NASA Awards Lisa Nowak Medal

Here is a SpaceRef link.

Now that she and Billy O are "gone" to pursue other interests back to the Navy? Yikes! I thought it was dodgey having Martha Stewart (convicted federal criminal working with NASA)... now I find they award alleged criminals medals for space flight... no medal for Billy O tho'.

I hope that tank repair works out OK for the launch on the 8th.

Cheers,

Vic

[edit on 31-5-2007 by V Kaminski]

Wow, I don't whether to laugh or cry.

It kind of reminds me of Bush giving the medal of freedom to CIA Director Tenet.

Whether she snapped or not, she still earned the award. She spent 13 days in space, and helped with the ISS resupply. Just because she became an obsessed stalker is no reason to deny her the award. Plenty of other people who DIDN'T deserve awards have gotten them, so why shouldn't she?

The awards ceremony is on the 5th of June. I wonder if she'll attend in person? Her bail conditions may prevent that? If NASA makes the ceremony available I will try and capture it for posterity.

Yes, NASA gives out many, many awards and medals - some undeservedly according to the previous poster. I can't say I disagree.

Vic

[edit on 31-5-2007 by V Kaminski]

Originally posted by V Kaminski
The awards ceremony is on the 5th of June. I wonder if she'll attend in person? Her bail conditions may prevent that? If NASA makes the ceremony available I will try and capture it for posterity.

Well one thing's for sure.

Even if it's a Really, really, really long ceremony...

She'll have no trouble sitting through it.

Well June 5th has come and gone so I guess she is in receipt of this medal at this time June 6th 2007.



So me, curious-type, go looking eh. Want some fun? Go to NASA.gov and use the search feature, now try google news... anything to do with Nowak. Nothing since the 4th of June... 'things that make you go Hmmm, Did the ceremony "happen"? Was she there? Is there a news "black-out" since the 4th of June on this subject? At NASA? Elsewhere?

She has plead innocent. Billy-O started his new job at Norfolk Network Warfare Command on June 1st. Second Lt. Colleen "the Queen" Shipman is of interest if one goes to U Penn. at one time you could find 2 Lt. Shipman listed on a page that has a "too unusual" background art not to be noticed here.

What happens to NASA if another shuttle has a "crit-one" malfunction? Hmmm.

Pilot like Billy-O might come in handy for US covert space OP's?

Vic

EDIT: Just "in" ISS spacewalkers Yurchikin and Kotov have just discovered a previously unknown 6mm (quater inch) meteoroid hole in an unshielded portion of PMA-1 or PMA-2 (Pressurized Mating Adapter) which are used for docking and not exactly a replacable component. They took some pics.

[edit on 6-6-2007 by V Kaminski]

Just an update on the Lisa Nowak story.

Investigations: Discovery just ran a program on her entitled:

An Astronaut Scorned: The Lisa Nowak Story

For one thing, NASA appears to have not abandoned her during the ordeal and sent two astronauts to be with her during the sentencing.

She is still wearing a bracelet and she is telecommuting with the Navy command to which she has been reassigned, doing computer work.

I couldn't find out how old this program is, it could be last year. If so, I apologize for that.

Mainly wanted to mention that I thought NASA reacted fairly well. It did not court martial either of them, though the code in the Navy is reportedly VERY strict on fraternization from what they said.

The Astronaut service requires driven and focused people. Sometimes these very traits can get us in trouble if something doesn't go right.

I'm not sure what happened to the Pilot. He was mentioned, but I didn't catch it. I think he was returned to the Navy.

The reason NASA had to dismiss her was stated that she had a felony on her record, and that with it, you can't pass a background check.

They mentioned that a lot of people still liked and respected her because she had done a lot of good and a lot of good deeds around NASA before this.

I think what I would have liked to see happen is with the permission of all the parties and the woman who was the target, have the President pardon her, citing, maybe the stresses of the command, then have NASA keep her on for a while as a consultant, and get some debriefing from her. Sometimes these people can make great counselors.

Then she could have elected to move to another position.

Since she didn't really accomplish any of her 'intentions', I don't think they needed to punish her this much. My thought may be naive, I don't know. Obviously if she was psychologically diminished then they had to fire her. But by being in the counselor position, she could self-heal and could've kept an eye on her. I just consider Astronauts a special breed and deserve special breaks now and then.


Anyway, hope this of interest. Sorry if it's outdated, but this is the first I've seen this.


[edit on 7-3-2008 by Badge01]

reply to post by V Kaminski


All I remember about Lisa Nowak is that she wore a NASA diaper on a 18 hour car drive; stopping only for fuel. I laughed then; and now realize that a journey like that does deserve a medal.

reply to post by websurfer


But who among us hasn't worn a diaper?

I must say I lurve your Avatar; stellar! If not for inappropriate use of the semicolon, you'd be perfect.

Which vessel is that?