I would have imagined that the screening process might have prevented such an eventuality
NASA has some ‘splaining to do:
A NASA astronaut is charged with attacking her rival for another astronaut’s attention early Monday at Orlando International Airport, the Orlando Sentinel has learned.
Lisa Marie Nowak drove from Texas to meet the 1 a.m. flight of a younger woman who had also been seeing the male astronaut Nowak pined for, according to Orlando police.
Nowak — who was a mission specialist on a Discovery launch last summer — was wearing a trench coat and wig and had a knife, BB pistol, rubber tubing and plastic bags, reports show. Once U.S. Air Force Capt. Colleen Shipman arrived, Nowak followed her to the airport’s Blue Lot for long-term parking, tried to get into Shipman’s car and doused her with pepper spray, according to reports.
Nowak, 43, is charged with attempted kidnapping, battery, attempted vehicle burglary with battery and destruction of evidence. Police considered her such a danger that they requested she be held without bail in the Orange County Jail, reports show.
Nowak told police that she was “involved in a relationship with,” Bill Oefelein another NASA astronaut, and categorized the relationship as “more than a working relationship but less than a romantic relationship,” according to the charging affidavit.
Nowak told police that she found out Oefelein was involved with Shipman and planned a trip to Orlando to talk to Shipman about their relationships with Oefelein. She told police the BB gun “was going to be used to entice Ms. Shipman to talk with her,” the affidavit said.
Mmm, enticing.
Forgive me for the schadenfreude – fourth law of thermo, dad.
Reminds me of what a guy told me when *I* used to work for NASA (just a co-op). I was having a juvenile infatuation with an (older) secretary there, and thought I was concealing my feelings from everyone.
Umm, no, not so well…
One of the astronomers took me aside and some something like, “Look, kid, let me give you some advice. Don’t get your meat, where you get your brad and butter.”
Dammit, *bread* and butter!
Justthisguy, Suggest sticking with “Brad and Butter” its a hoot and much more evocative(are there Freudian implications here?)
B2, I did get your “I Dream of Genie” line…well done young grass-hopper.
Best
PS,As I recall Maj Nelson was USAF and Maj. Healey for some unknown reason was USA-Corps of Engineers…of course the foxey Genie stole every scene she was in…skimpy belly dancing/harem girl coustume and all.
The community in which Capt. Nowack lives is the same one in which Clara Harris ran over her orthodontist husband, and Andrea Yates drowned her five kids…
Maybe it’s the water…
Snark aside, this is a real tragedy by any measure.
I wish her the best.
I blame VAQ-34.
I still wanna know what the rubber hose was for.
Snake,
Maj Healy was USMC on the show! And you know, Genie still is a knockout!
b2
B-2, I respectifully beg to differ…I distinctly remember( I’m not that old young pecker-wood) Maj Healey in Army Green( AG-44) uniform with the twin castle Corps of Engineers branch insigna on each lapel…as an Army-ROTC FNG I had to be up on these things. Best
B-2, Just confirmed Maj Healey- USA-CE. Googled, “I Dream of Genie” and saw his smiling face in UNIFORM(AG-44)dress greens.
Groveling shall commence immediately while I contemplate your ultimate punishment for questioning this old Dog. Best
Snake,
Accept my Most Humble Apologies for questioning your 1960’s TV land wisdom. Mea Culpa, Mea Maxima Culpa.
Anyways, Maj Healy was much too squirrely to be a Marine!That woman Astro-NUT does need to check in with “Dr. Bellows” for a little counseling though.
Speaking of her, that Astro-nut’s best friends right now are Anna Nicole Smith and Nancy Pelosi for taking the heat off!
It’s a bizzaro world I tells ya.
b2
B-2 Apology acceped…and thank you acknowledging my 1960’s TV land wisdom.That said I’m left breathless and the speed with which you tossed the “squirrely” Maj. Healey overboard after you found out he wasn’t a Jarhead… you are indeed shameless? Best
PS,FYI, the man paying Maj. Healey was an actor and not, I repeat not, a real USA-CE… although for this old tip of the spear guy he came awfully close to the real thing.
If anybody is still reading, I read a few interesting comments on this story today – the first was that Nowak has ADHD. Which I found interesting because although I know a bit about it from the childhood angle, you tend not to hear too much about it in adults. “They” say thats because adults with ADHD tend to find careers where they can actually make those qualities work for them.
The second commenet was partly in the line of a put down for NASA and its attitude – how it praises its astronauts and turns them into celebrities (yeah, so?). Then it went on to talk about those qualities you need to be an astronaut (personal aside: so is that kind of like a figher pilot hyped up on those little red pills?) which include a single minded determination to reach your goal no matter what. That’s what the culture breeds. So I was thinking – a single minded determinatino to reach your goal, as in tonight I drive from Houston to Florida, even if takes diapers to make it happen? Well, she did make it happen, you gotta give her that!
Umm, Michelle, I believe I used the words “adaptability” and “cold-blooded dedication” in my comment above, #6. Yup, she seems to have been on a mission, a bad scary wrongheaded mission.
ADHD, huh? According to the copy of “Stick and Rudder” I used to own, scatterbrained people make the best pilots, always looking in all directions at all times. Seems to me she was doing just the opposite, indulging in target fixation in a very bad way.