NASA To Review Astronaut Screening Process

Space Agency Will Evaluate Its Psychological Screening Following Love Triangle Arrest

(CBS/AP)  In November, a neighbor reported hearing the sounds of dishes being thrown inside Nowak's Houston-area home.

The final unraveling came this week after police arrested her for allegedly trying to kidnap Shipman, whom she believed was her rival for the affections of astronaut William Oefelein. In Orlando, she boarded an airport shuttle bus with Shipman and followed her to her car. Crying, Nowak sprayed a chemical into the car. Shipman drove to a parking lot booth for help.

"Perplexed is the word that I'm sticking with," said astronaut Chris Ferguson, who attended Nowak's bail hearing in Orlando.

Jon Clark, a former NASA flight surgeon who lost his wife, astronaut Laurel Clark, in the Columbia disaster in 2003, told CNN on Wednesday that Nowak supported his family then and he supports her now.

"She was a mother before she was an astronaut. I mean, she really was into family life, and what's happened in the last few days has just been totally a shock. She is a really wonderful, good, caring person," he said. "You have to find forgiveness and love in your heart to get her through this."

NASA needs to have a stronger psychological and behavioral health support system for shuttle astronauts, Clark said.

"They don't have to have any evaluation before or after a mission, and it is only when something catastrophic happens does this ever even come to light," he said.

Police charged Nowak with attempting to murder Shipman based on weapons and other items found with Nowak or in her car: pepper spray, a BB-gun, a steel mallet, knife and rubber tubing.

"We believe that the items that we found certainly would have caused Colleen Shipman serious bodily injury or death," Orlando Police Sgt. Barb Jones said. That was enough for probable cause, she said. The state, which has the burden of proving a case beyond a reasonable doubt, will decide on the formal charges to pursue.

Nowak's lawyer, Donald Lykkebak, took issue with the most serious charge against her, saying: "In the imaginations of the police officers, they extend these facts out into areas where the facts can't be supported."

Nowak posted $25,500 bail Tuesday evening, and NASA put her on a 30-day leave and removed her from mission activities.

In court Tuesday in Florida, Shipman filed a request for a protective order against Nowak, asking that Nowak be prohibited from going within 500 feet of her. In the handwritten request, she described Nowak as an "acquaintance of boyfriend," but did not identify the man. She said Nowak had stalked her for two months.

Nowak and Oefelein, a 41-year-old Navy commander, had trained together as astronauts, but never flew into space together. Shipman works at Patrick Air Force Base near Kennedy Space Center.

Earlier, Nowak was quoted by police as saying she and Oefelein had something "more than a working relationship but less than a romantic relationship."

Police found a letter in Nowak's car, however, that "indicated how much Mrs. Nowak loved Mr. Oefelein," an arrest affidavit said. Nowak had copies of e-mails between Shipman and Oefelein.

Oefelein flew to Kennedy Space Center on Tuesday and is "voluntarily cooperating with authorities," NASA spokeswoman Jessica Rye said Wednesday. She said he is not granting interviews to reporters.

Shipman, a 30-year-old engineer assigned to the 45th Launch Support Squadron, could not be reached for comment Tuesday.

Nowak's home was unlit Tuesday, and her husband could not be located.

"Personally, Lisa is an extremely caring and dedicated mother to her three children," a statement from Nowak's family said. "Considering both her personal and professional life, these alleged events are completely out of character and have come as a tremendous shock to our family."

[kailumego1]

What is really interesting here the degree of hypocrisy and the lengths some individuals will resort to %u201Cwhitewash%u201D, %u201Csmooth over%u201D, %u201C rationalized%u201D, etc, etc, the blatant criminal actions of those whom share similar group status, white-educated-wealthy and prominent.

The legal and social %u201Cdouble-standard%u201D is written in %u201Cblood%u201D, the constant barrage of comments referencing her as a victim, when not to long ago, these same individuals were foaming at the mouth, I mean literally, hyperventilating over O.J. Simpson%u2019s high-profile murder of his ex-wife Nicole Brown Simpson and her male companion Ronald Goldman.

Almost the entire %u201Cwhite%u201D population in the United States was livid over the fact, he killed his lovely%u201D white wife%u201D, and he had gotten away with it, in a court of law.

And now look what we have here, another love triangle, however the accused isn%u2019t the grotesquely distorted picturesque image of a black male, but a %u201Cpoor%u201D victimized white woman, who according to many posters %u201Cjust snapped%u201D.

Well, using some of many posters%u2019 inane logic, couldn%u2019t O.J. Simpson have had a similar %u201Cpsychotic break%u201D, absolutely not, because it%u2019s a double standard for whites and blacks in America?

[kailumego1]

It always amazes me when the majority of white folks rant and rave over the gratuitous violence committed by members of another race, but rationalized their own barbarianism. This woman was no more distraught than O.J. was entirely blameless in the murder of both Nicole Brown Simpson and Ronald Goldman. The only difference here she was a highly educated prominent member of society, but also a terribly, deeply disturbed human being.

No different than O.J. with one exception she was white, and that stands for a lot in American society. And certainly no different than a lot of deeply disturbed blacks, Arabs, Hispanics, however, considering the blatant hypocrisy in America, it%u2019s not surprising the media and many whites will %u201Cspin%u201D her behavior as a %u201Cvictim%u201D instead of a vicious cold blooded killer, who if gotten the chance would have kidnapped, murdered, and dismembered her competitors body.

But, according to some white posters she%u2019s a %u201Cvictim%u201D, whose feelings were the object of ridicule and rejection by an amoral lover and his acquaintance.

One insane poster had the audacity to state she shouldn%u2019t be charged because she is educated, served in the arm forces, and a prominent member of society, which he/she went on the state only the %u201Cpoor%u201D should be prosecuted. What insane logic!!!!

[kailumego1]

And what makes her crime so more heinous and depraved the %u201Cmurder%u201D tools she took with her, a plastic bag, hunting knife, pepper spray, and Beebe gun, of which she maniacally planned this down to the wire. Now what do you suppose the black plastic garbage bag and hunting knife were for to twiddle as she lay in wait like deranged predator? Oh no, that black plastic bag was for to hide the body of her %u201Cvictim%u201D once she dismembered it.

And go right ahead on, %u201Cwhitewash%u201D this crime all you like it only proves how %u201Cout of touch%u201D and %u201Cpathologically deranged%u201D many of you are, so the next time you open your mouths and spew your portentous ideological idiosyncratic nonsense about Arab terrorist and African Americans criminal behavior take a long, long look in the mirror.

And by the way, this type of criminal behavior perpetrated by white women is no isolated incident, try watching Oxygen [Snapped], Court TV, A&E, etc, there are plenty of cases including this type of pathological behavior. Don%u2019t want to forget there is an O.J. article on CBS. News web-site, I know many of you can%u2019t wait to rush over and spout your hypocritical nonsense.

[jstagrl1]

I think this will never hold up in court. Now, what she did was pretty insane but can anyone say that she would have harmed the other woman? Could she have gone through with it? Attempted murder??? She only used pepper spray. Unless the women has a severe allergy to pepper spray, I don't see it as attempted murder. Now if she walked up to the car with an axe and said she only wanted to talk, I might feel different

[legendary240]

I know what she did was wrong, but do they have to use such a horrible photo of her?
Posted by docgalen at 06:09 AM : Feb 08, 2007

Yeah, she looks like a five year meth smoker, maybe she is.

[stick130]

Nasa shouldn't be responsible for any employee not at work. I do think the woman did a very poor job of planning an attack. I'm sure I would get caught also,it takes experience and a little luck to commit a crime and not get caught. I don't believe we have the whole story. Why would she commit a crime at a public airport? I can't get by that question. I need the news media to give me some more info!

[injunear1]

The Agency (NASA) spokesman John Ira Petty said in an interview that "We try not to concern ourselves with our employees personal lives". The deputy Administrator Shana Dale said " As you know it's a very tight knit (NASA?) community that cared (cares?) about each other. There's no doubt that they are a close community when disaster strikes. The difference of what two people with high positions in the Agency say about their employees professional and personal lives confirms my suspicion that the Agency is trying once again to cover up something. It's too unbelievable and improbable that NASA didn't have a handle on what was happening to Lisa Nowak. The public would be well served to know what measures are in place to monitor the behaviour of their astronauts on and off the job. I believe this tragedy could have been avoided with careful interrogations about the abilty of Mrs. Nowak to carry on her job as an astronaut. It will be interesting to hear what conclusions NASA will come to concerning this unfortunate event.

[docgalen]

I know what she did was wrong, but do they have to use such a horrible photo of her?

[newsjeff-2009]

Four all of you out there who are surprised or shocked that an Astronaut employed by NASA could have a low character like this just remember: I wasn't published until after the November 2004 election, but many news polls and surverys show that Florida,Texas and many southern,bible belt states(Yes,and Republican States as well!!)have a much higher divorce rate than New York,D.C.,Massachucetts,and a few other New England States. Yes, I said Massachucetts(incidently Massachucetts and New York have the lowest divorce rates in the Nation)So you see even a native Oklahoman like myself was surprised to read this, maybe the southern,bible belt,republican states should focus more on holding domestic marriages together and reducing their divorce rates instead of making fun of Kerry,Clinton,Kennedy and New York and Massachucetts just because these two states are actually enjoying a marriage sucess rate that is double the national average.

[firststate]

Does anyone think that NASA should review their psychological flight fitness procedures? Duh! At least the need to review them didn't arise because the live feed from the ISS showed the carnage resulting in somebody's stripping a gear in flight. NASA dropped the ball, but at least it didn't get anybody hurt.

[themooniac]

Proof positive love will drive you nuts. From now on everytime I can't let go of a relationship I can always, at a minimum, say "at least I was'nt as bad as that chick from NASA". I love this story!!

[jabberwock11]

"She needs help, if she had cancer, we would all be upset for her, She has a mental illness and there is always stigma along with that. We should all try to help her."

I think Adolf Hitler was mentally ill too. Poor boy. I think he got a bad rap. He was really a nice person at heart. It was just his mental illness that made him do all those bad things.

[jw218389]

CDR "Stud" Oefelein isn't isn't in all of this - by NASA ethics standards. He created this potentially disasterous situation by sleeping around (allegedly) with a married woman (Nowak).

Yeah, he's single but he should pay the NASA career consequences for being a key part of this mess.

[thgdriver]

Mental breakdown is a very serious sickness, obviously she needs help, something happened sense she was evaluated and cleared as a astronaut.

She is also a Captain in our Navy, nobody gets that high by faking it. Again, I say she has had a mental breakdown of some kind.

She needs help, if she had cancer, we would all be upset for her, She has a mental illness and there is always stigma along with that. We should all try to help her.

[tuckerndfw]

This is an isolated incident.

It's hard to believe it is STILL "national news."

The woman had a nervous breakdown and needs to seek professional medical help. It could happen to anyone. And, if it had been anyone else, no one would have known about it.

Had she been Plain Jane Schmuck, she would have been given probation and told to see a doctor. As it is, this is what is called making a mountain out of a molehill.


It seems the media always has to have some kind of Jerry Springer nonsense to fill their pages/screens.

[blondmadison]

She stalked her rival for two whole months. She did not just snap three days ago. While she stalked her prey--she was working, she was being a mother, she was being a separated wife for the past two weeks prior to her finale--

For the most part--there was no "snap from reality" - she walked with reality all the way.

Her family can support her, her coworkers can hold her hand - but her children will one day grow up and realize that while she carried on as if nothing was happening, she was plotting, planning, timing, and tabulating what she would need and why.

So. Okay pepper spray to make someone stop and converse, by force. But the mallet and garbage bags??? And remember, she wore diapers and a wig and a trenchcoat - after two long months of stalking her. No "snap" occurred. It was very methodical and arrogant.

And you watch, it will be her sterling record, her education and career with the finest which will afford her undue inappropriate to the point of being criminal--sympathy. "Poor thing was mentally ill." I think poor dear was spoiled, used to achieving and succeeding and wanted what she wanted.

[jabberwock11]

"I blame myself."

LOL, That's the funniest post I've read all day.

[bdbeans]

All I can say is...

Fella' must've had a golden tip with a vibrator on the end!

But even still, nobody should go THAT crazy over of D**K!

Holla!

[godofredo29]

I blame myself.

[xarzu]

Typically women have no sense of valour. She put her kids first and risked it all for a better father figure for them. No more women astronauts.