Classic Thread - There's an opening in the NASA astronaut corps!

[Guest waxgoblin]

I don't see why the whole diaper thing is a big deal... she probably got them from work, I thought astronauts crap themselves all the time?

[flyerpapa]

And the story gets funkier...

NASA fires astronaut Nowak

POSTED: 5:38 p.m. EST, March 7, 2007

HOUSTON, Texas (CNN) -- U.S. Navy Capt. Lisa Nowak's detail as a NASA astronaut will be terminated, effective Thursday,

NASA and the U.S. Navy said Wednesday in a written statement issued jointly.

Nowak, 43, is charged with attempted kidnapping for allegedly confronting her former boyfriend's new love-interest in a parking lot at Florida's Orlando International Airport on February 5.

In addition to attempted kidnapping, Nowak was charged with battery and burglary of a vehicle with a weapon.

She is scheduled to be arraigned March 22, but has already entered a not guilty plea.

Nowak's attorney said the charges overstate her conduct. The public relations company hired by her attorney, Don

Lykkebak, had no comment on Wednesday.

Navy Cmdr. Bill Oefelein told investigators he and Nowak had been involved in a sexual relationship that he ended in January 2007, two months after meeting Air Force Capt. Colleen Shipman.

He said Nowak "appeared to take the news well."

Prosecutors contend Nowak, a mother of three who is seeking a divorce from her husband, drove 900 miles from Houston to Orlando -- wearing adult diapers to reduce the number of stops she needed to make -- in order to accost Shipman.

At the Orlando airport, Nowak allegedly disguised herself in a trenchcoat and wig and sprayed pepper spray into Shipman's car when she refused to open the door.

Police found a BB gun, a steel mallet, a 4-inch knife and rubber tubing in a bag Nowak was carrying and in her car, authorities have said.

"We are not surprised nor concerned with Lisa Nowak being fired as an astronaut or whether or not she wore a diaper," said Shipman's lawyer, Kepler Funk, in a written statement. "We continue to focus our concern on Colleen Shipman as a crime victim."

E-mails detail love triangle

Court documents released Tuesday detail Nowak's romantic relationship with Oefelein.

Oefelein told investigators he and Nowak both served on the bicycling team at NASA and had been involved in a sexual relationship for some time. He said he met Shipman in November 2006 while he was involved in pre-launch training at Kennedy Space Center. In January 2007, Oefelein said, he told Nowak he wanted to date Shipman "exclusively."

In her statement, Shipman told investigators she questioned Oefelein about his relationship with Nowak after he told her he was dating someone he worked with.

"I point-blank asked him. When he told me that he had this relationship and that he broke it off with her, I asked him, 'Are you sure that she's OK with this?' Because you know how these things go," Shipman said, according to the court documents.

"And I said, 'Is there going to be some crazy lady showing up at my door trying to kill me?' and he said, 'No, no, no, she's not like that, she's fine with it, she's happy for me.' "

Also released in court documents was a steamy e-mail sent from Shipman to Oefelein in December while he was flying a space shuttle mission, as well as an e-mail he sent to her. Prosecutors believe Nowak found the e-mails on Oefelein's computer. (Full story)

Flying career

Nowak, an active duty naval officer, began her detail with NASA after her selection as a member of the astronaut class of 1996. She flew one mission, STS-121, in 2006.

NASA said it requested Nowak's detail be ended "because the agency lacks the administrative means to deal appropriately with the criminal charges pending against Nowak. Because Nowak is a naval officer on assignment to NASA, rather than a NASA civil servant, she is not subject to administrative action by NASA."

Nowak is to get her next assignment from the U.S. Navy.

"NASA's decision to terminate Nowak's detail does not reflect any position by NASA on the criminal charges pending in Florida," Wednesday's statement said.

A Navy public affairs officer in Washington said Nowak has been assigned to the staff of the chief of naval air training in Corpus Christi, Texas.

She is on leave, scheduled to report March 21.

Source: http://www.cnn.com/2007/TECH/space/03/07/n...owak/index.html

[flyerpapa]

.... and funkier.

Sexy e-mails shed light on astronaut's bizarre behavior

POSTED: 5:39 a.m. EST, March 7, 2007

ORLANDO, Florida (AP) -- The space shuttle pilot at the center of a bizarre love triangle that now has astronaut Lisa Nowak facing attempted kidnapping charges told detectives Nowak "seemed a little disappointed" but accepting when he told her he was dating another woman, court records released Tuesday show.

That conversation was in January. On February 5, Nowak drove 900 miles from Houston to Orlando to confront the other woman.

Police say Nowak, a mother of two, donned a wig and followed Colleen Shipman from an airport terminal to her car to confront her, then pepper sprayed her through a cracked window when Shipman wouldn't unlock the door. Police who arrested Nowak and searched her car reported finding a BB-gun, new steel mallet, knife and rubber tubing.

Nowak, 43, pleaded not guilty to attempted kidnapping and burglary with assault and was released on bond with an ankle monitoring device.

Investigation documents released late Monday and Tuesday by the Orange-Osceola State Attorney's Office shed some light on the astronauts' relationships.

They include the shuttle pilot, Navy Cmdr. William Oefelein's, conversations with detectives about the romantic relationship he had had with Nowak since 2004 and how she reacted with no emotion when he said he was dating another woman.

"She seemed a little disappointed, but she seemed to be accepting of that," Oefelein told detectives, according to the documents.

The documents also include an undated letter to Oefelein's mother in which Nowak wrote that she was taking steps to divorce her husband so she could be with Oefelein.

"Bill is absolutely the best person I've ever known and I love him more than I knew possible," Nowak wrote.

A NASA spokesman didn't immediately return a call seeking comment Tuesday.

Since her arrest, Nowak, has told police that her relationship with Oefelein was more than a working relationship but less than a romantic one. But Oefelein, 41, told investigators they had been romantically involved since 2004.

Nowak's frantic road trip to confront Shipman -- she wore adult diapers to avoid having to stop for breaks -- may have been sparked after she uncovered steamy e-mails Shipman sent to Oefelein, including one he received during his mission aboard the shuttle Discovery in December, according to documents released Monday. The e-mails do not mention Nowak.

"First urge will be to rip your clothes off," Shipman wrote to Oefelein. "But honestly, love, I want you to totally and thoroughly enjoy your hero's homecoming."

In the letter to Oefelein's mother, Nowak thanked her for supporting her relationship with Oefelein, "especially since my parents are not as supportive right now."

"It really means a lot to me to have another mom to turn to," Nowak wrote. She and her husband separated a few months ago after 19 years of marriage.

Source: http://www.cnn.com/2007/LAW/03/06/astronau...d.ap/index.html

[Guest ACJ7464]

A Navy public affairs officer in Washington said Nowak has been assigned to the staff of the chief of naval air training in Corpus Christi, Texas.

Having just dealt with the Navy, she will be using those Depends in a C-12 within the year. At least she wont have to write up a use of the chemical toliet.

[Beaver]

Oefelein is pretty much my hero. Unless someone can prove otherwise he's the pimpingest dude in the universe. Sex emails in space? Astronaut chicks all on his jock? This guy has galactic game.

[Guest Hydro130]

Oefelein is pretty much my hero. Unless someone can prove otherwise he's the pimpingest dude in the universe. Sex emails in space? Astronaut chicks all on his jock? This guy has galactic game.

Well played!

Cheers, Hydro

[Hacker]

Oefelein is pretty much my hero. Unless someone can prove otherwise he's the pimpingest dude in the universe. Sex emails in space? Astronaut chicks all on his jock? This guy has galactic game.

Hells yea

[ClearedHot]

CH's new favorite phrase..."Galactic Game".

[iFlyTexans]

"Galactic Game".

...dear lord... "2"

[Guest lakefisher]

while I recognize his "game", ......

IF this is true, ""Navy Cmdr. Bill Oefelein told investigators he and Nowak had been involved in a sexual relationship that he ended in January 2007""

he's gonna wish he had just STFU.

he's gonna get screwed, too.

remember, she's married.

IF he admitted that, the hammer's gonna fall. take your pick: adultery, or conduct unbecoming

at least she had the common sense to not actually say it.

"Nowak told police her relationship with Oefelein was "more than a working relationship and less than a romantic relationship." "

[Cell Dweller]

He can get hit for conduct unbecoming for being in a sexual relationship with a married woman, but adultery on its own is not a violation, but of course being involved in an adulterous relationship, and in fact cheating on a girlfriend, no matter how trivial as it may seem, may not break any laws, but can be lumped together as a conduct unbecoming charge under the UCMJ. I am just a gatehouse lawyer though, so my scope is very narrow.

[Clayton Bigsby]

Remember, Capt Shipman (the new chick) is/was married too - only separated from her husband. And haven't CSAFs lost their nominations for having sexual relationships while separated? Yeah CSAF is a huge visibility position, but so is one in the astronaut program.

So Oefolein's done it twice now. I'll be surprised if he doesn't get charged with anything at all...

I realize people are people no matter the positions they're in, but you'd figure two O-6s and an O-3 fast-burner in the space program would have their shit together.

[HerkDerka]

Thread Revival

Update on the drama from FOX NEWS:

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Police Discover Bondage Images in Car of Lovesick NASA Astronaut Lisa Nowak

ORLANDO, Florida — A police search of former astronaut Lisa Nowak's car turned up bondage photos on a computer disk, British currency and pills, according to documents released Tuesday by prosecutors. A judge last week agreed to unseal some of the documents in the Nowak's case. She is accused of trying to kidnap a rival for a space shuttle pilot's affections. Nearly all of the 16 images found on the disk depicted bondage scenes, according to a forensic examination report by the Orlando Police Department. Some of the images showed a nude woman while others were drawings.

The documents did not make clear whether Nowak was the woman in the photos or who the disks belonged to. Also found were nearly $600, 41 British pounds and four brown paper towels with 69 orange pills. State law enforcement are testing the pills to determine what they are, authorities said. Investigators also examined two USB drives found in the car that contained family pictures, digital movies and NASA related materials. They concluded that information found on the disk or the two USB drives did not have any direct evidence related to the attempted kidnapping, the report said.

Nowak's attorney, Donald Lykkebak, declined to comment Tuesday on the newly released documents. Nowak was arrested in February after police say she drove from Houston to Florida to confront Air Force Capt. Colleen Shipman. Authorities have said Nowak had an affair with Shipman's boyfriend, Bill Oefelein. She pepper-sprayed Shipman through a partially lowered car window, an arrest affidavit said. Police said they found a BB gun, new steel mallet, a knife and rubber tubing in Nowak's possession. Nowak, 43, pleaded not guilty to attempted kidnapping, burglary with assault and battery. NASA released Nowak from the astronaut corps a month after her arrest. Her trial has been moved to September.

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Hell yes.

HD

[Guest lakefisher]

folks, it's good technique to encrypt your "personal pictures" and stuff.

http://www.truecrypt.org/

[LJDRVR]

Good job NASA! In their rush to distance themselves from anything resembling adverse publicity, they lost the opportunity to show the public and their employees that they stand by their folks not only when there's post spaceflight hero adoration to be milked for tax dollars, but when they're down and would benefit from knowing that even if their career is over, they'll be supported through the process until the jury renders it's verdict. These guys must sit around thinking how they minimized their bad PR "footprint" when in fact, they really end up looking like losers, especially with their own folks who now, more than ever, understand that they're totally on their own.

No leadership whatsoever. There's a tacit understanding in the astronaut corps that any personal or medical problem had better be dealt with off the radar screen. So, not only do NASA "leaders" not have to deal with the day-to-day difficulties of supervising humans, when one falls through the cracks, they don't have to step up to the plate afterwards, making it some poor Navy unit commander at Corpus who will be saddled with somebody else's problem. "We don't have the administrative apparatus here at NASA to deal with Captain Nowak." Bullshit. You guys need to start earning all those taxdollars.

Buzz Aldrin's post-NASA career as Commandant of the Test Pilot's School was ended by alchoholism and depression. Pretty sad statement that the Air Force of 1972 was able to pull that off with more compassion and leadership than 2007 NASA was able to with this.

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[Boxhead]

He can get hit for conduct unbecoming for being in a sexual relationship with a married woman, but adultery on its own is not a violation, but of course being involved in an adulterous relationship, and in fact cheating on a girlfriend, no matter how trivial as it may seem, may not break any laws, but can be lumped together as a conduct unbecoming charge under the UCMJ. I am just a gatehouse lawyer though, so my scope is very narrow.

Ummmmm......

Article 134— Adultery

Elements.

(1) That the accused wrongfully had sexual intercourse with a certain person;

(2) That, at the time, the accused or the other person was married to someone else; and

(3) That, under the circumstances, the conduct of the accused was to the prejudice of good order and discipline in the armed forces or was of a nature to bring discredit upon the armed forces.

Adultery on it's own is totally it's own violation. It changed in the 90's...it used to be that you could only get busted if YOU were the married person...eg, if you are a single guy shagging a married chick, she was the only one that could get in trouble for "adultery" by the letter of the law....they changed that a few years back to include either party in the shagging.

Edited April 11, 2007 by Boxhead

[pawnman]

Low scores for mission planning. Excellent trying to avoid the public eye through the use of "pay-at-the-pump" and diapers, but when you get to your intended victim's house, don't pepper-spray her through a cracked window...wait quietly in the bedroom closet, take her by suprise and overpower her.

Jeez, don't they teach these astronauts anything?

We all thought this story was quite hilarious when it was first reported. I'm at Pensacola NAS, and Nowack was a VT-10 "Wildcat" back in the day. The instructors went so far as to type a grade sheet for this "event".

[M2]

Troubled ex-astronaut back in court

By TRAVIS REED, Associated Press Writer

13 minutes ago

Former astronaut Lisa Nowak, accused of attacking a romantic rival, arrived in court Friday with a swarm of photographers snapping away as she was escorted to a private room to prepare.

Nowak didn't speak to reporters, but her attorney said she had written her first public statement and planned to read it after the hearing.

At the hearing, attorney Donald Lykkebak said he would ask Circuit Court Judge Marc L. Lubet to throw out evidence in the case, including an interview Nowak gave to police and items found during a search of her car, and ask that she be allowed to remove a GPS ankle monitoring bracelet.

Nowak, a 44-year-old Navy pilot, has pleaded not guilty to charges of attempted kidnapping, battery and burglary with assault.

In an interview with detectives, she said she and Air Force Capt. Colleen Shipman were vying for the affection of a shuttle captain, and she confronted Shipman in an Orlando International Airport parking lot because she wanted to know "where she stands."

She is accused of attacking Shipman with pepper spray and trying to jump into her vehicle. Police say Nowak also had a duffel bag with a steel mallet, 4-inch knife and a BB gun.

Lykkebak contends police searched Nowak's car without her permission or a warrant. He said in additional court filings that she gave the interview under duress—after being held for three hours, deprived of sleep and a phone call and unadvised of her constitutional rights. The interview persisted, Lykkebak said, despite Nowak saying "Should I have a lawyer?" three times.

Nowak wants the monitoring bracelet removed because it is bulky and interferes with her ability to exercise—a requirement for a Navy officer. It also inhibits her ability to drive, fly on a commercial airplane and monitor her children in the pool, according to the defense.

Kepler Funk, an attorney for Shipman, said he planned to fight the motion.

[M2]

And with all the coverage of this on Fox News, I finally figured out what this photo...

...reminded me of...

Magnum anyone??

Cheers! M2

[Guest Boom]

Looks more like Blue Steel.

[M2]

Big surprise here...

Cheers! M2

Ex-astronaut planning insanity defense

By TRAVIS REED, Associated Press Writer

Former astronaut Lisa Nowak is pursuing a temporary insanity defense on charges that she assaulted and tried to kidnap a romantic rival, according to a court document released Tuesday.

Nowak suffered from major depression, obsessive-compulsive disorder, insomnia and "brief psychotic disorder with marked stressors," defense attorney Donald Lykkebak wrote. He said the already-petite woman had also recently lost 15 percent of her body weight and struggled with "marital separation."

"This notice does not challenge competence to stand trial, but only raises insanity at the time of the offense," he wrote.

Nowak, 44, was charged with attempted kidnapping, battery and burglary with assault after allegedly driving nearly 1,000 miles from Houston to Orlando to confront Colleen Shipman, the girlfriend of a former space shuttle pilot Nowak had been involved with.

Nowak, who was dismissed from the astronaut corps a month after her arrest, has pleaded not guilty. Her trial is set for September.

Lykkebak wrote that two Texas psychiatrists would testify that Nowak was legally insane at the time of the alleged attack.

Circuit Court Judge Marc L. Lubet unsealed the notice of intent to rely on the insanity defense on Tuesday. Florida law requires such a notice before trial to let prosecutors prepare.

Danielle Tavernier, a spokeswoman for the state attorney's office, said prosecutors would address the issue in court and declined further comment.

[Vandal]

How will the use of an insanity defense affect her military career?

[HerkDerka]

I think it's safe to say that the second she donned the diapers her career was over.

HD

[Guest Brewdog]

One person wears diapers, and everyone shits...

[flynhigh]

Back in the news...

ORLANDO, Florida — An ex-astronaut accused of driving 1,000 miles to confront a romantic rival has asked a judge to dismiss some of the charges against her because she claims prosecutors failed to disclose evidence.

An attorney for Lisa Nowak filed a motion Monday seeking sanctions against prosecutors and police officers. The motion says they failed to turn over a report that raises questions about whether Nowak's rival, Colleen Shipman, was pepper-sprayed during the confrontation more than two years ago.

Nowak was charged with attempted kidnapping, burglary and battery with assault. She was dismissed from the astronaut corps after her arrest.

A spokeswoman for the State Attorney's Office in Orlando didn't return a phone call after business hours.

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