Lisa Nowak

Lisa Nowak is an American former NASA astronaut and naval flight officer who flew aboard Space Shuttle Discovery on mission STS-121 in 2006.

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William Oefelein: William Oefelein is a former NASA astronaut and U.S. Navy aviator who flew on Space Shuttle mission STS-116. Oefelein’s relationship with Nowak became central to the 2007 criminal case.
STS-121: STS-121 was a 2006 Space Shuttle Discovery mission that tested safety improvements and resupplied the International Space Station. Nowak flew as a mission specialist on this shuttle mission.
Naval Flight Officer: A Naval Flight Officer is a commissioned U.S. Navy or Marine Corps officer trained to operate aircraft systems and perform airborne missions. Nowak’s Navy career included service as a flight officer before she became an astronaut.
NASA astronaut dismissal: NASA astronaut dismissal is the removal of an astronaut from the agency’s active astronaut corps or employment. NASA dismissed Nowak after her arrest, ending her astronaut career.
Colleen Shipman: Colleen Shipman is a former U.S. Air Force captain who worked as an engineer at Kennedy Space Center. Shipman was the woman Nowak was accused of confronting in Orlando in 2007.
Space Shuttle Discovery: Space Shuttle Discovery was a NASA orbiter that flew 39 missions between 1984 and 2011. Discovery carried Nowak and the STS-121 crew to orbit.
NASA Astronaut Corps: The NASA Astronaut Corps is the group of astronauts selected and trained for spaceflight and related missions. Nowak’s NASA career placed her in this corps before and after her single spaceflight.
NASA psychological screening: NASA psychological screening assesses astronaut candidates’ mental health and suitability for spaceflight duties. The case intensified public scrutiny of how NASA monitors astronauts’ psychological fitness.
Eileen Collins: Eileen Collins is a former NASA astronaut and the first woman to command a U.S. space shuttle. Collins led STS-114, the shuttle mission before Nowak’s flight, during NASA’s return to flight.
2007 Orlando airport incident: The 2007 Orlando airport incident was an alleged attempted kidnapping and assault involving former astronaut Lisa Nowak. This incident led to Nowak’s arrest and became the defining legal episode of her biography.