Tuesday, February 06, 2007
Navy Astronaut vs. Air Force Astronaut - An Intergalactic Cat Fight
Remember kids, Crack is Whack!A Jerry Springer episode of galactic proportions.
All I can say is... Only in America.
ORLANDO, Fla. - "It seems almost out of this world, but a lovesick NASA astronaut allegedly attacked a fellow female space traveler over the attention of another male astronaut.
Lisa Marie Nowak, a mission specialist on a Discovery launch last summer, was reportedly wearing a trench coat and wig as she carried a knife, brand new steel mallet, BB pistol, rubber tubing, plastic bags, black gloves and $600 in cash at Orlando International Airport this morning.
The 43-year-old drove from Texas to meet the 1 a.m. flight of a younger woman who had also been seeing Bill Oefelein, the astronaut Nowak had feelings for.
Police reports indicate that once Air Force Capt. Colleen Shipman arrived, Nowak followed her to long-term parking, tried to get into Shipman's car and doused her with pepper spray.
Nowak now faces charges of attempted kidnapping, battery, attempted vehicle burglary with battery and destruction of evidence. Police said due to the amount of weapons and disguises found, they consider her a real threat to the victim. They requested she be held without bail in the Orange County Jail.
Nowak told police that she was "involved in a relationship with" Oefelein, calling it "more than a working relationship but less than a romantic relationship," according to the arrest affidavit.
Nowak told police she had discovered Oefelein was involved with Shipman, so she planned a trip to Orlando to talk to Shipman about their relationships with Oefelein. She explained the BB gun "was going to be used to entice Ms. Shipman to talk with her," the affidavit said. She did not provide an explanation for the plastic bags or the gloves."
Thankfully Air Force won this round, and Capt Shipman is still in one piece. Go Air Force!
On a much more important note, what the hell happened to NASA's stringent psychological screening of astronaut applicants? Does this mean I can finally apply? Can you imagine if these two had been in space together? It would have been bigger brawl then when the Iron Sheik fought Sgt Slaughter in a steel cage match.
posted by El Capitan at 12:35 AM
4 Comments:
Lindsay said...
When I first saw this story, my first thought was, damn, NASA's psych unit is gonna get hell for this. This is seriously disturbing.
Love the surf banner
said...
I get turned down for pilot/nav flight training and they let this nutjob be an astronaut? What controlled substances was she taking? If this were 1960, she would have beaten Neil Armstrong to the moon. Makes you really wonder about those careful, arduous screening processes doesn't it?
Tumbleweed
said...
Whoa there -- the Air Force gal, Capt Colleen Shipman, is NOT an astronaut. She's a chemical engineer by training, and works for the Patrick AFB launch support squadron, I believe.
Doesn't change the fact that this is one freaky story.
El Capitan said...
She's not an Astronaut? That explains why I can't find any pictures of her.
Bummer. Still doesn't change how strange this all is, but still a bummer.