The space shuttle pilot involved in a love triangle that led to a bizarre show-down between a female astronaut and her rival is to leave Nasa. William Oefelein, 42, has been reassigned to the navy, his original corps, the US space agency said. Actually, he is being returned to duty in the Navy, of which he has remained a member throughout his NASA tenure.
Astronaut Lisa Nowak, who had an affair with him, is awaiting trial on charges of attempted kidnapping and assault. In February she drove across five states to confront her love rival and pepper-sprayed her car. On her 1,600km (1,000 mile) journey from Texas to Florida, Capt Nowak wore a wig, as well as a nappy so she would not have to stop to use the toilet. "Nappy" is British for diaper
She was stopped allegedly carrying an air rifle, a steel mallet and a knife. Good thing she forgot her phaser.
Capt Nowak, 44, denies attempting to kidnap her rival - Air Force Capt Coleen Shipman. Sounds more like she intended to kill her outright.
She has been sacked by Nasa. Being in jail is grounds for termination even in the government service.
Mr Oefelein admitted having had an affair with her, but said it had been ended before he began dating Capt Shipman. It's over now anyway.
Nasa gave no reasons for reassigning Mr Oefelein to the most godforsaken outpost in the outer Aleutians navy. They saw Nowak's mugshot and decided his eyesight was defective.
A spokesman said: "Nasa has determined that Cmdr Oefelein's detail is no longer required for the purposes it was originally granted." "An astronaut should keep his pants zipped and his wick dry"
#2
Nasa gave no reasons for reassigning Mr Oefelein to the most godforsaken outpost in the outer Aleutians navy.
Er, Virginia, actually. How big of a discliplinary action is this? That sounds like a cool assignment, to me. Maybe not as cool as astronaut, but still...
They saw Nowak's mugshot and decided his eyesight was defective.
The dead trees edition of that article was accompanied by a photo of Oefelein and Nowak in Canada, and she looked good, even under a big wool cap. Ain't nobody gonna look their best after driving a thousand miles in a diaper.
#6
shoulda figured that when he started dating one of the Shipman clan...heh
Posted by: Frank G ||
05/27/2007 12:05 Comments ||
Top||
#7
And now you know......the rest of the story.
Posted by: Alaska Paul ||
05/27/2007 14:01 Comments ||
Top||
#8
No, Angie, I didn't literally think he was going to the outer Aleutians but no matter what the actual geography, that is metaphorically what will happen to his career.
I don't really think Nowak's physical appearance led to the Captain's re-assignment either.
#9
Embarrassing one's employer isn't usually career enhansing - unless one wants to change one's career path towards becoming a reality show participant. If he wants to head there, he needs to immediately demonstrate his own psychosis.
Posted by: Super Hose ||
05/27/2007 16:52 Comments ||
Top||
#4
I recommend that all and sundry SF residents take refuge in the offices of the Chronicle or any other available purveyor of news in the city. Zombies seeking brain parfaits will look there last.
Posted by: Super Hose ||
05/27/2007 13:19 Comments ||
Top||
#5
Hey, was Fidel among them? I hear he's eating solid food again.
A multi-volume chronology and reference guide set detailing three years of the Mexican Drug War between 2010 and 2012.
Rantburg.com and borderlandbeat.com correspondent and author Chris Covert presents his first non-fiction work detailing
the drug and gang related violence in Mexico.
Chris gives us Mexican press dispatches of drug and gang war violence
over three years, presented in a multi volume set intended to chronicle the death, violence and mayhem which has
dominated Mexico for six years.
Rantburg was assembled from recycled algorithms in the United States of America. No
trees were destroyed in the production of this weblog. We did hurt some, though. Sorry.
The space shuttle pilot involved in a love triangle that led to a bizarre show-down between a female astronaut and her rival is to leave Nasa. William Oefelein, 42, has been reassigned to the navy, his original corps, the US space agency said. 
