Talk:Lisa Nowak/archive news March 7 2007
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[edit] March 7 2007 Houston Chronicle Article
Because newspapers tend to change links and archive things into "for pay" areas, I am putting this here for archival purposes.--Blue Tie 15:30, 10 March 2007 (UTC)
March 7, 2007, 1:23AM Fates of Oefelein, Nowak up in the air Navy hasn't decided what to do with the astronauts in a love triangle
By MARK CARREAU Copyright 2007 Houston Chronicle
Astronaut William Oefelein remained in NASA's official good graces Tuesday after Florida authorities made public the sometimes lurid details of his romances with fellow astronaut and Navy officer Lisa Nowak and a new girlfriend.
"(NASA) does not have policies that restrict the private lives of its employees," said Johnson Space Center spokesman James Hartsfield.
The military has not reached a decision on what action if any to take against Nowak or Oefelein, said U.S. Navy Lt. Ligia Cohen, a spokeswoman for the Office of Naval Operations.
Oefelein, who served as pilot of a December space shuttle mission, is a Navy commander. Nowak, who is a Navy captain and outranks him, flew on a July mission. Nowak is charged with attempted kidnapping and other felonies after allegedly driving nonstop from Houston to Orlando last month and confronting Oefelein's new lover, Air Force Capt. Colleen Shipman, at the airport there.
A Florida court released documents from the case Monday, making public for the first time that Oefelein had acknowledged to police that he had an affair with his fellow Navy officer while both were married. He later became involved with Shipman.
Relationships between officers are forbidden in the Navy when they are "prejudicial to good order or of a nature to bring discredit on the Naval service," according to the official fraternization policy adopted in 1999. Such conduct is defined as relationships that give the appearance of favoritism by a senior officer, or that undermine or compromise the chain of command.
Both astronauts could face military legal action or personnel decisions that affect their Navy careers, said Geoffrey Corn, a former member of the Army Judge Advocate General's Corps who teaches criminal and national security law at the South Texas College of Law in Houston.
"Adultery as a crime seems a little bit antiquated. (But) there is a detriment issue here," Corn said. "When the Navy selects you for a prestigious detail outside the normal structure of the military (such as the astronaut corps), you have high standards to uphold because you represent the Navy."
An 'interest,' not girlfriend The court documents show that Oefelein, 41, told police that he became romantically involved with Nowak, 43, about three years ago after meeting in astronaut training programs.
"I would say we were somewhat exclusive," he said. Oefelein later divorced his wife; Nowak is separated from her husband, her family says.
He went on to explain to police that he fell in love with Shipman late last year and told Nowak so. "She (Nowak) ... seemed to be accepting of that," he said.
Later in the police interview, after describing Nowak as shy and unemotional, Oefelein balked at describing her as a former girlfriend.
"Well I — yeah, I don't, it's hard to consider her a girlfriend, she was an ex, um, I — I wouldn't — she was an ex-interest, I guess," he said.
The documents also show Shipman telling police that she had asked Oefelein whether his breakup with Nowak would lead to "some crazy lady showing up at my door trying to kill me."
The document include a hand-drawn map, found in Nowak's possession, of Shipman's neighborhood.
Oefelein could become eligible for another flight assignment, though the number of launches is dwindling as NASA prepares to retire the shuttle fleet in three years.
Nowak's leave ending Thursday is the end of a 30-day work leave that NASA imposed on Nowak. She was released on bail in Orlando and has returned to her Houston-area home to await trial.
Nowak, who has pleaded not guilty to the charges, and Oefelein declined interview requests on Tuesday.
The materials released in Florida included sometimes racy e-mails from Shipman to Oefelein while he was in space aboard the shuttle Discovery.
"I need a rub down," Shipman e-mailed Oefelein on Dec. 21 as his shuttle flight was drawing to a close. "Will have to control myself when I see you. First urge will be to rip your clothes off."
Oefelein didn't receive Shipman's e-mail until Jan. 10, after the mission, because the shuttle antenna that serves as a communication relay had been stowed in preparation for a landing.
"You write such good notes," Oefelein responded as soon as he read the electronic message. "You are the best. I love you."
NASA said Tuesday that each astronaut provides the agency with a list of the names of family and friends authorized for e-mail exchanges during shuttle missions.
The privacy of the messages is maintained, though e-mail is relayed through Mission Control computers at Johnson Space Center.
The documents indicate that Nowak may have seen the e-mails between Oefelein and Shipman shortly before she drove to Florida, allegedly wearing diapers to avoid spending time on bathroom breaks.
mark.carreau@chron.com
