Lisa Nowak
Lisa Nowak is an American NASA astronaut and a former naval flight officer. In 2006, she flew aboard Space Shuttle Discovery during the STS-121 mission, where she operated the robotic arms of the shuttle and the International Space Station.
10 Quick Facts About Lisa Nowak
- Name: Lisa Nowak
- Age: 59 years
- Birthday: May 10
- Zodiac Sign: Taurus
- Height: Average
- Nationality: American
- Occupation: NASA Astronaut and Former Naval Flight Officer
- Marital Status: Married
- Salary: Under Review
- Net worth: Under Review
Lisa Nowak Age
She was born on May 10, 1963, in Washington, D.C., as Lisa Marie Nowak. She is 59 years.
Lisa Nowak Husband | Kids
She was married to Richard T. Nowak in 1988. They were blessed with three children a son and twin daughters. In January 2007, they separated and afterward divorced. She became involved with Oefelein after his divorce. Their affair lasted for just 2 years, with Oefelein beginning to break it off gradually near the end of 2006.
Lisa Nowak Early life and education
She was born to Alfredo and Jane Caputo of Rockville, Maryland. She became interested in the space program in 1969 when she was 6 years after she watched the Apollon moon landings. She continued to follow the Space Shuttle program while she grew up, particularly the introduction of female astronauts.
She attended Charles W. Woodward High School in Rockville and graduated in 1981. She later joined the United States Naval Academy where she received her Bachelor of Science degree in aerospace engineering.
She earned both a Master of Science degree in aeronautical engineering and a degree in aeronautical and astronautical engineering from the U.S. Naval Postgraduate School in Monterey, California in 1992.
Lisa Nowak Military career
She received her commission in the United States Navy in 1985. Through the Tactical Navigation syllabus at Training Squadron 86 (VT-86) at NAS Pensacola, Florida in 1987, she became a Naval Flight Officer. She was assigned to Electronic Warfare Aggressor Squadron 34 at NAS Point Mugu, California where she flew both the EA-7L and ERA-3B aircraft.
She was selected for transfer to the Restricted Line in 1993, as an Aerospace Engineering Duty Officer where she attended the U.S. Naval Test Pilot School at NAS Patuxent River, in Maryland.
She later worked as an aircraft systems project officer at the Air Combat Environment Test and Evaluation Facility after graduating from the Naval Postgraduate School. She also flew F/A-18 and EA-6B at Strike Aircraft Test Squadron. She was thereafter assigned o the Naval Air Systems Command, working on the acquisition of new systems for naval aircraft, when she was selected for the astronaut program.
During her career in the Navy, she logged over 1,500 hours of flight in 30 different aircraft. A panel of three U.S. Navy admirals recommended that she be discharged from the Navy after a review of the circumstances of the legal case on August 20, 2010. Her rank was reduced from Captain to Commander and her service was classified as “other than honorable”.
Her NASA Career
On August 1996, she joined the NASA Astronaut Corps at Johnson Space Center. She was assigned to the future mission designated STS-118 after qualifying as a mission specialist in robotics. The schedule changed and she went into space on July 4, 2006. During several spacewalks, she operated the Shuttle’s robotic arm and served as a mission flight engineer and logged almost thirteen days in space.
On June 5, 2007, she was awarded the NASA Space Flight Medal. She was later placed on a 30-day leave by NASA on February 6, 2007, following an arrest in Florida for attempted kidnapping. She returned to Houston, Texas and upon her arrival, she was reportedly taken immediately under police escort to Johnson Space Center for psychiatric evaluation and medical checkup. On March 7, 2007, her assignment to NASA where she served as a Navy Officer was terminated by the space agency.
After NASA career
After her termination by the space agency, she remained on active duty with the Navy. She worked on the staff of the chief of Naval Air Training at Naval Air Station Corpus Christi, Texas. The Navy officials waited for her kidnapping case to be resolved before taking further action against her.
Her state of mind during the incident was the subject of a play, Starcrosser’s Cut, which opened in Los Angeles on June 2013. There was pre-production on a film, Lucy in the Sky that was based on the events of her case in 2018.
Lisa Nowak Awards
She was awarded Defense Meritorious Service Medal, Navy Commendation Medal; Navy Achievement Medal; various other service awards.
Lisa Nowak Charges of attempted kidnapping at Orlando Airport
On February 4, 2007, she drove from Houston to Orlando. She packed took with her latex gloves, a black wig, pepper spray, a hooded tan trench coat a 2 lbs drilling hammer, black gloves, rubber tubing, plastic garbage bags, a BB pistol, and ammunition and roughly US$585 in cash and several other items before driving 900 miles to Florida.
She went to Orlando International Airport on February 5, 2007, waited for about an hour in the baggage claim, and then proceeded to the airport parking lot, where she located and confronted Colleen Shipman, who had just arrived from Houston by plane. She confronted Shipman and sprayed the pepper spray into her car. She was subsequently arrested at Orlando International Airport on charges of attempted kidnapping, battery, attempted vehicle burglary with battery, and destruction of evidence. And she was held without bail for elaborate planning, disguise, and weapon possession.
She petitioned the court to seal the record of her criminal proceedings, citing harm to her family and their livelihood in March 2011. On July 28, 2011, the motion was granted, Assistant Secretary of NavyJuan M. Garcia III said in a statement that Nowak would retire with an “other than honorable” discharge and her pay grade would be reduced one rank.
Lisa Nowak Contacts
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