 Ms Nowak said she did not intend to harm Ms Shipman
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Posted on 02/06/2007 3:57:57 AM PST by familyop
A US astronaut has been charged with trying to kidnap a woman she thought was a rival for the affection of a space shuttle pilot.
Ms Nowak said she did not intend to harm Ms Shipman
Navy Capt Lisa Nowak, 43, who flew to the international space station last July, was charged with attempted kidnapping, battery and other crimes.
She drove from Texas to Florida to confront Colleen Shipman, disguised in a wig and trench coat.
Police said Capt Nowak, who was denied bail, used pepper spray on Ms Shipman.
The man in the love triangle was said to be Navy Cmdr William Oefelein, who was a pilot on the Discovery's mission to the space station in December.
E-mails
Police said Capt Nowak drove 1,000 miles (1,600km) from her home in Houston to Orlando International Airport, wearing a nappy to avoid a toilet break.
The arrest affidavit says Capt Nowak then followed Ms Shipman in an airport bus.
Ms Nowak and William Oefelein never flew on the same mission
Capt Nowak pursued Ms Shipman to her vehicle in the car park.
Ms Shipman locked herself in but rolled down the window when Capt Nowak began to cry, the affidavit says.
Ms Shipman was then attacked with the pepper spray, it says. She drove to a car park booth and police were called.
An officer followed Capt Nowak and she was stopped allegedly carrying the wig, an air rifle, a steel mallet and a knife.
A search of her vehicle revealed pepper spray and e-mails between Ms Shipman and Cmdr Oefelein, police said.
In the affidavit, Ms Nowak describes her attachment to Cmdr Oefelein as "more than a working relationship but less than a romantic relationship".
Capt Nowak told police she just wanted to scare her rival into talking about her relationship with Cmdr Oefelein.
Attempted kidnapping carries a maximum sentence of life imprisonment.
Nasa biographies list Capt Nowak as married with three children and Cmdr Oefelein as single with two children. The pair never flew together.
A Nasa spokesman said at present Capt Nowak's status was "unchanged". Florida's Orlando Sentinel newspaper said Ms Shipman was an engineer with the 45th Launch Support Squadron at a base close to the Kennedy Space Centre.
LAME! Buck Rogers did it!
She's not going to look her airbrushed best after a 900-mile roadtrip and a rough night at the airport and police lockup.
Perhaps she took along some filled gas cans. Who knows what was going on in her mind?
Unlikely. If her car got 30 mph thats about 67 gal for the round trip. Say her tank held 15 that's 52 gal deficit or 11 filled 5 gal cans (3 gal margin). I don't think I could fit that many in my car plus the report would have mentioned something that weird. My guess is she just lost it.
mph = mpg
Aw man, I've been misconstrued. ;-) My vehicle gets about 350 miles per tank, and it would take approximately 6 hours to drive that distance. It's hard to hold it for six hours. But you're right, this is one screwed up woman.
I'd hit space first.
Seperated at birth?
My thoughts exactly.
ping
Cosmic ray defense.
sounds like she's a flying space nut
Queen Of Outer Space/Mars Needs Women.
...and she should be kicked out of the Navy. Then she's a shoe-in as a democrat for Congress.
This story is all over the place including Rush this morning. Lots of pictures but none of the "other woman". Anyone got a picture of Shipman?
She should have hired Jeff Galoulee instead.
I wouldn't bet for very long.
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