by John M. Curtis
(310) 204-8700

Copyright February 7, 2007
All Rights Reserved.

hen 43-year old NASA astronaut Navy Capt. Lisa Nowak drove 1,000 miles from Houston wearing her launch-and-reentry diaper to intercept fellow astronaut Air Force Capt. Colleen Shipman at Orlando International Airport, no one expected the 11-year NASA veteran to hit her with pepper spray. Police reports indicate that Nowak was in a “love triangle” with Shipman and Navy Comdr. Bill Oefelein, the pilot of the Dec. ‘06 Space Shuttle mission. Nowak revealed Oefelein was “more than a working relationship and less than a romantic relationship,” raising a motive for the would-be attack. Orlando police charged Nowak with attempted kidnapping, battery and attempted burglary of a car with battery, adding the additional count of attempted murder. Nowak posted a $15,000 bond Feb. 7 for attempted kidnapping, assault and battery, burglary and an additional $10,000 for attempted murder.

      Shortly after Nowak was arrested Feb. 5 at a bus stop in Orlando, police found a wig and a plastic bag containing a carbon dioxide-powered BB gun in a nearby trashcan. Nowak carried a bag with a tan trench coat, a new steel mallet, a new folding knife with a 4-inch blade, several large plastic trash bags, 3-4 feet of rubber tubing and $600 in cash. Also found in Nowak's car were a half-dozen latex gloves, MapQuest directions from Houston to Orlando International Airport, e-mails from Shipman and Oefelein, diapers and a letter professing her love for Oefelein. Orlando police reports indicate that Nowak followed Shipman to a satellite parking lot, where she asked her for a ride. When Shipman refused, Nowak sprayed her with pepper spray. What disturbed authorities, leading to the attempted murder charge, was the methodical way in which Nowak planned and pulled off the episode.

      Nowak not only printed detailed maps of the trip from Houston but also cleverly paid cash and concealed her identity at hotels on her trip to Orlando. Following her arrest Feb. 5, Shipman filed a restraining order on Nowak in Brevard County where she lives and works, citing two months of stalking. Before getting pepper sprayed, Shipman failed to notify her NASA superiors about Nowak's stalking, probably to keep her affair with Oefelein under wraps. While Shipman's restraining order awaits a Feb. 20 hearing, the director of NASA's Johnson Space Center in Houston Michael Coates placed Nowak on a 30-day leave, removed from “flight status and all mission activities.” Nowak, a mother of three, left her husband-of-19 years in mid-January, a possible indication of her relationship with Oefelein. Targeting Shipman, Oefelein's other love-interest, suggests pathological jealousy.

      Astronauts are generally held in high esteem, free from the kinds of weaknesses found in mere mortals. NASA's carefully honed image, places its personnel under a protective wing, keeping incidents out of the public eye. Retired Air Force Col. Steve Lindsey, who commanded Nowak's 12-day Shuttle mission in July, testified at Nowak's bail hearing, assuring the judge that the former Shuttle astronaut would avoid Shipman's work at Patrick Air Force Base and the Kennedy Space Center in Cape Canaveral. “Considering both her personal and professional life, these alleged events are completely out of character and have come as a tremendous shock to our family,” read a statement from Nowak's family, declining all interviews. “We hope the public will keep an open mind about what the facts will eventually show and that the legal systems will be allowed to run its course.”

      Refusal to respond to media inquiries indicates that the family has something to hide about Nowak, whose behavior shows either carefully calculated sociopathy or a psychotic break. Judging by her booking picture and first hand police accounts, Nowak displayed confusion, disorientation and poor reality-testing. While anecdotal, it looks more like a psychotic episode—a transient mental breakdown marked by paranoia, delusions and bizarre behavior. Based on the extent of Nowak's calculation and planning, the police charged her with attempted murder, despite only spraying Shipman with pepper spray. Nowak's attorney Donald Lykkabak accused the Orlando police of wanting “a second bite of the apple,” charging her with attempted murder. As the DA weighs the case, it may be difficult to file attempted murder charges based on published police reports.

      Whatever Nowak's history and personal problems, it's likely she suffered a psychotic break, engaging in a complex, well-planned and carefully organized paranoid scheme. If Nowak's family really wanted to develop the facts, they'd answer the press' questions, currently speculating and seeking expert opinions as to what went wrong with the 43-year-old wunderkind. “Lisa is an extremely caring and dedicated mother to her three children,” read the family statement, counterintuitive to someone obsessed with a love triangle. Driving 1,000 miles armed with the kind of paraphernalia found by the police to commit a serious crime indicates her children were low on the food chain. Supporting Nowak “like we would any employee of NASA if they were to get into this situation,” involves more than containing an acutely embarrassing situation: It involves answering the press' questions.

About the Author

John M. Curtis writes politically neutral commentary analyzing spin in national and global news. He's editor of OnlineColumnist.com and author of Dodging The Bullet and Operation Charisma.

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