14 DAY TRIAL // According to an unanimous decision, former NASA astronauts Lisa Nowak has been removed from her military career, and had her rank downgraded from captain to commander.
The decision was made by three Navy admirals, who voted unanimously to have Nowak's career characterized as “less than honorable.” The governmental panel was investigating an incident that involved the former astronaut back in 2007.
At the time, she entered a confrontation with US Air Force Captain Colleen Shipman, over a mutual love interest. Both women were looking to be the girlfriends of NASA astronaut William Oefelein.
Nowak flew to the Orlando International Airport three years ago, and met with Shipman in the parking lot. The confrontation got nasty.
According to evidences presented by the government's attorney at the hearing, the former astronaut carried with her a black wig, a BB gun, a steel mallet, green rubber tubing and a 8-inch knife.
Some of these objects were discovered in a trash can not far from where the incident took place.
Though she initially declined any guilt, pleading not guilty to charges of attempted kidnapping, burglary, and misdemeanor battery, she eventually changed her testimony.
In the recent hearings, she pleaded guilty for felony burglary and misdemeanor battery. Under the attempted kidnapping charge, Space reports, the former astronaut may have been locked away for life.
The three-member panel is however not suitable to grant a punishment, or decide on the level of guilt Nowak has. Its role is rather to produce recommendations, which it then sends to the Secretary of the Navy for consideration.
Experts are quick to point out that the set of hearings was not a Court Martial, but add that a legal representative was indeed in the room throughout the proceedings.
Even though Nowak insists that her pepper spray attack was not meant to cause lasting harm, this is not what Shipman believes.
“Almost three years later, I'm still reeling from her vicious attack. I know in my heart when Lisa Nowak attacked me, she was going to kill me,” the Captain told Circuit Judge Marc Lubet.
“I believe I escaped a horrible death that night,” Shipman added. When Nowak attacked her, dressed in a wig and trench coat, and blasting pepper spray into her face, the Captain was barely able to escape, and drive away.
The police captured Nowak as she was disposing of a bag containing some of the items listed above, alongside some trash bags.