Space shuttle astronaut arrested at OIA on attempted kidnapping, battery charges

[Herman Munster]

http://www.orlandosentinel.com/news/space/orl-bk-nasaastronaut0507feb05,0,6104316.story?coll=orl-home-headlines

A NASA astronaut is being held without bail after police say she attacked her rival for another astronaut's attention at Orlando International Airport Monday.

Lisa Marie Nowak drove more than 12 hours from Texas to meet the 1 a.m. flight of a younger woman who had also been seeing the 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, and latex gloves in her car, reports show. They also found diapers, which Nowak said she used so she wouldn't have to stop on the 1,000-mile drive. Reports show that after U.S. Air Force Capt. Colleen Shipman's flight arrived, Nowak followed her to the airport's Blue Lot for long-term parking, tried to get into Shipman's car and then doused her with pepper spray.

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.

[Bucky]

1. Damn me and my schaudefreude

I should be punished for giggling at this.

But diapers... I mean come onnnn! :rofl:

[Bucky]

2. Oh, on googling their astronaut bios, I found that Nowak & Oefelein are both Navy

Looks like their little "less than romantic" liaison's gonna cost 'em their careers and their pensions. The Navy doesn't just frown on extramaritals, they'll court martial you for it.


Here's a Before....



...and and After

[Shakespeare]

10. Not anymore they don't.

I have one adulterous scumbag sociopathic ex-brother-in-law as evidence. Still a naval officer.

[Bucky]

13. He's been caught?

I know the first woman fighter pilot got railroaded off her detail for infidelity. If it's discreet, I'm sure they don't make a deal about it. But when it blows up like this... well, I'm sure the good conduct rules are still on the books.

[Shakespeare]

15. More than once.

Also sent back from tour in Bahrain TWICE for bad behavior and insubordination. Didn't get dead-ended, didn't get knocked down in rank. Just lightly chastized in a "boys will be boys" kind of way. They certainly didn't give a shit about "good conduct" where he was concerned.

[Warren DeMontague]

4. I'm not sure where "schaudefreude" comes in...

If it was Condi with the wig and diapers, I'd understand. But I don't have anything against space shuttle astronauts.

[Bucky]

5. Schadenfreude comes from Germany. It's the homeland of all complex emotions

...and of course impossible mispellings.

(on edit) It means "pleasure taken from someone else's misfortune."

[Warren DeMontague]

16. Right. I understand what it's s'posedta mean.

My point was, I guess I don't understand why anyone would take glee in the misfortune of Shuttle Astronauts. They rank fairly low on my occupational offense-o-meter... Maybe that's just me.

[Warren DeMontague]

3. Okay, that's weird.

But, you know, astronauts are regular people. Some of 'em are bound to do some batty-ass shit sooner or later.

[nonconformist]

6. Diapers?!?

:rofl:

That's some crazy shit right there.

Edited to add:

From the article:


A steel mallet, several feet of rubber tubing and hand-written directions to Shipman's home were recovered from Nowak's car, which was parked at a nearby LaQuinta Inn, reports show. <snip>


Wow.

[Bobbieo]

8. What happened to the woman?. She looks like she is strung out

in the lower photo!!! This is sad. Some of our idols etc!!!!

[nonconformist]

9. Being batshit insane is bad for your skin and hair

Seriously though, what a waste. There are few jobs more coveted, or rare, or as pride-inducing than being a real astronaut.

[AspenRose]

12. Tonya Harding would be proud.

:wow:

[Divernan]

7. This fool sure threw away major career accomplishments for "luuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuv"

I dated a guy who worked with test pilots - and they are people who thrive on living on the edge, pushing the envelope, etc. - guess one should expect women test pilots to be the same.

More snips from the article:
Nowak's biography shows she is a 1985 graduate of the U.S. Naval Academy at Annapolis with a degree in aerospace engineering, and a former test pilot who has logged more than 1,500 hours of flight in at least 30 types of aircraft. She joined the space program in 1996. Three members of her astronaut class died in the 2003 shuttle Columbia disaster.

A Navy captain, Nowak flew aboard last summer's 12-day flight to re-supply the International Space Station and test safety features and repair techniques. She has the distinction of being the first Italian-American woman in space.

"A lot of my training is what you might think of as a Flight Engineer on ascent and entry," she said in a pre-flight interview on the NASA Web site. "I sit behind and between the pilot and commander and help coordinate things and keep the big picture."

A Navy commander, Oefelein is a former test pilot who attended TOPGUN, the U.S. Navy Fighter Weapons School. He has flown more 3,000 hours in more than 50 types of aircraft, including over 200 carrier landings, according to NASA. A father of two children, Oefelein enjoys fishing, hiking and snowboarding, according to his NASA biography. In December, Oefelein, 41, logged about 308 hours in space.

[Neshanic]

11. There HAS to be a SNL skit on that. I mean that's gold!

[Wiley50]

14. How Many Friggin Threads do We Need On this?

I count 5

This was #1

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=389x134697

[dysfunctional press]

17. shades of Sin City- she had rubber tubing and a steel mallet with her too-

it looks like maybe she was planning to get all "mickey rourke" on her...

[formerrepuke]

18. So THAT's the line of work Tonya Harding went into after skating.....

[Connie_Corleone]

19. Lifetime Original Movie coming right up. LOL!!

"For the love of an astronaut" starring Tori Spelling.

[Blue_In_AK]

20. Ofelein is an Alaska boy...

We're all getting quite a chuckle out of this up here. :)