NASA fires Astronaut Lisa Nowak
By MIKE SCHNEIDER, Associated Press Writer 3 minutes ago
CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. - Astronaut Lisa Nowak was fired from
NASA on Wednesday, a month after she was charged with trying to kidnap a woman she regarded as her romantic rival for the affections of a space shuttle pilot.
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NASA officials said Nowak's dismissal did not reflect the space agency's belief in her guilt or innocence. The agency said it lacked an administrative system to handle the allegations because Nowak is a naval officer on assignment to NASA, rather than a NASA civil servant.
If Nowak were a civil servant, NASA would have the choice of placing her on administrative leave, leave without pay or indefinite suspension until the charges are resolved, said NASA spokesman James Hartsfield in Houston. But because she is an officer, those options are not available.
Nowak, a captain in the Navy, instead will return to the military.
Chief astronaut Steve Lindsey notified Nowak late last month that she was to be fired from the astronaut corps.
Her dimissal marked the first time NASA has publicly fired an astronaut, according to space historian Roger Launius of the
Smithsonian Institution. She is also the first active astronaut to be charged with a felony, he said.
Nowak, a mother of three, is accused of confronting the woman at the Orlando airport after driving from Houston while wearing an astronaut diaper so that she would not have to stop.
She allegedly pepper-sprayed the woman through a partially lowered car window. In Nowak's vehicle, police found a BB gun, new steel mallet, a knife and rubber tubing.
The woman was the girlfriend of another astronaut, Bill Oefelein, who previously had a romantic relationship with Nowak.
Nowak, 43, pleaded not guilty to attempted kidnapping and burglary with assault. She was released on bail wearing a monitoring device on her ankle.
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Associated Press Writer Rasha Madkour in Houston and AP Science Writer Seth Borenstein in Washing
CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. - Astronaut Lisa Nowak was fired from
NASA on Wednesday, a month after she was charged with trying to kidnap a woman she regarded as her romantic rival for the affections of a space shuttle pilot.
ADVERTISEMENT
NASA officials said Nowak's dismissal did not reflect the space agency's belief in her guilt or innocence. The agency said it lacked an administrative system to handle the allegations because Nowak is a naval officer on assignment to NASA, rather than a NASA civil servant.
If Nowak were a civil servant, NASA would have the choice of placing her on administrative leave, leave without pay or indefinite suspension until the charges are resolved, said NASA spokesman James Hartsfield in Houston. But because she is an officer, those options are not available.
Nowak, a captain in the Navy, instead will return to the military.
Chief astronaut Steve Lindsey notified Nowak late last month that she was to be fired from the astronaut corps.
Her dimissal marked the first time NASA has publicly fired an astronaut, according to space historian Roger Launius of the
Smithsonian Institution. She is also the first active astronaut to be charged with a felony, he said.
Nowak, a mother of three, is accused of confronting the woman at the Orlando airport after driving from Houston while wearing an astronaut diaper so that she would not have to stop.
She allegedly pepper-sprayed the woman through a partially lowered car window. In Nowak's vehicle, police found a BB gun, new steel mallet, a knife and rubber tubing.
The woman was the girlfriend of another astronaut, Bill Oefelein, who previously had a romantic relationship with Nowak.
Nowak, 43, pleaded not guilty to attempted kidnapping and burglary with assault. She was released on bail wearing a monitoring device on her ankle.
___
Associated Press Writer Rasha Madkour in Houston and AP Science Writer Seth Borenstein in Washing
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that is terrible, they will have to look a long time to find a woman
as dedicated to what she believed in, she would go to any lengths to
pursue her objectives. She is the kind of woman that will stay with her job as long as it is humanly possible. SHE WILL BE MISSED BY HER FELLOWS
GOD, GUNS AND GUTS MADE, AND KEEP, AMERICA GREAT0 -
maybe they could not supply enough dypers to see her thru her mission........[:D] 0 -
That means she's going to have to start going through the classifieds and circle all the "Astronauts wanted" ads or become a spokesperson for "Depends", jeez that sucks. 0 -
Nowak is a Captain in the Navy. I wonder what kind of future she will have in the military. 0 -
No stars for her.
D.0 -
What took a month? 0 -
[8D]-REX you're dreaming. Allen she has NO future just,probably retirement and thats ALL--
--She may have, even NO retirement, because of her actions----and I agree--
--[^][^]--JIMBO0 -
quote:Originally posted by jimbowby
[8D]-REX you're dreaming. Allen she has NO future just,probably retirement and thats ALL--
--She may have, even NO retirement, because of her actions----and I agree--
--[^][^]--JIMBO
+1[;)] ya just cant go around kidnapping people at will!0 -
I think it's safe to say she won't be commanding any naval vessels in the near future unless it's a bottle to pee in. 0 -
Boy, when NASA fires you, they mean it! [:0] 
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[:D] 0 -
quote:Originally posted by allen griggs
Nowak is a Captain in the Navy. I wonder what kind of future she will have in the military.
Her career is over!! [:0][:0][:0]0 -
what, already? *ROLL EYES* 0 -
I think Science has suffered a major setback; We have a certified loony-tune flight qualified Astronut. What a waste. 0 -
as a capt retired, she'll be making at least 5 to 6 g's retirement monthly. odds are she aint gonna go up any further in the nav.
time to bail out and open a cat house.0 -
This is what happens when you send women into space. They are unstable to begin with, the lack of gravity probably finished the job.
[;)][:D]0 -
I can't understand why NASA would fire one of their most experienced astronauts. I believe she has been living in outer-space longer than most people on this earth. 0 -
quote:Originally posted by spanielsells
What took a month?
Ahem!0 -
They really had no choice since she may be indicted. We do not have extradition treaties for outer space.[;)] 0 -
The others involved have also shown they can't handle the responsibility of their positions.
Captain Oefelein was skating on thin ice with these two. He needs a tour of Antartica and probably separation from the service for his key role in disruption of the astronaut program and destruction of
Lisa Nowak, a valuable astronaut.
This is a tragic business.0 -
Let us say that in a few months Capt. Nowak is convicted of a couple felonies.
Would the Navy kick her out at that point?0 -
I bet some one in the program held a gun to her head and made her do the things she did,HAHA just think wearing diaper for all those hours just so she would have to stop, this is a woman on a mission. i told my ladyfriend she should try the diaper thing when we travel by car, and we would not have to stop so often. She is not that dedicated, and we can start earlier, was her answer. 0 -
Being fired from NASA and/or eventually discharged from the Navy are the LEAST of that woman's problems! No matter what way the system goes on resolving these charges, she'll ultimately be off the street for some years to come. And that, sad to say, is probably a very good thing for her and society. I think the woman needs some serious help. 0 -
AstroNut is more like it,,,,,, 0 -
[8D]A NAVAL Captain of a vessel,either surface or Sub, Will be relieved of Command,desked then retired--
--But this Capt. even with her experience behaved with conduct unbecoming an officer (any military)and will probably be relieved of here rank, demoted to Cmdr/ltcmdr or dishonorably discaharged--
--Sad but possible--JIMBO0 -
a real space shot 0 -
In the eyes of the law, Lisa Nowack is a criminal and the other two in this triangle don't appear to be guilty of a crime.
As regards the Navy its a whole nuther story. Lisa and her
space commander had an affair, breaching the professional relationship
that should have existed between the two. It conceivably might have adversely affected a space mission. Both share guilt in this business.
In a closely knit society as the astronaut program, this relationship
had to have been recognized by the "victim" who competed for the affections of the commander and won, displacing Lisa Nowack.
Lisa couldn't take the joke and shot herself in the foot.
Summarizing, the commander had an affair with a married coworker that precipitated this business which cascaded out of control to a criminal conclusion.
For complicity in all this, the trio needs to be punished by the Navy not Nowack alone.0 -
Holy Cramps! When I was in the Army in the early 80's, (enlisted) a buddy of mine got popped for DUI off the Fort and the Army... gave... him... a... dishonorable... discharge! I guess the Navy floats to a different set of rules...? I'd think, if this gal gets convicted of a FELONY for god sakes, they should dishonorabley discharge her!!! 0
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