Lisa Nowak

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**Lisa Nowak**
Astronaut

Nationality	American
Born	May 10, 1963 Washington, D.C.
Previous occupation	Test Pilot
Rank	Captain, USN
Space time	12d 18h 36m
Selection	1996 NASA Group
Mission(s)	STS-121
Mission insignia

Lisa Marie Nowak (née Caputo) (born May 10, 1963^[1] in Washington, D.C.), is a captain in the United States Navy and former American astronaut. She was selected by NASA in 1996 and qualified as a mission specialist in robotics. Nowak flew aboard the Space Shuttle during mission STS-121 in July 2006. She was responsible for operating the robotic arms of the shuttle and the International Space Station.

On February 5, 2007 Nowak was arrested in Orlando, Florida and subsequently charged with the attempted kidnapping of U.S. Air Force Captain Colleen Shipman. Nowak was released on bail, pleaded "not guilty" to the charges and requested a jury trial. Nowak's assignment to the space agency as an astronaut was terminated by NASA effective March 8, 2007.^[2]^[3]

1 Biography and career
2 Alleged attempted kidnapping at Orlando Airport
3 References
4 External links

[edit] Biography and career

Lisa Nowak is the daughter of Alfredo and Jane Caputo of Rockville, Maryland. She first became interested in the space program when she was five years old, watching the Apollo moon landings and later followed the space shuttle program, particularly the introduction of women astronauts, while she was growing up. She graduated from Charles W. Woodward High School in Rockville, Maryland in 1981 and received a BS degree in aerospace engineering from the U.S. Naval Academy in 1985. Nowak received an MS degree in aeronautical engineering and a degree in aeronautical and astronautical engineering in 1992 from the U.S. Naval Postgraduate School in Monterey, California.^[1]

She received her commission from the U.S. Navy in 1985 and became a naval flight officer in 1987. After her postgraduate studies Nowak entered Aerospace Engineering Duty and the U.S. Naval Test Pilot School. She logged over 1,500 hours of flight in over 30 different aircraft during her career in the Navy, and obtained the rank of captain.^[1]

Lisa Nowak during astronaut training in 2005.

Nowak was selected to be an astronaut in 1996 and entered the astronaut corps at Johnson Space Center in August of that year. She qualified as a mission specialist in robotics and went into space July 4, 2006 on the STS-121 mission which included a trip to the International Space Station. Nowak served as mission flight engineer, operated the shuttle's robotic arm during several spacewalks and logged almost 13 days in space.^[1] She was the first Italian American woman to go into space, carried a National Organization of Italian American Women gold pin during her flight and is a Roman Catholic.^[4]

On February 6, 2007, following her arrest in Florida for attempted kidnapping, she was placed on 30-day leave by NASA.^[5] She returned to Houston, Texas on a commercial airline flight the next day and reportedly was taken immediately under police escort to the Johnson Space Center for medical and psychiatric evaluation.^[6] Nowak's assignment to NASA as a serving naval officer was terminated by the space agency on March 7, 2007.^[2] She remained on active duty with the US Navy and was subsequently ordered to work on the staff of the chief of naval air training in Corpus Christi, Texas. Naval officials were reportedly waiting for her case to be resolved before taking further action.^[7]

Nowak married Richard T. Nowak, a classmate at both the Naval Academy and Navy flight school, in 1988.^[8] Richard Nowak is employed by a NASA contractor at Johnson Space Center.^[9] The Nowaks have three children, a son born in 1992 and twin daughters born in 2001.^[4] While the Nowaks are still married, a statement from the family indicated that they separated in January 2007.^[10]

Her reported hobbies have included reading, running, piano, gardening, skeet shooting, gourmet cooking, rubber stamp collecting and crossword puzzles.^[1]^[11]^[12]

[edit] Alleged attempted kidnapping at Orlando Airport

On February 5, 2007, Nowak was arrested at Orlando International Airport on charges of attempted kidnapping, battery, attempted vehicle burglary with battery, and destruction of evidence. She told investigators she was involved in a relationship with fellow astronaut William Oefelein which she described as being "more than a working relationship but less than a romantic relationship."^[13] U.S. Air Force Captain Colleen Shipman, who works as an engineer at Patrick Air Force Base,^[14] was involved with Oefelein, who had recently broken off a two-year romantic relationship with Nowak.^[15]^[16] In a handwritten request for a protective order against Nowak after her arrest, Shipman referred to Nowak as "acquaintance of boyfriend" but did not identify Oefelein and also claimed Nowak had been stalking her for two months.^[17] Shipman dropped her request for a protection order on February 15.^[18]

[edit] Arrest

According to police reports, Shipman said that upon arriving on a flight from Houston, she was aware of someone following her to a satellite parking area. When she got into her car, she heard running steps and quickly locked the door. A woman, later identified as Nowak, slapped the window and tried to open the car door, asked for a ride, then started crying. Shipman rolled down the window a couple of inches and Nowak allegedly sprayed pepper spray into the car. Shipman drove off to the parking lot booth where police were summoned.^[19]

The first police officer to arrive saw Nowak throw a bag containing a wig and a BB pistol into the trash at a parking shuttle bus stop. She was arrested after Shipman positively identified her. The Orlando Police said Nowak had disguised herself during the assault by wearing a hooded tan trench coat and black wig and, along with the BB gun, was carrying a four-inch folding buck knife, a new steel mallet, black gloves, rubber tubing, plastic garbage bags and about US$600 in cash. In her statement to police, Nowak said she wanted to talk to Shipman and discuss their relationships with Oefelein. When asked if she thought the pepper spray was going to help her talking with Shipman, she replied, "That was stupid." During a search of Nowak's car parked at a motel, the police found a letter written by Nowak which they said "indicated how much Mrs. Nowak loved Mr. Oefelein," along with latex gloves, opened packages for both a buck knife and pepper spray, an unused BB cartridge, handwritten directions to Shipman's house, copies of e-mails from Shipman to Oefelein, and diapers.^[20] The astronaut explained she had used the latter during the 900-mile (1400-km) drive from her home in Houston, Texas to Orlando, so she did not have to stop to urinate (U.S. shuttle astronauts wear specially designed diapers during launch, re-entry and spacewalks).^[21] They also found receipts indicating Nowak paid only in cash during her trip from Houston, including for her hotel stay.^[22] Citing evidence of elaborate planning, disguises and weapons, police recommended she be held without bail.^[16]

[edit] Arraignment

Two fellow astronauts flew to Florida in NASA T-38 Talon jets to visit Nowak in jail and otherwise make contact with her:^[23] Christopher Ferguson, senior Naval Officer in the astronaut corps, went as Nowak's commanding officer, and retired Air Force Colonel Steve Lindsey, who had commanded Nowak's Shuttle mission, went as chief of the NASA astronaut corps. On February 6, 2007, both appeared before a judge on her behalf. The state attorney argued that the facts indicated a well-thought-out plan to kidnap and perhaps to injure Ms. Shipman.^[19] While arguing for pre-trial release Nowak's attorney remarked, “One’s good works must count for something.” Nowak was ordered released on $15,500 bail under the condition she wear a GPS tracking device^[24] and not contact Shipman.

Before Nowak could be released, however, Orlando police charged Nowak with attempted first-degree murder and announced she would not be released on bail. Her lawyer alleged that police and prosecutors, unhappy Nowak had been granted bail, pressed more serious charges solely to keep her confined to jail.^[25]^[26] In the second arraignment Nowak was charged with attempted first degree murder with a deadly weapon, for which the judge raised bail by $10,000. After posting bail, Nowak was released from jail. ^[13]

[edit] Plea and charges

On 13 February, Nowak entered a written plea of "not guilty" to the charges of attempted murder and attempted kidnapping.^[18] Nowak's attorney, who filed the plea with the Orange County court, requested a jury trial.^[27] On March 2 Florida prosecutors filed three formal charges against Nowak: attempted kidnapping with intent to inflict bodily harm or terrorize, burglary of a conveyance with a weapon, and battery. The prosecutors declined to file the attempted murder charge which had been recommended by Orlando police.^[28]

She formally entered a plea of not guilty in relating to the kidnapping charges on 22 March at an arraignment hearing although she was not present in person. Her trial is due to commence on 30 July.^[29]

[edit] Reactions

This event has been widely covered by US media and attracted worldwide interest. "The mood at NASA is we're stunned," said space agency spokesman James Hartsfield. He added that in spite of the extensive psychological testing astronauts go through, "we don't track the personal lives of the individuals that work for the agency." When asked about the arrest after Nowak's first arraignment, Christopher Ferguson said, "Perplexed is the word I'm sticking with."^[20] Retired astronaut Jerry Linenger expressed concerns about NASA's screening process, commenting that with plans for a 30-month trip to Mars, it would be dangerous for someone to "snap like this" during a mission.^[30]

Former NASA psychiatrist Dr. Patricia Santy commented, "I really believe that NASA goes overboard in promoting how heroic and super all these people are. They themselves have forgotten these are ordinary people and in that kind of celebrity culture, there's a sense of entitlement." Space policy and history writer Howard E. McCurdy of American University said, "The astronaut culture is still a carry over from The Right Stuff days. It is very high intensity; it is very competitive."^[31]

NASA Administrator Michael Griffin commented that "Clearly she is in major trouble, and clearly we failed as an institution to recognize that she was very troubled."^[32]