Astronaut charged with kidnap attempt
ORLANDO, Fla. - A
NASA astronaut charged with attempting to kidnap a romantic rival in a love triangle with another astronaut was allowed to go free on bail Tuesday on the condition that she not contact the alleged victim.
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The judge told Lisa Marie Nowak she could be released on $15,500 bond, then asked if she understood the conditions. She responded "yes."
Nowak, a married mother of three, stood in a jail uniform, looking down during most of the hearing. She planned to return home to Houston, and the judge ordered her to wear a tracking device.
The 43-year-old robotics specialist faces charges including attempted kidnapping, attempted vehicle burglary with battery, destruction of evidence and battery.
Police said she drove 900 miles, donned a disguise and was armed with a BB gun and pepper spray when she confronted a woman she believed was a competitor for the affections of Navy Cmdr. William Oefelein, an unmarried fellow astronaut.
Nowak rode aboard Discovery in July. Oefelein, 41, piloted the space shuttle Discovery in December. They trained together but never flew together.
Nowak told police that her relationship with Oefelein was "more than a working relationship but less than a romantic relationship," according to an arrest affidavit. Police found a love letter to Oefelein in her car.
According to authorities, Nowak believed another woman, Colleen Shipman, was romantically involved with Oefelein. When Nowak found out Shipman was flying to Orlando from Houston, Nowak decided to confront her early Monday, according to the arrest affidavit.
Nowak raced from Houston to Orlando wearing diapers in the car so she wouldn't have to stop to go to the bathroom, authorities said. Astronauts wear diapers during launch and re-entry.
Dressed in a wig and a trench coat, she waited for Shipman's plane to land and then boarded the same airport shuttle bus Shipman took to get to her car, police said. Shipman told police she noticed someone following her, hurried inside the car and locked the doors, according to the arrest affidavit.
Nowak rapped on the window, tried to open the car door and asked for a ride. Shipman refused but rolled down the car window a few inches when Nowak started crying, the statement said. Nowak then sprayed a chemical into Shipman's car, the affidavit said. Shipman drove to the parking lot booth and police were called.
An officer reported following Nowak and watching her throw away a bag containing the wig and BB gun. Police also found a steel mallet, a 4-inch folding knife, rubber tubing, $600 and garbage bags inside a bag Nowak was carrying when she was arrested, authorities said.
Two other astronauts attended the hearing. Steve Lindsey, commander of Nowak's Discovery flight last July, testified that Nowak would obey the conditions of her release.
Chris Ferguson, a pilot on the mission, also attended the hearing. Asked afterward about Nowak's behavior, Ferguson said "perplexed is the word I'm sticking with."
Oefelein and Shipman, who the Houston Chronicle said worked at Patrick Air Force Base near the
Kennedy Space Center, did not immediately return calls seeking comment.
NASA spokesman James Hartsfield in Houston said that, as of Monday, Nowak's status with the astronaut corps remained unchanged. "What will happen beyond that, I will not speculate," he said.
Hartsfield said he couldn't recall the last time an astronaut was arrested and said there were no rules against fraternizing among astronauts.
Police said Nowak told them that she only wanted to scare Shipman into talking to her about her relationship with Oefelein and didn't want to harm her physically.
"If you were just going to talk to someone, I don't know that you would need a wig, a trench coat, an air cartridge BB gun and pepper spray," said Orlando police Sgt. Barbara Jones. "It's just really a very sad case."
According to NASA's official biography, Nowak is a Naval Academy graduate who has a master's degree in aeronautical engineering. She has a teenage son and younger twin girls.
Oefelein has two children and began his aviation career as a teenager flying floatplanes in Alaska, according to a NASA biography. He studied electrical engineering at Oregon State University and later earned a master's degree in aviation systems at the University of Tennessee Space Institute. He has been an astronaut since 1998.
- posted on 02/06/2007
据美国媒体报道,2月5日美国国家宇航局(NASA)一名女宇航员因爱上自己的男同事未遂愿而心生怨恨,在奥兰多国际机场跟踪并袭击情敌被捕。
据奥兰多警方称,今年43岁的女宇航员利萨·玛丽·诺瓦克从休斯敦家中开车900英里到奥兰多,跟踪并袭击了自己的情敌。这位年轻的女士是诺瓦克倾慕的男宇航员的恋人。
诺瓦克曾在去年夏天美国“发现”号的发射升空中以专家身份担任使命。
据警方书面陈述,诺瓦克透露,她爱上了另一位美国宇航局男同事比尔·厄夫莱恩。她将这份感情定义为“比工作关系多一点,但并未发展成浪漫的恋人关系”。因为她发现厄夫莱恩爱上的是身为美国空军上尉的希普曼。炉火中烧的诺瓦克想到报复。
警方报告称,诺瓦克得知希普曼将乘坐凌晨1点的班机从休斯敦抵达奥兰多,便开始实施自己的报复计划。2月5日诺瓦克驱车先赶到奥兰多国际机场,等待情敌希普曼出现。诺瓦克当天身穿军服,头戴假发,携带刀具,BB弹手枪,橡皮管和塑料袋等守候在机场。诺瓦克还身穿宇航员装用的尿片,这样不会因中途小便而耽误计划。
当情敌希普曼抵到机场后,诺瓦克一直跟踪她到停车场,并靠近其汽车,向其喷洒胡椒水。
NASA女宇航员利萨·玛丽·诺瓦克
NASA宇航员比尔·厄夫莱恩(右)
“发现”号专家宇航员组,前右一为诺瓦克。
希普曼称,当她抵达机场后,发现一个身穿军服的女人站在的士站附近,并跟踪她到汽车边。希普曼称她听到急速跑动的脚步声靠近过来,诺瓦克试图让希普曼打开车门,希望能载她一程或借用手机。当希普曼才将车门摇下几英寸时,诺瓦克将“某种化学剂喷射进车门”。
诺瓦克目前被控试图绑架殴打希普曼,并试图以暴力进入车内行窃及销毁证据。目前警方认为诺瓦克处于危险状态将她关押在橘子郡监狱。
NASA位于休斯敦约翰逊航天中心的发言人称,这是现役宇航员首次面临双重指控。发言人称:“她作为美国宇航局宇航员的身份目前并未改变,并我不能预测将会发生任何其他事情。”诺瓦克和厄夫莱恩两人供职于约翰逊航天中心。
根据NASA资料,诺瓦克1985年毕业于美国海军学院,获得飞行工程学位。并拥有在至少30种飞行类别中超过1500个小时的飞行经验。她于1996年参与太空计划,她的3名宇航员同伴在2003年哥伦比亚发射事故中丧生。
诺瓦克已婚,并是3个孩子的母亲,平时的爱好有跑步,弹钢琴,及收集非洲紫罗兰。 - Re: 爱情是魔鬼,宇航员为爱试图绑架情敌posted on 02/06/2007
I thought astronauts had higher EQ than that.
It is said astronaut couples will be allowed in future long-distance missions. But I wonder if they will get bored facing each other 24/7 and 365/.... - Re: 把爱情带到火星上,宇航员为爱试图绑架情敌posted on 02/06/2007
这样的花边新闻放到 cafe lite 最合适了吧?
我猜 Nowak 的脑子被外空的病毒袭入,所以做事不理智了。她怎么能跟比她小 13 岁的 Shipman 抢男人呢? - Re: 把爱情带到火星上,宇航员为爱试图绑架情敌posted on 02/06/2007
阿姗的建议好。
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