Image of the last American hero tarnished

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Van

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Jul 8, 2004
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I have always loved Nasa but more so I have loved the astronauts because they have always been American hero's who to me exemplified courage and bravery and true adventurism. As a kid I wanted to be an astronaut and when my aunt took me to Florida and then Nasa I was totally hooked walking through the Nasa meusem seeing the space craft and the suits and getting my first taste of freeze dried ice cream. But it looks like the strong hold of the last American hero's image has been smudged by one of its own recently and heres the story.

Astronaut Charged With Kidnap Attempt
Tuesday, February 6, 2007 6:31 AM EST
The Associated Press
By MIKE SCHNEIDER

ORLANDO, Fla. (AP) — An astronaut drove 900 miles and donned a disguise to confront a woman she believed was her rival for the affections of a space shuttle pilot, police said. She was arrested Monday and charged with attempted kidnapping and other counts.

U.S. Navy Capt. Lisa Nowak, 43, who flew last July on a shuttle mission to the international space station, was also charged with attempted vehicle burglary with battery, destruction of evidence and battery. She was denied bail and is scheduled to make a court appearance Tuesday.

Police said Nowak drove from her home in Houston to the Orlando International Airport to confront Colleen Shipman.

Nowak believed Shipman was romantically involved with Navy Cmdr. William Oefelein, a pilot during space shuttle Discovery's trip to the space station last December, police said.

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 officers recovered a love letter to Oefelein in her car.

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.

When she found out that Shipman was flying to Orlando from Houston, Nowak decided to confront her, according to the arrest affidavit. Nowak raced from Houston to Orlando wearing diapers so she wouldn't have to stop to urinate, authorities said.

Astronauts wear diapers during launch and re-entry.

Dressed in a wig and a trench coat, Nowak boarded an airport bus that Shipman took to her car in an airport parking lot. 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. Nowak then sprayed a chemical into Shipman's car, the affidavit said.

Shipman drove to the parking lot booth, and the police were called.

During a check of the parking lot, an officer followed Nowak and watched her throw away a bag containing the wig and BB gun. They 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.

Inside Nowak's vehicle, which was parked at a nearby motel, authorities uncovered a pepper spray package, an unused BB-gun cartridge, latex gloves and e-mails between Shipman and Oefelein. They also found a letter "that indicated how much Mrs. Nowak loved Mr. Oefelein," an opened package for a buck knife, Shipman's home address and hand written directions to the address, the arrest affidavit said.

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 Sgt. Barbara Jones, a spokeswoman for the Orlando Police Department. "It's just really a very sad case. ... Now she ends up finding herself on the other side of the law with some very serious charges."

If convicted of attempted kidnapping, Nowak could face a maximum of life in prison.

It was not immediately known whether Nowak had an attorney.

Oefelein and Shipman did not immediately return phone messages Monday night.

According to NASA's official biography, Nowak is married with three children. During her 13-day mission in July she operated the robotic arm during three spacewalks.

Oefelein is unmarried. He piloted the space shuttle Discovery in December. He has two children, according to a NASA biography.

Nowak and Oefelein were both first-time fliers during their shuttle missions last year. They trained together but never flew together.

———

Associated Press writers Kelli Kennedy and Jessica Gresko in Miami contributed to this report.
 
It truely is sad, first preechers turn ped, cowboys turn gay, chewbacca headbutts some tour guide, and now astronauts!!! What is happening to our country!!! Next your gonna tell me barney and pee wee got caught in a theatre TOGETHER!! and Bugs Bunny is doing playboy shoots, and Elmer Fudd has joined the "anti gun campaign" !!
 
All jokes aside though this really was the last bastion of the umolested American hero we had considering that every single other profession from A to Z has suffered mild to devistating indiscrestions and out right acts of deviance. It in all honesty really is sad that it has happened to what so many children look up to and dream of becoming, I guess that it bothers me because theres still an 8 yr old kid looking with open mouthed awe at the atlas rocket on display at the space center.
 
All jokes aside though this really was the last bastion of the umolested American hero we had considering that every single other profession from A to Z has suffered mild to devistating indiscrestions and out right acts of deviance. It in all honesty really is sad that it has happened to what so many children look up to and dream of becoming, I guess that it bothers me because theres still an 8 yr old kid looking with open mouthed awe at the atlas rocket on display at the space center.

Forgive me if my joke went over bad with you. I state and beleive the same msg you are, I just attemted humour at it.
 
Oh its fine, I didnt take it wrong and I understood the humour was most likely a defensive reaction to what is obviously a sensitive issue for alot more people than we realize. I had heard a few conversations over the last day and a half from people that have been just as preplexed about all of this mess that this woman has caused. Its really amazing to see just how far she fell from grace by looking at a photo of her from last year to when she was arested.
 
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