Lisa Nowak: A Love Triangle by E-Mail
EmailIt was Henry L. Stimson, serving as Herbert Hoover’s Secretary of State, who famously said, "Gentlemen don’t read each other’s mail." That was 1929. Things have changed. The State Attorney’s office in the Lisa Nowak case has released 250 pages of documents, and they make for steamy reading. We’ve posted some text HERE. Most of what you’ll find are emails between Bill Oefelein, the fellow astronaut Nowak allegedly pined for, and Colleen Shipman, the Air Force captain he was seeing even before he broke up with Nowak. You read right. Oefelein tells investigators that he did indeed have an affair with Nowak, starting in 2004. That apparently contradics her version, back in February, that their relationship, while "more than professional," was less than romantic. "Bill is absolutely the best person I’ve ever known and I love him more than I knew possible," Nowak wrote in a letter to Oefelein’s mother. Take a look, as well, at Gina Sunseri’s REPORT on the case. She says there’s no suggestion of past psychiatric treatments, drug use, previous arrests–just dysfunctional relatonships, marriages in tatters, and badly-hurt feelings. (Some of you had wondered before.) As with so many tawdry cases, you almost can’t help watching. Thoughts, as always, are welcome.
(Nowak in happier days on board STS-121. NASA photo.)
Space Station Flies Over Eastern U.S. at Night 
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The link to the “Orlando Sentinel” didn’t work for me, I’m afraid, so I can’t comment on the e-mails which were sent. (Although, I certainly agree with you that this entire affair–no pun intended–almost demands attention.) I wonder what Sec’y. Stimson would have thought about reading another’s e-mails….
Posted by: chuck | March 6, 2007, 3:30 pm 3:30 pm
Take a look again. We’ve posted text of the e-mails ourselves. Thanks.
–NP
Posted by: Ned Potter | March 6, 2007, 3:38 pm 3:38 pm
Does this whole incident prove that Lisa Nowak is a living, breathing and feeling human being not a robot? Let the one without fault cast the first stone.
Posted by: J | March 6, 2007, 6:14 pm 6:14 pm
Astronauts, both male and female, American and foreign, are reknowned for ignoring their marriage vows and/or dumping their spouses. It has been going since there have been astronauts.
Those of us with a connection to NASA in Houston and, no doubt anyone connected with a space agency who interacts with the astronauts pretty much know this.
No doubt, there have been many salacious incidents involving jilted astronaut lovers that has never been exposed.
But here is my question. Why would Oefelein wait until after Nowak left her husband and family to dump her? How could he think that she would be “OK” with that. Was he that stupid or that arrogant?
Posted by: Me | March 6, 2007, 8:41 pm 8:41 pm
I think the extensive media coverage of this event has more to do with our misperception–still hanging around since the days of the Mercury Seven–that insists on viewing astronauts as invincible & extraordinary, rather than what they are: ordinary humans with exceptional brains, a great deal of drive, and normal human emotions.
Posted by: Laura | March 7, 2007, 1:21 am 1:21 am
Thanks for the corrected link, Ned. After reading a few of the e-mails, I have to conclude that this sad story–not without many aspects of soap opera–is unfortunate in that it upset several lives and not just those who were involved in the affair. I suppose humans are still ruled by their passions.
Posted by: chuck | March 7, 2007, 8:15 am 8:15 am
The case for astronauts-as-human-beings aside, they really should realize that as celebrities, more or less, they’re in the public eye all the time. I would think they’d exercise a little more discretion in their personal relationships. I have no moral qualms or concerns about the whole event, but I do have to wonder why they’d use the government’s email system to express their regards for each other. Cell phones and text messaging would seem to be a little less public.
Posted by: Andy | March 7, 2007, 9:34 am 9:34 am
I wonder if the potential for some kind of astronaut meltdown is the driving reason behind having such a large pool of astronauts? Someone who seems relatively stable might develop some cracks in the armor when placed into the hypercompetitive astronaut life.
Posted by: Greg | March 7, 2007, 11:10 am 11:10 am
Let’s get back to science.
Posted by: Jim | March 7, 2007, 12:53 pm 12:53 pm
Note from Ned–
Jim, I agree. I’ve been working on other subjects; one is on World News this evening.
Posted by: Ned Potter | March 7, 2007, 6:22 pm 6:22 pm