuals when the focus is gone? For ten
years, your whole life has been devoted to reaching 100 KM altitude. Once you
become a real, genuine astronaut, what next? After Nowak made her first flight
last July... what did she have in her life that could even come close to the
thrill, the ego-boost, of being "Prime Crew"?

We can be pretty sure that astronauts aren't the kinds of people who crack under
pressure... the selection process weeds these people out. But the RELEASE of
pressure can be just as damaging, and there's no real way to test for it. And I
suspect it's far more harmful to the types of individuals that make it into the
astronaut corps.

Ron Wanttaja

Ron Wanttaja writes:

> For good insight, read Mike Mullane's "Riding Rockets: The Outrageous Tales of a
> Space Shuttle Astronaut." First, it's an absolute hoot. But it otherwise
> provides a view into what it takes to make it to the top.

I looked at the excerpt on Amazon, and I've added it to my wish list. It does
look very entertaining (in fact, the excerpt describes the proctological
exam).

> What happens to these focussed individuals when the focus is gone? For ten
> years, your whole life has been devoted to reaching 100 KM altitude. Once you
> become a real, genuine astronaut, what next? After Nowak made her first flight
> last July... what did she have in her life that could even come close to the
> thrill, the ego-boost, of being "Prime Crew"?
>
> We can be pretty sure that astronauts aren't the kinds of people who crack under
> pressure... the selection process weeds these people out. But the RELEASE of
> pressure can be just as damaging, and there's no real way to test for it. And I
> suspect it's far more harmful to the types of individuals that make it into the
> astronaut corps.

My personality is very different from this, and so I had not considered the
potential effects of the "after success" period. Still, Nowak's reaction
seems very extreme.

If anything, I've deliberately avoided this type of life because I don't
consider that being at the top adequately compensates being at the bottom.
Being in pure bliss for me one day and suicidal the next equates to a
disconnection with reality in both situations. By maintaining a more even
keel, you stick closer to reality. But I can see the parallels with
manic-depressive personalities.

In emergencies, it seems that this type of personality would be a handicap,
unless a person can force himself into a manic state at will, in which case it
might work out well. But simply having a consistently calm demeanor might
work just as well.

It's unfortunate that these domains are so competitive. I'm not sure that the
type of personality that succeeds at such competitions is necessarily the best
suited to the tasks in question. A manic-depressive might do the job well,
but there might well be other people without these mood swings who would do as
well or better, but are immediately excluded by competitive recruiting simply
because they don't really have the drive to succeed at any cost.

--
Transpose mxsmanic and gmail to reach me by e-mail.

Mxsmanic wrote:
> It's unfortunate that these domains are so competitive. I'm not sure
> that the type of personality that succeeds at such competitions is
> necessarily the best suited to the tasks in question. A manic-
> depressive might do the job well, but there might well be other
> people without these mood swings who would do as well or better, but
> are immediately excluded by competitive recruiting simply because
> they don't really have the drive to succeed at any cost.

A truly bipolar personality would never get close to qualifing for NASA
training.

I do find it very interesting that you equate a personality type that in the
real world is one almost always tied to success as a mental illness.

Gig 601XL Builder writes:

> A truly bipolar personality would never get close to qualifing for NASA
> training.

I'm not so sure. How do you explain Lisa Nowak?

> I do find it very interesting that you equate a personality type that in the
> real world is one almost always tied to success as a mental illness.

Sometimes mental illness can lead to success. A lot of successful people have
had psychological problems.

--
Transpose mxsmanic and gmail to reach me by e-mail.

Do the title words "bb-gun touting" indicate she encourages the use of
bb-guns?

Tex

Mxsmanic wrote:
> Gig 601XL Builder writes:
>
>> A truly bipolar personality would never get close to qualifing for
>> NASA training.
>
> I'm not so sure. How do you explain Lisa Nowak?

Oh I didn't say she wasn't nuts now. Bipolar and a lot of other mental
illnesses can come on later in life. But to pick nits she hasn't been
diagnosed with anything yet. Though I'm sure her lawyers will parade a bunch
of them before this is all over.


>
>> I do find it very interesting that you equate a personality type
>> that in the real world is one almost always tied to success as a
>> mental illness.
>
> Sometimes mental illness can lead to success. A lot of successful
> people have had psychological problems.

And a lot more successful people didn't. It is the exception NOT the rule.

On Feb 6, 11:12 am, "AirRaid" > wrote:
> Astronaut charged with kidnap attempt
>
> By MIKE SCHNEIDER, Associated Press
>
> ORLANDO, Fla. - A NASA astronaut charged with attempting to kidnap a
> romantic rival in a love triangle with another astronaut was allowed
> to go free on bail Tuesday on the condition that she not contact the
> alleged victim.
> ADVERTISEMENT
>
> The judge toldLisaMarieNowakshe could be released on $15,500 bond,
> then asked if she understood the conditions. She responded "yes."
>
> Nowak, a married mother of three, stood in a jail uniform, looking
> down during most of the hearing. She planned to return home to
> Houston, and the judge ordered her to wear a tracking device.
>
> The 43-year-old robotics specialist faces charges including attempted
> kidnapping, attempted vehicle burglary with battery, destruction of
> evidence and battery.
>
> Police said she drove 900 miles, donned a disguise and was armed with
> a BB gun and pepper spray when she confronted a woman she believed was
> a competitor for the affections of Navy Cmdr. William Oefelein, an
> unmarried fellow astronaut.
>
> Nowakrode aboard Discovery in July. Oefelein, 41, piloted the space
> shuttle Discovery in December. They trained together but never flew
> together.
>
> Nowaktold police that her relationship with Oefelein was "more than a
> working relationship but less than a romantic relationship," according
> to an arrest affidavit. Police found a love letter to Oefelein in her
> car.
>
> According to authorities,Nowakbelieved another woman, Colleen
> Shipman, was romantically involved with Oefelein. WhenNowakfound out
> Shipman was flying to Orlando from Houston,Nowakdecided to confront
> her early Monday, according to the arrest affidavit.
>
> Nowakraced from Houston to Orlando wearing diapers in the car so she
> wouldn't have to stop to go to the bathroom, authorities said.
> Astronauts wear diapers during launch and re-entry.
>
> Dressed in a wig and a trench coat, she waited for Shipman's plane to
> land and then boarded the same airport shuttle bus Shipman took to get
> to her car, police said. Shipman told police she noticed someone
> following her, hurried inside the car and locked the doors, according
> to the arrest affidavit.
>
> Nowakrapped on the window, tried to open the car door and asked for a
> ride. Shipman refused but rolled down the car window a few inches whenNowakstarted crying, the statement said.Nowakthen sprayed a
> chemical into Shipman's car, the affidavit said. Shipman drove to the
> parking lot booth and police were called.
>
> An officer reported followingNowakand watching her throw away a bag
> containing the wig and BB gun. Police also found a steel mallet, a 4-
> inch folding knife, rubber tubing, $600 and garbage bags inside a bagNowakwas carrying when she was arrested, authorities said.
>
> Two other astronauts attended the hearing. Steve Lindsey, commander ofNowak'sDiscovery flight last July, testified thatNowakwould obey
> the conditions of her release.
>
> Chris Ferguson, a pilot on the mission, also attended the hearing.
> Asked afterward aboutNowak'sbehavior, Ferguson said "perplexed is
> the word I'm sticking with."
>
> Oefelein and Shipman, who the Houston Chronicle said worked at Patrick
> Air Force Base near the
> Kennedy Space Center, did not immediately return calls seeking
> comment.
>
> NASA spokesman James Hartsfield in Houston said that, as of Monday,Nowak'sstatus with the astronaut corps remained unchanged. "What will
> happen beyond that, I will not speculate," he said.
>
> Hartsfield said he couldn't recall the last time an astronaut was
> arrested and said there were no rules against fraternizing among
> astronauts.
>
> Police saidNowaktold them that she only wanted to scare Shipman into
> talking to her about her relationship with Oefelein and didn't want to
> harm her physically.
>
> "If you were just going to talk to someone, I don't know that you
> would need a wig, a trench coat, an air cartridge BB gun and pepper
> spray," said Orlando police Sgt. Barbara Jones. "It's just really a
> very sad case."
>
> According to NASA's official biography,Nowakis a Naval Academy
> graduate who has a master's degree in aeronautical engineering. She
> has a teenage son and younger twin girls.
>
> Oefelein has two children and began his aviation career as a teenager
> flying floatplanes in Alaska, according to a NASA biography. He
> studied electrical engineering at Oregon State University and later
> earned a master's degree in aviation systems at the University of
> Tennessee Space Institute. He has been an astronaut since 1998.
>
> ___
>
> Associated Press writers Kelli Kennedy and Jessica Gresko in Miami
> contributed to this report.
>
> http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20070206/ap_on_re_us/astronaut_arrested

Sad case it is. And I am disturbed that Lisa Nowak got preferential
treatment in the courts as the modus operandi of any seasoned
prosecutor with a case just as similar is to press for denial of bail
and for the suspect to be kept indefinitely in a mental hospital for
90 days of evaluation. That is the barest minimum you would do with a
psycho in order to protect the general public.

Even more disturbing is the special arrangements to fly her to Houston
accompanied by Steve Lindsey, commander of the flight she flown in
last July. She was allowed to bypass TSA screening and taken directly
to her airplane seat with a coat over her head before the other
passengers got on the plane and was allowed to leave the plane on the
runway and enter a police car for a ride to NASA headquarters for an
evaluation.

I feel NASA threatened to get federal prosecutors on the case and that
intimidated local prosecutors into allowing her to sign out on her own
bail with the understanding she will stay away from the other woman
she was stalking (Colleen Shipman) and wear a GPS monitoring device on
her ankle. THis was a case that should have been prosecuted on the
local level and kept that way vice having NASA interfering by sending
two astronauts to testify on her behalf and one fo them to escort her
home.

Anybody else doing the same thing as Nowak did would be locked up with
bail denied!

Best prediction

Lisa Nowak will be committed to a mental health treatment center in
Houston. On the advice of her attorneys, she will immediately file
for retirement from the US Navy as she has had 21 years of service
after graduating from the US Naval Academy in 1986. This will save
the US Navy from having to consider filing adultery charges against
her under the UMCJ. And Lisa will begin to receive her military
pension.

A plea bargaining deal will be in place to extract an heartfelt
apology from Nowak to Colleen Shipman and for Nowak to continue
receiving mental health care while under probation for five years.
She will agree to stay away from any place in Florida or whereever
Colleen Shipman lives. A trial and a prison sentence would serve no
purpose at all.

As for Navy Commander William Oefelein, if he has the requisite 20
years of service to the military, he will file for retirement and
start drawing a military pension. Again, this will save the Navy of
having to possibly try him for conduct unbecoming an officer under the
UMCJ.

For Air Force Colleen Shipman, I am sure she will file to leave the
USAF to avoid the same kind of inquisition the above mentioned others
could face. Since she graduated from the USAF Academy and has
presumably met the length of service required to help pay off her
tuition, she might do that without suffering any kind of financial
penalty and at the same time allow the USAF to breathe a sigh of
relief at having the problem go away. Even if she did not meet the
length of service to repay her tuition, I am sure the USAF will
quickly grant her a waiver and allow her to go into civilian life.

Will Oefelein and Shipman hook up after the service careers are
ended? Probably not as neither of them want to be recognized by
others in the public as the ones in the famous astronaut sex scandal.
They will want to make a clean break.

The point I am bringing up is those three individuals showed extremely
poor judgment in handling their personal affairs while on military
duty. True Oefelein and Shipman never thought Nowak would do
something so extreme to thrust the three of them in the public
spotlight, they are still responsible for what has happened even
though they did nothing to provoke Nowak's anger. They should
consider themselves very lucky if the military chooses not to
prosecute all of them on adultery and conduct unbecoming an officer
charges.

The lesson to be learned is to think before you do something and it
blows up on you. We have to know that the people in charge of
piloting a 3.5b space shuttle (only three are still in use and two
destroyed) are using good judgment in both their personal and
professional lives 24/7.

James K. Goodwin

writes:

> A trial and a prison sentence would serve no purpose at all.

Then why is this the usual procedure for cases of this type when they involve
non-VIPs?

--
Transpose mxsmanic and gmail to reach me by e-mail.

On Feb 7, 7:38 am, Ron Wanttaja > wrote:
> Historically, astronaut programs have absolutely loaded with monomaniacal,
> driven personalities.

Ron, great post. Thanks. -Jay-

Roy Smith wrote:
>
> We've had Presidents get blowjobs in the oval office.

Now wait a minute... <G>

How many Americans have caught a quickie at work?

Roy Smith wrote:
> The bit about the diaper is just something that fed the media's lust for
> anything involving bodily functions. She was using a tool to achieve a
> goal that apparently astronauts use on a regular basis. There's threads
> almost every day on these newsgroups about how we deal with exactly the
> same issues in our airplanes. Not to mention ads in the Sporty's catalog
> for products to help solve the problem. Get over it.



"Get over it"? Get over what? This doesn't affect me in the slightest. I
don't know any of these folks. None of them are cousins of mine. I couldn't
care less. I just expressed the thought that it was a damned shame that someone
who seemed to have it so together could unravel so explosively.



--
Mortimer Schnerd, RN
mschnerdatcarolina.rr.com

On Wed, 07 Feb 2007 19:49:16 GMT, B A R R Y >
wrote in >:

>
>How many Americans have caught a quickie at work?


Sometimes I work naked.
-- From: "Steven P. McNicoll" >
Message-ID: t>
Date: Mon, 04 Sep 2006 22:32:24 GMT

On 7 Feb 2007 10:12:07 -0800, wrote in
>:

>
>Anybody else doing the same thing as Nowak did would be locked up with
>bail denied!

Rap Sheet here:
http://www.thesmokinggun.com/archive/years/2007/0206073astronut1.html

NASA statement:


Feb. 6, 2007

David Mould/Allard Beutel
Headquarters, Washington
202-358-1898/4769

Eileen Hawley/James Rostohar
Johnson Space Center, Houston
281-483-5111

RELEASE: 07-23

STATEMENT REGARDING THE STATUS OF LISA NOWAK

The following is a statement from Michael Coats, director of NASA's
Johnson Space Center in Houston, regarding the status of astronaut
Lisa Nowak.

"We are deeply saddened by this tragic event. The charges against
Lisa
Nowak are serious ones that must be decided by the judicial system.
She is officially on 30-day leave and has been removed from flight
status and all mission-related activities. We will continue to
monitor developments in the case."

Denny wrote:

> On Feb 6, 5:27 pm, "gatt" > wrote:
>
>>Something serious must have happened to her, is all I can think. She's a
>>retired friggin' Navy Captain?!
>>
>>Her mugshot looks like one of those anti-methamphetamine campaign posters.
>>She's beyond just fruitbat crazy; she's broken.
>>
>>-c
>
>
> RIght on... As a physician the thing that caught my attention was the
> difference in appearance and body language between the two shots: her
> in a pressure suit a short time before, and her mug shot after... The
> mind and body are a single unit and the fact that her mind has a
> terrible malfunction is directly reflected in her facial and body
> language appearance...

I thought she just looked like she needed a diaper change. :-)

Matt

> I thought she just looked like she needed a diaper change. :-)
>
> Matt

Ohhhh that stinks... ;)

Jim B wrote:
>>I thought she just looked like she needed a diaper change. :-)
>>
>>Matt
>
>
> Ohhhh that stinks... ;)
>
>

Yes, it was pretty bad I admit.

Matt

Gig 601XL Builder wrote:

> As risk adverse as NASA has become I have no doubt that it would shut down
> the US manned program for a minimum of 10 years. Probably closer than 20.

NASA risk adverse? Surely you jest. The only risk they are adverse
to is bad press. NASA is one of the biggest cover up the screwups
organization in the federal government.

"Larry Dighera" > schrieb im Newsbeitrag
...
> On 7 Feb 2007 10:12:07 -0800, wrote in
> >:
>
>>
>>Anybody else doing the same thing as Nowak did would be locked up with
>>bail denied!
>
> Rap Sheet here:
> http://www.thesmokinggun.com/archive/years/2007/0206073astronut1.html
>
> snip

Reading through it, it becomes clear that she was planning to kill Shipman.
She downloaded the directions ca. 2 weeks ago; so she didn't simply go
overboard on a whim. Sad.

--
Michael Nouak
remove "nospamfor" to reply:

On Feb 7, 3:11 pm, Larry Dighera > wrote:
> On Wed, 07 Feb 2007 19:49:16 GMT, B A R R Y >
> wrote in >:
>
>
>
> >How many Americans have caught a quickie at work?
>
> Sometimes I work naked.
> -- From: "Steven P. McNicoll" >
> Message-ID: t>
> Date: Mon, 04 Sep 2006 22:32:24 GMT

That mental picture boggles the mind!

denny

I just expressed the thought that it was a damned shame that someone
> who seemed to have it so together could unravel so explosively.
>
> --
> Mortimer Schnerd, RN
> mschnerdatcarolina.rr.com

Exactly...

denny

"Peter R." > wrote in message
...
> On 2/7/2007 8:56:06 AM, "Denny" wrote:
>
>> Uhh, can't tell you where it was...
>
>
> http://www.thesmokinggun.com/archive/years/2007/0206073astronut1.html?link=rssfeed
>
When BB guns are outlawed, only diaper wearing, psycho female astronauts
will have BB guns.

Ron Natalie wrote:
> Gig 601XL Builder wrote:
>
>> As risk adverse as NASA has become I have no doubt that it would shut
>> down the US manned program for a minimum of 10 years. Probably closer
>> than 20.
>
> NASA risk adverse? Surely you jest. The only risk they are adverse
> to is bad press. NASA is one of the biggest cover up the screwups
> organization in the federal government.
>
Risk adverse people of a political bent believe that hidden risks are
not dangerous. This means that the people actually doing the work
get killed by the risk and the bosses caught for organising the coverup.

Andrew Swallow

In article >,
Andrew Swallow > wrote:

> Ron Natalie wrote:
> > Gig 601XL Builder wrote:
> >
> >> As risk adverse as NASA has become I have no doubt that it would shut
> >> down the US manned program for a minimum of 10 years. Probably closer
> >> than 20.
> >
> > NASA risk adverse? Surely you jest. The only risk they are adverse
> > to is bad press. NASA is one of the biggest cover up the screwups
> > organization in the federal government.
> >
> Risk adverse people of a political bent believe that hidden risks are
> not dangerous. This means that the people actually doing the work
> get killed by the risk and the bosses caught for organising the coverup.
>
> Andrew Swallow

Anyone know how long it takes an Astronaut to drive from Houston to
Orlando ?

Depends ;)