Astronaut arrested over NASA love triangle attack

[Charger_Fan]

http://ca.news.yahoo.com/s/afp/070206/world/us_crime_space_1




MIAMI, United States (AFP) - US police have arrested a woman astronaut who allegedly attacked and tried to kidnap a woman she considered a rival for the heart of a space shuttle pilot.

Police said NASA astronaut Lisa Nowak, 43, donned a trench coat and a wig to accost her love rival, Colleen Shipman, at Orlando International Airport in the pre-dawn hours of Monday.

Nowak, a US Navy captain and a married mother of three, flew to the International Space Station in July. Nowak and Shipman were rivals for the affections of astronaut William Oefelein, 41, who flew a mission to the orbiting space station in December.

According to a police affidavit, Nowak said in a statement that she planned to "scare" Shipman into talking with her about her relationship with Oefelein but that she had no intention of harming her.

The Orlando Sentinel newspaper said Nowak drove for more than 12 hours from Texas to confront Shipman.

Nowak told police she wore an adult diaper so she could make the 1,600 kilometer (1,000 mile) long drive from Texas without stopping.

Police found in Nowak's bag and car a can of pepper spray, a steel mallet, a pellet pistol, latex gloves, a folding knife, rubber tubing, a wig and 600 dollars in cash.

They also found copies of e-mail messages from Shipman to Oefelein, and a letter in which Nowak declared her love for Oefelein.

Shipman told police that a woman in a trench coat followed her to her vehicle at the airport parking lot in Orlando. Shipman got into her car, and the mystery woman appeared and tried to open the door, claiming that she needed to use a cell phone.

Shipman refused, but then "rolled her window down about 2 inches, so Mrs. Nowak could hear her ... Mrs. Nowak sprayed some type of chemical spray into the vehicle, at Ms. Shipman's face," the police report read.

Shipman sped off and called for help. Police arrived and arrested Nowak, who Shipman identified.

Nowak was charged with attempted kidnapping, battery, attempted burglary of a car and destruction of evidence. She was remanded to custody with a police recommendation that she not be granted bail because of "fear for the safety of the victim."

A US Navy officer since 1987, Nowak trained for two years as an astronaut at the Johnson Space Center in Houston, Texas, from 1996.

She worked in Mission Control as prime communicator with orbiting crews and flew as mission specialist on the shuttle Discovery's July 4-17, 2006 mission to the International Space Station.

Nowak told police that she was "involved in a relationship" with Oefelein, which she categorized as "more than a working relationship but less than a romantic relationship," according to the affidavit.

Oefelein became a naval aviator in 1990, and was selected by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration for two years of astronaut training in 1998. He served as pilot on the Discovery's December 9-22, 2006 mission to the ISS.

Nowak's "status as an astronaut with NASA is currently unchanged. I cannot speculate on what might happen beyond that," said James Hartsfield, a NASA spokesman at the Johnson Space Center in Houston, where Nowak and Oefelein work.



Classic case of damaged goods.

[Brock Samson]

yeah what a story huh?.. 

[MichaelRW]

I thought those type of NASA programs weeded out the nut jobs, I guess not.

[Old Moparz]

Police found in Nowak's bag and car a can of pepper spray, a steel mallet, a pellet pistol, latex gloves, a folding knife, rubber tubing, a wig and 600 dollars in cash.

Nothing out of the ordinary when you're in love, right? 

[mikepmcs]

She definitely fits the "Rocket Scientist" comment.
I was reading that this morning as well.  Who could be all that wrapped up in a person to actually contemplate kidnapping and possibly murder.  She's what ...43 and married and has children as well.   That woman is certifiable!!!   
I like it when they say her status as an Astronaut hasn't changed, yeah, right!  She's all done

[PocketThunder]

i read that this morning and the first thing i thought of was the south park Toms Rhinoplasty episode where Wendy tells the substitute Miss Ellen to "stay away from my man bitch!"

http://www.moviewavs.com/php/sounds/?id=gog&media=WAVS&type=TV_Shows&movie=South_Park/Episode_111_Toms_Rhinoplasty&quote=111_psycho.txt&file=111_psycho.wav

[Ponch ®]

Nowak told police she wore an adult diaper so she could make the 1,600 kilometer (1,000 mile) long drive from Texas without stopping.

you know, being an astronaut that's probably not an unusual thing.

[nh_mopar_fan]

I might hit it.

http://www.astronaut.ru/as_usa/foto/16/nowak_s.jpg

[Orange_Crush]

Hell hath no fury....

[Charger_Fan]

I might hit it.

What about the diaper?

[nh_mopar_fan]

I'm going to have to pass on the diaper.

[Old Moparz]

When I was in high school, I went to this party in the town next to mine. I met this really cute red head who seemed okay. Got her phone number, didn't quite get to take her out, but went with her to another party the following weekend. She was a Jekyll & Hyde candidate after a beer or whatever she had. Scared the shit out of me & half the people there while she tried picking fights with other girls there for no reason. I found out she was in one of those "special" classes in her high school & had been suspended for threatening a science teacher with a lit bunson burner.   

Must be something about science & wacky women. 

[Orange_Crush]

When I was in high school, I went to this party in the town next to mine. I met this really cute red head who seemed okay. Got her phone number, didn't quite get to take her out, but went with her to another party the following weekend. She was a Jekyll & Hyde candidate after a beer or whatever she had. Scared the shit out of me & half the people there while she tried picking fights with other girls there for no reason. I found out she was in one of those "special" classes in her high school & had been suspended for threatening a science teacher with a lit bunson burner.   

Must be something about science & wacky women. 

Its the red hair dude.  They're crazy....that's why I love them.

[hemihead]

I'm sure the nut job will keep working at NASA and the court will just give her a slap on the wrist.Just like any other celeb,she will never do time or get any professional help.

[Old Moparz]

Its the red hair dude.  They're crazy....that's why I love them.

Believe me, I thought of your fascination with red heads when I posted that. 

This one was just too wacked to even consider calling again. I don't care how desperate your hormones tell you you are at 16, this one wasn't normal. About a year later I met her twin sister where I worked. (Fraternal twins, not identical) She was a brunette & also nice looking, but was also quite normal. I knew the red head had a twin sister, but I expected her to be wacked too. She was cool, but was going out with one of my managers where I worked.

[BB1]

 

[Guns N Rotors]

So...I guess there's an open slot in the astronaut corps...
__________________
"We have no effective screening methods to make sure pilots are sane." — Dr. Herbert Haynes, FAA

[69bronzeT5]

It made the news in Canada too.

[Todd Wilson]

I wonder if they did the wild thing up in space on the last mission?!




Todd

[mikepmcs]

In her interview she described the relatioinship as more than friends but less than romantic, whatever that means.

[bandit67]

Guess our astronauts are not getting enough   " TANG"...............J

[mikepmcs]

 

Nicely done bandit!!!

[MichaelRW]

And it's already on Ebay. http://cgi.ebay.com/support-Lisa-Nowak-carry-a-Lisa-AstroNut-Diaper-%20Handbag_W0QQitemZ160082911886QQihZ006QQcategoryZ41%3Cbr%20/%3E6QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

[Charger_Fan]

HHAAAHAHAA!!

[mikepmcs]

UN....Believable!!!

[Silver R/T]

too much drama, they should stick to earth. No need for all that drame in space

[RD]

I wonder if they did the wild thing up in space on the last mission?!




Todd

what exactly would that be?  the 200 mile high club?