Astronaut Involved In Love Triangle Fired

Lisa Novak Charged With Trying To Kidnap Woman She Felt Was Romantic Rival

(CBS/AP)  An astronaut charged with trying to kidnap a woman she allegedly believed was a romantic rival was fired by NASA on Wednesday, a month after she was arrested in Florida.

NASA officials said Lisa Nowak's dismissal did not reflect on the space agency's belief in her guilt or innocence. The agency said it lacked an administrative system to handle the allegations.

"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," agency officials said in a statement.

The dismissal is effective Wednesday, based on a mutual agreement between NASA and the U.S. Navy.

Nowak is the first astronaut NASA has ever publicly dismissed, reports CBS News correspondent Mark Strassmann.

She will receive her next assignment from the U.S. Navy, according to a NASA statement.

Nowak, a mother of three, is accused of confronting the woman at the Orlando airport after driving from Houston while wearing an astronaut diaper so that she would not have to stop.

She allegedly pepper-sprayed the woman through a partially lowered car window. In Nowak's vehicle, police found a BB gun, a new steel mallet, a knife and rubber tubing.

Nowak, 43, pleaded not guilty to attempted kidnapping and burglary with assault. She was released on bail wearing a monitoring device on her ankle. Prosecutors declined to file an attempted murder charge recommended by police.

Documents released on Monday showed that Nowak's bizarre 969-mile road trip to confront her rival may have been sparked when she uncovered steamy e-mails sent to her boyfriend by the other woman.

Nowak had collected more than a dozen e-mails sent to her one-time boyfriend, space shuttle pilot Bill Oefelein, including one he received during his shuttle mission, according to the documents, released late Monday by the Orange-Osceola State Attorney's Office.

"Will have to control myself when I see you. First urge will be to rip your clothes off, throw you on the ground and love the hell out of you," Air Force Capt. Colleen Shipman wrote to Oefelein while he was aboard shuttle Discovery in December. "But honestly, love, I want you to totally and thoroughly enjoy your hero's homecoming."

The Orlando Sentinel reports Nowak apparently downloaded the messages from Oefelein's home computer.

A written arraignment has been scheduled for March 22, at which time pretrial and trial dates will be set.

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. They broke up shortly after New Year's Day.

However, Oefelein met Shipman in November 2006 during a training exercise at Kennedy Space Center and they began dating shortly afterward, police said. He told police he had given Nowak a key to his Houston apartment as well as his password for access to his home computer.

He also told Shipman that Nowak sometimes used his computer, Shipman told police. Nowak also stored her bicycle at his apartment.

"I told him that it made me very uncomfortable and it made me want to pull away from this relationship 'cause it made me think that he didn't quite cut ties maybe," Shipman said in her statement.

A few days later, after a date, they were lying in bed and Oefelein called her "Lisa," she told police.

Nowak flew on Discovery last summer and won praise for operating the shuttle's robotic arm. NASA relieved her of all mission duties after her arrest and placed her on a 30-day leave.

[hermit22]

for the inflight movie, if NASA would have played the Glen Close movie where she fights back, would old Goober have gotten the clue its not nice to toy with a woman?

[cornholio622]

It's sad for her children and the rest of her family and friends. Too bad that some goober who only wanted to use her for *** became the be-all end-all of her existence. She had better pull what's left of her life together for the sake of her kids. This proves however that impressive education doesn't make up for a lack of faith.

[janeyre-2009]

Who cares? I think they have a felony charge in Florida for her, correct? Doesn't she get a day in court? After the findings/jury trial... Then I guess, she should be dealt with, like any other criminal... If that other woman hadn't let her window up and drove away, I don't know what she would have done to her... Seems like her partner, the other astronaut should be guilty of something... Don't they have laws against Adultery in the military? Why isn't he being dealt with as well? She sure messed up big time... Stupid affairs... Married people, should stick to their vows or get out of it first... No pity for any of them... The children are the only ones that are to be concerned with... I guess her husband will get his freedom? What a waste... That guy was not worth it, was he???

[rafterman1]

When you lose your job at NASA, you get fired. Into the sun :)

[linfinster]

I wonder what she'll put on her next job application? Reason for leaving?? hmmm

[nothappyatall]

"All right! Loving, caring America at work again! One mistake, and instead of getting help, you lose your job, your career, everything. What a generous, patient, caring country we are. We don't have time or energy to help a person in trouble, a person who is confused,"

Hey, this is not someone who wrote personal comments in their BLOG on their own time from home and their boss didn't like it and fired them or something- this is a nut who attempted to kidnap someone with intent to MURDER her, or maybe that was missed by you?
Every month it seems some nut goes on a rampage at WORK or school killing other people and themselves and it usually starts with some little thing.

This little lady should have thought about her job, house and all the rest BEFORE she decided to plan her abduction scheme and arranged various tools and items etc to accomplish all this.

People are screwy today, hell, you don't want me as your BF, "cheat" on me or whatever- adios good luck, see you 'round!

[stevenga777]

Welcome to wisteria Lane! She (they) are no different that half the people in America. To see the real America no one wants to admit to, turn on Jerry Springer.

[sharncedar]

All right! Loving, caring America at work again! One mistake, and instead of getting help, you lose your job, your career, everything. What a generous, patient, caring country we are. We don't have time or energy to help a person in trouble, a person who is confused, just fire them and send them out on the street. We have trillions and trillions of dollars for super-bombs to kill people all over the world, but we don't have basic mental health services or counseling for people having a hard time.

On day she is a hero, next day she's a bum on the street without a job or future. Same person, difference is the cowardly, lazy response of a system that labels any fool a "hero" and then discards the old, the sick, the weak, the weird, leaving them to die in despair.

I guess a little mental health care and emotional counseling is too much to ask, it might take some of the trillions and trillions of dollars away from our new space weapons designed to fight the Soviet Union.

The system encourages women and men to act like s#x maniacs, then treats people like garbage when the emotional pain of our disgusting, cheap relationships kick in. You people ought to be ashamed of yourselves, but of course you are nto, yer all proud and violent. Hooray!

[lieber1881]

All of them should be dropped from the Space Program period. They are a disgrace both to the military and to NASA.

Whatever happened to character, not hormonal and testoserone instincts?

[shanev137]

Can't be any worse then one of the Kennedy's driving a car down here. At least she did not kill anybody.

-------

Yea, but would you really want her to deliberately scatter 100,000 tons of space shuttle over our country at a mile up because some guy on board doesn't gawk at her the right way when she bends over?

[dogsoul]

"Sorry george2221 , you have to be married to commit adultery. None of them are. "

She was romantically involved with the other guy for a couple years while she was married...

[anvilheadsix]

Sorry, didn't mean to post multiple times.

[anvilheadsix]

Hey usinfidel and anvilheadsix, guess you are both appropriatley namedYou wouldn't know a real psyco red head unless he jumped up and bit you.
Posted by ljburnell at 04:25 PM : Mar 07, 2007

I don't really understand what you're trying to say (What does my name have to do with anything and why wouldn't I know a redhead if she jumped up and bit me? All I would have to do is look at the color of her hair.) but I've been involved with several redheads, all of whom were raging psychopaths. I now avoid them like the plague.

[anvilheadsix]

Hey usinfidel and anvilheadsix, guess you are both appropriatley namedYou wouldn't know a real psyco red head unless he jumped up and bit you.
Posted by ljburnell at 04:25 PM : Mar 07, 2007

I don't really understand what you're trying to say (What does my name have to do with anything and why wouldn't I know a redhead if she jumped up and bit me? All I would have to do is look at the color of her hair.) but I've been involved with several redheads, all of whom were raging psychopaths. I now avoid them like the plague.

[anvilheadsix]

Hey usinfidel and anvilheadsix, guess you are both appropriatley namedYou wouldn't know a real psyco red head unless he jumped up and bit you.
Posted by ljburnell at 04:25 PM : Mar 07, 2007

I don't really understand what you're trying to say (What does my name have to do with anything and why wouldn't I know a redhead if she jumped up and bit me? All I would have to do is look at the color of her hair.) but I've been involved with several redheads, all of whom were raging psychopaths. I now avoid them like the plague.

[mikebeat1]

Sorry george2221 , you have to be married to commit adultery. None of them are.

[thgdriver]

shanev137

Can't be any worse then one of the Kennedy's driving a car down here. At least she did not kill anybody.

[shanev137]

who wants an emotional female whackjob piloting the space shuttle anyway?

[thgdriver]

I don't get it, someone comes up with a new way to dress for travel and her idea is shi1 on by everyone.

[mnelsonix]

Oh fragile sanity. Sucks for her family