A married US astronaut was accused today of trying to kidnap and kill a rival for the affections of a fellow astronaut after a bizarre 950-mile drive wearing diapers to confront the woman.
US Navy Captain Lisa Nowak, who has three children, was initially arrested on attempted kidnapping charges yesterday in Orlando after assaulting Colleen Shipman, a US Air Force captain she considered competition for the affections of a male astronaut, police said.
Ms Nowak was then granted release on $15,500 bail this morning on the kidnapping charge. But her release was halted at the last minute when police filed a new charge of attempted first-degree murder -- rocking the elite world of NASA astronauts.
Police said Ms Nowak (43) a flight engineer who made her first space flight in July to the International Space Station aboard shuttle Discovery, sped 950 miles (1,529 km) from Houston to Orlando, wearing diapers so she wouldn't have to stop at a bathroom.
She disguised herself in a dark wig, glasses and trench coat to confront Shipman at Orlando International Airport but "only wanted to scare" the woman into talking to her, she told police. Appearing in court wearing a jail uniform, shackled at the waist and with head bowed, Ms Nowak said little on charges of attempted kidnapping, attempted burglary of a vehicle and battery.
"We are here for Lisa's health and well being and safety and taking care of her like we would any NASA employee in her situation," Steve Lindsey, her commander on the shuttle flight last July, said outside the courtroom. Orange County Circuit Judge Mike Murphy at first granted Ms Nowak bail of $15,500 and ordered her to wear a satellite-tracking device so authorities could monitor her whereabouts.
But her release was put on hold because of the new charge. A conviction for attempted murder can mean a life sentence. NASA's astronaut corps, featured in Tom Wolfe's 1979 book The Right Stuff, is considered the elite of aerospace and science, populated by top pilots and space researchers from the United States and other nations.