Astronaut charged with attempted kidnapping

[Moonbear]

People change. Apparently after being accepted as an astronaut, a process which includes psychological screening/testing, no further psych tests are performed. Rather, one is subsequently evaluated on performance.

Hmm...it seems it's a profession where they should have ongoing psychological/neurological evaluations (the two would be complementary). Not that I'd expect them to typically screen for jealousy, but more to watch for any changes at all. It must be stressful preparing for missions with the intensity of training, living in close quarters during missions, and then returning to semi-celebrity status, in addition to the physical stresses on the body that could have an impact on mental functioning. It just seems that with all the physical requirements of the job, they shouldn't be leaving the brain out of their checkups, especially within 6 months of a spaceflight.

 

[Astronuc]

Hmm...it seems it's a profession where they should have ongoing psychological/neurological evaluations (the two would be complementary). Not that I'd expect them to typically screen for jealousy, but more to watch for any changes at all. It must be stressful preparing for missions with the intensity of training, living in close quarters during missions, and then returning to semi-celebrity status, in addition to the physical stresses on the body that could have an impact on mental functioning. It just seems that with all the physical requirements of the job, they shouldn't be leaving the brain out of their checkups, especially within 6 months of a spaceflight.

Lauch and re-entry put major stress on the body, particularly tissues like the brain. Add to this, radiation in space, particularly at ISS. Add to this stress from everyday life including home and work.

Presumably Nowak will be evaluated and I would expect that her attorney(s) will consider an insanity defense.

I knew a professor at university whose behavior was questionable. Turned out he had a brain tumor. The tumor was removed and he was a completely different person.

When I was a grad student, one of the students I taught had suffered damage to his frontal lobe (caused by going through the windshield of his car). His behavior was erratic, and he eventually disappeared.

I think NASA needs to do periodic CAT (or PET) scans.

 

[Moonbear]

Lauch and re-entry put major stress on the body, particularly tissues like the brain. Add to this, radiation in space, particularly at ISS. Add to this stress from everyday life including home and work.

Exactly. And, upon return to Earth, orthostatic intolerance is a very common problem (inability to stand on their own, and fainting when standing upright). This occurs even after short space flights. The body is slow to recover from the effects of gravity on blood, and other fluid, distribution through the body. In space, there is a shift of blood up into the upper body and head and away from the extremities, and upon return to Earth, the shift is back out to the extremities and the heart doesn't sufficiently keep up with the shift to keep enough blood supply to the head, so fainting occurs. I've been told by someone who worked for NASA that this is the one area where a sex difference occurs in physiological responses to space flight too, and it's the women who experience more symptoms of this problem (i.e., more fainting episodes). I remembered that because I would have predicted the sex difference would be in the opposite direction...my prediction would have been that women naturally experience dramatic shifts in fluid balance during pregnancy, so would have better adaptation to those shifts than men...so it really stuck in my mind upon hearing the women were less able to adapt than the men in that case. That sort of shift in blood/nutrient/oxygen supply to the brain sure sounds like something with potential to cause any number of neurological problems...stroke, focal ischemia, etc. It just makes no sense not to monitor for pscyhological symptoms.

Presumably Nowak will be evaluated and I would expect that her attorney(s) will consider an insanity defense.

It's hard to imagine any scenario where an insanity defense wouldn't be considered in this case.

I knew a professor at university whose behavior was questionable. Turned out he had a brain tumor. The tumor was removed and he was a completely different person.

When I was a grad student, one of the students I taught had suffered damage to his frontal lobe (caused by going through the windshield of his car). His behavior was erratic, and he eventually disappeared.

I think NASA needs to do periodic CAT (or PET) scans.

Absolutely. Even a very small area of damage, if just in the right place, can cause drastic behavioral changes. In cases of ischemia, the tissue damage that occurs from oxygen deprivation can even continue spreading for a short time after the initial injury due to signals from the dying cells affecting those around them. So, they might appear fine in an initial post-flight exam, but if examined a month later, the full extent of the damage may be more evident.

 

[turbo]

A new development - because of the nature of the weaponry she had in her possession, the charges have been elevated from attempted kidnapping to attempted 1st degree murder, attempted kidnapping, and three other charges.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20070207/ap_on_re_us/astronaut_arrested;_ylt=AnZYlJiRp41NkW2PcUPdDv_MWM0F

 

[Reshma]

I just read the news this morning, very hilarous and sad for most part. Wonder what ticked her off like that?

 

[Astronuc]

Interesting comment in the article - of course in retrospect.

But there were signs that not everything was right in her life.

In November, a neighbor reported hearing the sounds of dishes being thrown inside Nowak's Houston-area home, and the police came. And weeks ago, Nowak and her husband separated after 19 years.

I am greatly saddened for the children.

 

[Astronuc]

I just read the news this morning, very hilarous and sad for most part. Wonder what ticked her off like that?

A failing or failed marriage is one of the biggest stresses that a person can face. The others are the loss of a job and the death of one's loved one (spouse or significant other, child, parent, . . .)

 

[mathwonk]

i thought it said astronuc charged with kidnapping! i was ready to be a character witness.

 

[grant9076]

Lauch and re-entry put major stress on the body, particularly tissues like the brain. Add to this, radiation in space, particularly at ISS. Add to this stress from everyday life including home and work.

Presumably Nowak will be evaluated and I would expect that her attorney(s) will consider an insanity defense.

I knew a professor at university whose behavior was questionable. Turned out he had a brain tumor. The tumor was removed and he was a completely different person.

When I was a grad student, one of the students I taught had suffered damage to his frontal lobe (caused by going through the windshield of his car). His behavior was erratic, and he eventually disappeared.

I think NASA needs to do periodic CAT (or PET) scans.

I definitely agree that brain scans are warranted. However, I can understand why NASA did not believe that they were necessary. The overwhelming complexity of the training missions are such that even a slight lapse in mental ability will glaringly show itself in job performance. Therefore, I would definitely understand if NASA considered job performance as an indicator of mental competence.

Also, there is another factor that I don't remember being mentioned on this thread, and that factor is moral character. Unfortunately, this is very difficult to analyze unless the person has a history of doing something bad. The truth is that although she was stressed, she could perform her job quite well and was able to plan a kidnapping and (possibly) a murder in great detail. Truly saddening.

 

[Astronuc]

i thought it said astronuc charged with kidnapping! i was ready to be a character witness.

Thanks, mathwonk.

 

[Astronuc]

Meanwhile, back at the space center -

NASA will begin a review of its psychological screening for astronauts, NASA said Wednesday -- a day after astronaut Lisa Nowak was charged with attempting to murder a love rival. Meanwhile, Nowak was having a medical evaluation, which would also include a psychological evaluation, NASA said.

http://www.cnn.com/2007/US/02/07/astronaut.arrested/index.html Ya think?

ORLANDO, Florida (CNN) -- NASA officials said Wednesday it will review psychological screening assessments of astronauts after the recent arrest of Lisa Nowak, who is charged with attempted first degree murder.

The space agency will determine if there are "lessons to be learned" from the incident involving Nowak and determine if modifications need to be made, according to NASA deputy administrator Shana Dale.

Dale told a news conference that NASA will review criteria for screening astronauts for the program and look at how often they are evaluated throughout their career. They also will review procedures to determine if any changes need to be made.

Astronaut Nowak was taken to the Johnson Space Center in Houston Wednesday for a medical evaluation, which would also include a psychological evaluation, NASA said.

Nowak and Shipman were both "in a relationship" with Navy Cmdr. Bill Oefelein, another astronaut, according to a police report of the incident.

Nowak told police her relationship with Oefelein was "more than a working relationship and less than a romantic relationship."

Hmmmm. Someone has some 'splainin' to do.

I seem to remember that 'three is a crowd', but then that was before Three's Company.

 

[DaveC426913]

Just saw a clip on the news.

She's hiding herself under a coat.

NewsFlash Lisa:

You're a freakin' astronaut!

 

[Cyrus]

Dave..

Now NASA has to pay the price due to her stupidity.

 

[Garth]

As least we all now know the answer to that really important question; "How do you go to the bathroom in space?"

Garth

 

[zoobyshoe]

It sounds to me like she used the diapers herself?

Yeah, I misread the other article. She told the police the diapers were for her own use on the drive there. If true, it almost makes her seem crazier than if she intended them for the victim.

 

[Astronuc]

hahaha... Sarcasm from an American..

I was tempted to say something about a "Desperate Housewife" - but I held off. And they say TV doesn't have an influence.

 

[BobG]

Yeah, I misread the other article. She told the police the diapers were for her own use on the drive there. If true, it almost makes her seem crazier than if she intended them for the victim.

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/17034568/site/newsweek/ . In fact, better disposable diapers and female hygeine products are a couple of the spinoff benefits of the manned space program. The technology used by diapers like Huggies (baby diapers) and Depends (adult diapers) was originally developed by NASA.

As an aside, is it wrong to teach your kids to switch a box of adult diapers in for a box of baby diapers in distracted strangers shopping carts?

 

[dontdisturbmycircles]

Driving in diapers so you don't have to make pit stops? cmon now... lol

Maybe if you are 60.

I can understand that she was used to the idea from her space travel endeavours, but it's still odd in my mind. :P

Edit: Those NASA diapers seem pretty technologically advanced. Did anyone watch the Daily show last night?

 

[BobG]

Driving in diapers so you don't have to make pit stops? cmon now... lol

Maybe if you are 60.

I can understand that she was used to the idea from her space travel endeavours, but it's still odd in my mind. :P

Edit: Those NASA diapers seem pretty technologically advanced. Did anyone watch the Daily show last night?

Just poor marketing. Depends is clearly missing a significant demographic. If Depends and Nowak were smart, they'd quickly get a TV commercial done - Nowak (or more appropriately, Nowak's lawyer) would probably appreciate a little extra money right now.

I would think there'd be a huge market for Depends among ultra-marathoners, riders in the Tour d'France, truck drivers ...

And best yet is for those nights at the pub. How often have you come back to your buddies only to hear the refrain, "On your feet, lose your seat!"

 

[tehno]

Driving in diapers so you don't have to make pit stops? cmon now... lol

Maybe if you are 60.

Mature lady astronaut. :!) :

 

[Math Is Hard]

As an aside, is it wrong to teach your kids to switch a box of adult diapers in for a box of baby diapers in distracted strangers shopping carts?

Not at all. I bet you're such a fun dad!

 

[Ivan Seeking]

Now NASA has to pay the price due to her stupidity.

Hers, hers, and his stupidity. From what I understand they could all be in big trouble for fraternizing... well. big trouble by most standards anyway. From Nowaks pov it may not seem like much.

It turns out that Oefelein is an OSU EE grad.

 

[BobG]

Hers, hers, and his stupidity. From what I understand they could all be in big trouble for fraternizing... well. big trouble by most standards anyway. From Nowaks pov it may not seem like much.

It turns out that Oefelein is an OSU EE grad.

I'm not sure they would get into trouble for fraternizing. Technically, I guess Nowak could get into trouble for adultery, but she's separated, even if not divorced, so it would be kind of unlikely.

The rules are different for each branch of the service (surprisingly), but all three were officers. Fraternization is between officers and enlisted, and in some branches of the service, only when the officer and enlisted are in the same chain of command. In fact, there's tons of loopholes even in the branches that forbid any officer/enlisted fraternization.

An enlisted completing college can apply to become an officer and many do. Being married to another enlisted member isn't even a factor in whether they are accepted in Officer Candidate School. Suddenly discovering the newly commissioned officer is fraternizing with an enlisted member would be pretty disingenious at that point.

While it's kind of encouraged that one member get out of the service if one's an officer and one's an enlisted, neither are forced out. A person who's more than half way to retirement eligibiliity isn't going to get out just because their spouse earned a commission. The couple just won't be assigned to the same unit.

Of course, in Oefelein's case, I wouldn't expect him to be selected for any more missions. He isn't very good PR for NASA regardless of whether he had any fault in this.

 

[BobG]

Is nothing too low to resort to just to get a cheap laugh?

http://www.pugbus.net/artman/publish/20070208_22_nowakdepends.shtml

“Lisa has opened a whole new demographic for us,” confirmed a secret company source. “Up to now we've just been focusing on the incontinence issue, but now we have the gal-on-the-go angle. We see a whole Lady Depends product line in the making.”

 

[Astronuc]

Did anyone watch the Daily show last night?

Watching it now.

I agree with Stewart - why did this story catch the media's lack of imagination? Well this story does have everything - sex, diapers, crime, astronauts - and it does seem like it did come out of a 24 hr news improv group (I'd add sleep deprivation or caffeine withdrawal). And I agree that this is up there with the story about Cheney shooting an acquaintaince.

Good point by Riggle - it does have kids talking about the space program again.

Someone on FOX News actually asked "would it be unusual for an astronaut to drive 900 miles during the middle of the week?" Hmmmmm.

And I'm going to have to talk FOX News and Daily News about Astro-nut. That is just too close!

 

[Cyrus]

Hers, hers, and his stupidity. From what I understand they could all be in big trouble for fraternizing... well. big trouble by most standards anyway. From Nowaks pov it may not seem like much.

It turns out that Oefelein is an OSU EE grad.

I can one up you. Nowak is from MD...

 

[Ivan Seeking]

I raise you a Tonya Harding.

 

[Astronuc]

I can one up you. Nowak is from MD...

Texas - Florida - Maryland. Hmmmm. Another triangle.

GW Bush is from Texas and now in Washington DC, which is bordered on 3 sides by Maryland. Jeb Bush, GW's brother, also from Texas, was the governor of Florida until Jan 2, 2007. Not that there is any significance to these coincidences.

Maybe Florida is just the apex of weirdness at the moment.