spacetoday.net: NASA astronaut arrested on attempted kidnapping

Posted: Tue, Feb 6, 2007, 6:17 AM ET (1117 GMT)
Nowak, Lisa (NASA)

In one of the most bizarre incidents in the history of NASA, astronaut who flew on a shuttle mission last year was arrested in Orlando early Monday on attempted kidnapping charges. Lisa Nowak was arrested at Orlando International Airport early Monday after she allegedly attempted to kidnap another woman who had arrived there on a flight from Houston. Nowak reportedly considered the other woman, an Air Force officer, a rival for the affection of another NASA astronaut, Bill Oefelein. Nowak sprayed the other woman with pepper spray and was found with a variety of items, ranging from a BB pistol to rubber tubing. Nowak is being held without bond in a county jail on charges of attempted kidnapping and attempted burglary, thought to be the first felony charges filed against an active-duty NASA astronaut. Nowak, who is also a Navy captain, was part of the crew of the STS-121 shuttle mission in July 2006.