Space shuttle astronaut arrested at OIA on attempted kidnapping, battery charges

Orlando Sentinel ^ | February 5, 2007 | Henry Pierson Curtis

[burzum]

A NASA astronaut is charged with attacking her rival for another astronaut's attention early Monday at Orlando International Airport, the Orlando Sentinel has learned.

Lisa Marie Nowak drove from Texas to meet the 1 a.m. flight of a younger woman who had also been seeing the male astronaut Nowak pined for, according to Orlando police.

Nowak -- who was a mission specialist on a Discovery launch last summer -- was wearing a trench coat and wig and had a knife, BB pistol, rubber tubing and plastic bags, reports show. Once U.S. Air Force Capt. Colleen Shipman arrived, Nowak followed her to the airport's Blue Lot for long-term parking, tried to get into Shipman's car and doused her with pepper spray, according to reports.

[SE Mom]

Just saw this on our local news at 11...the Orange County Sheriff PIO was embarrassed ... We regularly hear her describe murders, rapes etc with a calm voice- but this really pissed her off!

[SunkenCiv]

"battery charges"

amusing headline choice.

[Doctor Raoul]

No matter what happens, she still gets to wear an orange suit at work.

[Hildy]

Meth...just your run of the mill psycho wack job. Just because you have a cool job doesn't mean you're normal.

[VxH]

[You can put down 1000 mile in 14 hours or less]

Of course you are correct.

Heh heh. You read what I wrote, not what I meant.

I still think sleep deprivation can explain her
bizare behavior.

I've always been curious regarding the adaptation of circadian ryhtyms when
humans leave the natural cycle of light / dark in which we evolved.

Driving 1000 miles in diapers to make her prey's scheduled arrival
says to me that she's just a little bit obsessive, pushes the envelope,
and maybe thinks she's some kind of super-woman.

Crashing into one's limitations can be disorienting - or worse.

Also, wouldn't a meth problem would have been discovered by a flight surgeon?

[Doctor Raoul]

Married and a mother of three children, her interests include running, playing the piano and collecting African violets, according to her NASA biography

Add "sleeping on the couch" to that list.

[Doctor Raoul]

For Pete's sake, she's an O6 and a USNA'85 graduate.

Think this one may be an honor violation...

[Rte66]

Me, too. Makes me sad *and* mad.

[NonValueAdded]

I wonder what caused her to snap?

The theories her lawyer will come up with are sure to be [Spock] fascinating [/Spock]. Seriously ... will she take a plea to spare the astronaut corps further embarrassment or will her lawyer aim for the moon [so to speak].

[F.J. Mitchell]

Phew! This story is beginning to stink. ;-)

[Hexenhammer]

That was rather disturbing.

[HisKingdomWillAbolishSinDeath]

Billy O got the women all in a twitter.

Here is what Bill had to say about the Discovery flight.

Thanks for the kind thoughts. It was an incredible experience. Of all the flight phases, I think the one that most surpassed my expectations was the launch. The things I saw in the first 20-30 minutes of the flight were unforgettable. The other memorable part of the flight has to be the team I was blessed to be a part of, both in Space and on the ground. On orbit, we were simply the effectors of a great team that has worked hard to make this mission a success.

I am glad you were able to be a part of it. As with anything, those things we all do aren't really meaningful unless you can share them with the people near you.

Have a great New Year.
Bill

Also, an excellent gallery of STS-116
http://www.kodakgallery.com/Slideshow.jsp?Uc=ekhorlf.2f0uy3dv&Uy=-8t1uox&Upost_signin=Slideshow.jsp%3Fmode%3Dfromshare&Ux=0&mode=fromshare&conn_speed=1

[TexasTransplant]

Yea but the kinky stuff never made it to the Airport

(You have to be nuts (not that there is anything wrong with that) just to agree to sit on top of a bomb with the odds just barely in your favor to begin with)

TT

[ccmay]

It doesn't take long for a meth user to be reduced to an idiot, from what I have heard.

In my younger days I worked in a psych hospital and helped take care of various kinds of drug addicts. You are correct about the tweakers-- there is absolutely nothing that will extract your soul from your body faster than crystal meth.

The order of destructiveness, from least to most, is roughly as follows:

• Marijuana
• Prescription anxiolytics and sedatives
• Prescription opiates
• Snorted powder cocaine
• Alcohol
• Smoked cocaine ("crack")
• Snorted powder methamphetamine
• Heroin
• Smoked methamphetamine ("ice")
• Intravenous methamphetamine

I left mushrooms, acid, and mescaline off, as those hallucinogens are not really drugs of addiction, but more an occasional adventure for people whose real problem is one of those listed above.

Also PCP ("angel dust") is in a category by itself. Nothing makes you crazier or more dangerous while you are using it, but I've never seen someone become addicted to it to the point of regular usage. I would guess for most people, once is enough, if you live through it.

A meth addict will do ANYTHING to get more drugs. They will sell their children, kill their mothers, share needles with 120-pound tubercular purple-splotched AIDS victims, and (whether male or female) prostitute any orifice of their bodies to anyone, anywhere, anytime. It is a bad, bad drug.

I'm for legalization of marijuana, decriminalization and medicalization of almost everything else, and the death penalty for all dealers of any quantity of methamphetamine on the first offense.

-ccm

[38special]

Her plan was brilliant. She just failed in the execution. LOL

[Doctor Raoul]

It will hurt the careers of the younger astrofemale and the male as well as the publicity will give every-one involved a black eye!

He's going to be sleeping on the couch if he's lucky.

Never sleep with anyone crazier than yourself.

[VxH]

[You can explain her setting out randomly if she went briefly crazy,]

 

Nothing in the article indicates "briefly".

 

Severe sleep disturbances can and do produce abnormal if not psychotic behavior.

 

Consider the strange tale of a certain supreme court justice, for example.

 

[F.J. Mitchell]

Obviously some sort of space critter has taken over her body.

[albee]

"Thats one spaced out chick"

LOL!

Good one!

[kalee]

ping