Space - The Romantic Frontier?

[Elspode]

Nicely bizarre, this...

ORLANDO, Fla. - An astronaut drove 900 miles and donned a disguise to confront a woman she believed was her rival for the affections of a space shuttle pilot, police said. She was arrested Monday and charged with attempted kidnapping and other counts.

U.S. Navy Capt. Lisa Nowak, 43, who flew last July on a shuttle mission to the international space station, was also charged with attempted vehicle burglary with battery, destruction of evidence and battery. She was denied bail.

Police said Nowak drove from her home in Houston to the Orlando International Airport to confront Colleen Shipman.

Nowak believed Shipman was romantically involved with Navy Cmdr. William Oefelein, a pilot during space shuttle Discovery's trip to the space station last December, police said.

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 officers recovered a love letter to Oefelein in her car.

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.

When she found out that Shipman was flying to Orlando from Houston, Nowak decided to confront her, according to the arrest affidavit. Nowak raced from Houston to Orlando wearing diapers so she wouldn't have to stop to urinate, authorities said.

Astronauts wear diapers during launch and re-entry.

Dressed in a wig and a trench coat, Nowak boarded an airport bus that Shipman took to her car in an airport parking lot. 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. Nowak then sprayed a chemical into Shipman's car, the affidavit said.

Shipman drove to the parking lot booth, and the police were called.

During a check of the parking lot, an officer followed Nowak and watched her throw away a bag containing the wig and BB gun. They 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.

Inside Nowak's vehicle, which was parked at a nearby motel, authorities uncovered a pepper spray package, an unused BB-gun cartridge, latex gloves and e-mails between Shipman and Oefelein. They also found a letter "that indicated how much Mrs. Nowak loved Mr. Oefelein," an opened package for a buck knife, Shipman's home address and hand written directions to the address, the arrest affidavit said.

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 Sgt. Barbara Jones, a spokeswoman for the Orlando Police Department. "It's just really a very sad case. ... Now she ends up finding herself on the other side of the law with some very serious charges."

If convicted of attempted kidnapping, Nowak could face a maximum of life in prison.

It was not immediately known whether Nowak had an attorney.

Oefelein and Shipman did not immediately return phone messages Monday night.

According to NASA's official biography, Nowak is married with three children. During her 13-day mission in July she operated the robotic arm during three spacewalks.

Oefelein is unmarried. He piloted the space shuttle Discovery in December. He has two children, according to a NASA biography.

Nowak and Oefelein were both first-time fliers during their shuttle missions last year. They trained together but never flew together.

[Griff]

Considering the amount of psych testing our astronauts go through, what is our present knowlege of nuts?

[glatt]

two comments;

1. That chick is batty. Her poor husband and kids must be going through hell.

2. when you examine her official NASA photo, it becomes apparent that she had to squeeze her head through her rubber necked space suit underwear thingy, and then apply makeup and get her hair done. She's even wearing earrings. I wonder if NASA has makeup and hair people for these photos or if she did it herself. I have no problem with people preening themselves for a publicity shot, but it just seems weird in a flight suit.

[Kitsune]

Originally Posted by glatt

I wonder if NASA has makeup and hair people for these photos or if she did it herself.

Its a NASA thing. The effort they put into into PR shots is fairly excessive and the number they take for each mission is astounding. Shots in suits, holding models, standing together next to the airstream, in the simulator, etc, makeup and all.

[funkykule]

I think she went nuts because her hair is awful, and huge. The other woman probably has better hair. If they spend a fortune on hair and makeup, they need to fire the hairstylist.

Just to explain here- I hate huge hair. It scares me. Long hair is fine, but when birds can nest unnoticed in there I start to get worried.

Airmen just always need a back-up plan. She just didn't trust a phone call. Or...

[Elspode]

This case just boggles the mind. This woman has utterly, completely and totally trashed her entire life. Everything she has worked for in her career, her family, *everything*.

The list of supplies she brought with her is also rather intriguing. It reads to me as though she was prepared to forcibly interrogate and then eventually kill the other woman, and then dispose of the body (she had trash bags).

I *so* wish I was writing the book about this. I know for sure that I'll be reading it when it comes out.

[Trilby]

I have to agree about the insanity of the Big Hair. It says a lot about a woman who, at the age of 43, is still wearing the same hair-style that she had in high school. I think this woman's hair is telling us, "I am fundamentally unable to undergo change--even if it's for the better!" In the first pic she looks bipolar.

[Flint]

.

[Elspode]

Originally Posted by Brianna

In the first pic she looks bipolar.

Ya think?

[jinx]

This woman wore diapers so she didn't have to stop to pee and you're entering her huge hair into evidence of insanity???
It's not even that huge... bad, but not huge...

[barefoot serpent]

yes, but think... we may be witnessing the first members of the 250 Mile High Club.

[Shawnee123]

They must get ahold of some good meth in space.

[glatt]

Can I please change out of this wet diaper now?

HA!!