This astronaut returned from space, then tried to kill another astronaut for love
Exactly 19 years ago, an astronaut drove 1,500 km in a diaper to confront a rival. Discover how this 2007 case forced Nasa to rewrite its psychological laws.
In February 2007, the world watched in disbelief as Lisa Nowak, a decorated mission specialist who had recently returned from a 13-day journey aboard the space shuttle Discovery, was arrested in Orlando.
This was no ordinary arrest. Nowak was apprehended by police on February 5, 2007, after confronting her romantic rival at the Orlando International Airport.
She had driven nearly 1,500 kilometres from Houston to Orlando to confront Colleen Shipman, a United States Air Force captain. The motivation was a complex romantic rivalry involving fellow astronaut William Oefelein.
One of the most bizarre details to emerge from the police report was that Nowak reportedly wore maximum absorbency garments, or adult diapers, to avoid making stops during her cross-country drive.
Nowak was initially charged with attempted first degree murder, alongside charges of attempted kidnapping and battery.
In legal terms, first degree murder is the most serious homicide charge, typically defined as an unlawful killing that is both wilful and premeditated. This means the act was committed after planning or lying in wait rather than in the heat of the moment.
Although the attempted murder charge was eventually dropped in 2009 after a plea deal, the incident sent shockwaves through the scientific community.
It shattered the public image of astronauts as emotionally invincible heroes and forced Nasa to confront a glaring gap in its operational protocol regarding the long-term mental health of its explorers.
HOW DID NASA RESPOND TO THE CRISIS?
Before this event, Nasa relied heavily on rigorous psychological screening during the initial selection of candidates. The assumption was that if you had the right stuff to pass the entrance tests, you were mentally equipped for life.
However, the Nowak case proved that the immense pressure of spaceflight, combined with personal stressors on Earth, could affect even the most elite officers.
Following the scandal, the then Nasa Deputy Administrator Shana Dale initiated comprehensive internal and external reviews.
These led to the most significant shift in astronaut care in decades. The agency moved away from one-time gatekeeper screenings and implemented annual psychological evaluations for all active-duty astronauts.
These check-ups are designed to identify early signs of depression, anxiety, or interpersonal conflict that could compromise a mission.
WHAT IS THE NEW SCIENCE OF BEHAVIOURAL HEALTH?
The legacy of this event is the creation of the Behavioural Health and Performance group.
This scientific wing now studies the psychological rigours of isolation and confinement.
They focus on individual health by monitoring sleep cycles and mood stability, ensuring that mental fatigue does not impair judgment.
There is also a heavy emphasis on team cohesion to ensure crew members can resolve conflicts without reaching a breaking point.
Furthermore, the agency now acknowledges that an astronaut's mental state is deeply tied to their support system on Earth, leading to better family support structures.
Today, Nasa even monitors the behavioural health of former astronauts to understand the long-term occupational risks of space travel.
What started as a tragic personal breakdown became the catalyst for a more empathetic and science-based approach to human spaceflight.
In February 2007, the world watched in disbelief as Lisa Nowak, a decorated mission specialist who had recently returned from a 13-day journey aboard the space shuttle Discovery, was arrested in Orlando.
This was no ordinary arrest. Nowak was apprehended by police on February 5, 2007, after confronting her romantic rival at the Orlando International Airport.
She had driven nearly 1,500 kilometres from Houston to Orlando to confront Colleen Shipman, a United States Air Force captain. The motivation was a complex romantic rivalry involving fellow astronaut William Oefelein.
One of the most bizarre details to emerge from the police report was that Nowak reportedly wore maximum absorbency garments, or adult diapers, to avoid making stops during her cross-country drive.
Nowak was initially charged with attempted first degree murder, alongside charges of attempted kidnapping and battery.
In legal terms, first degree murder is the most serious homicide charge, typically defined as an unlawful killing that is both wilful and premeditated. This means the act was committed after planning or lying in wait rather than in the heat of the moment.
Although the attempted murder charge was eventually dropped in 2009 after a plea deal, the incident sent shockwaves through the scientific community.
It shattered the public image of astronauts as emotionally invincible heroes and forced Nasa to confront a glaring gap in its operational protocol regarding the long-term mental health of its explorers.
HOW DID NASA RESPOND TO THE CRISIS?
Before this event, Nasa relied heavily on rigorous psychological screening during the initial selection of candidates. The assumption was that if you had the right stuff to pass the entrance tests, you were mentally equipped for life.
However, the Nowak case proved that the immense pressure of spaceflight, combined with personal stressors on Earth, could affect even the most elite officers.
Following the scandal, the then Nasa Deputy Administrator Shana Dale initiated comprehensive internal and external reviews.
These led to the most significant shift in astronaut care in decades. The agency moved away from one-time gatekeeper screenings and implemented annual psychological evaluations for all active-duty astronauts.
These check-ups are designed to identify early signs of depression, anxiety, or interpersonal conflict that could compromise a mission.
WHAT IS THE NEW SCIENCE OF BEHAVIOURAL HEALTH?
The legacy of this event is the creation of the Behavioural Health and Performance group.
This scientific wing now studies the psychological rigours of isolation and confinement.
They focus on individual health by monitoring sleep cycles and mood stability, ensuring that mental fatigue does not impair judgment.
There is also a heavy emphasis on team cohesion to ensure crew members can resolve conflicts without reaching a breaking point.
Furthermore, the agency now acknowledges that an astronaut's mental state is deeply tied to their support system on Earth, leading to better family support structures.
Today, Nasa even monitors the behavioural health of former astronauts to understand the long-term occupational risks of space travel.
What started as a tragic personal breakdown became the catalyst for a more empathetic and science-based approach to human spaceflight.