Nowak Saga Update
Astronaut takes leave to join victim of alleged attack, Houston Chronicle
“Astronaut Bill Oefelein has taken a leave from NASA’s Johnson Space Center in Houston to join girlfriend Colleen Shipman in Florida following the alleged attack on her by astronaut Lisa Nowak, a space agency official said Thursday.”
Nowak’s lawyer gains reputation as ‘smart and aggressive’,Orlando Sentinel
“Donald Lykkebak doesn’t shy from high-profile cases. So it was no surprise to see him in court Tuesday representing Lisa Marie Nowak, the NASA astronaut accused of attempted murder. In his 36-year legal career, the prominent lawyer has represented defendants accused of selling missiles to Middle Eastern countries, a Disney executive’s wife accused of stealing $1 million and a 540-pound man who claimed obesity drove him to traffic in cocaine.”
Life after space often a challenge, USA Today
“Nowak’s arrest Monday on attempted murder and other charges has drawn attention to the pressures on America’s astronauts. All cope with exhausting schedules and the deflation of literally coming down to Earth after a flight. Female astronauts face extra difficulties in balancing work and family, a struggle heightened by the unusual nature of the job.”
Former NASA doctor says agency must do more, MSNBC
“NASA’s failure in this area has always been an overreliance on astronaut’s own assessment of their mental health and their inability to recognize that interpersonal issues, stress and psychological factors can have a profound impact on performance. This reticence to submit to formal psychological support programs can lead, [Veteran NASA flight surgeon and professional psychiatrist Patricia] Santy argues, to a worrisome practice secret, private counseling shielded from NASA.”
Fit For Flight?, Newsweek
NASA has announced that it will be conducting a review of its psychological screening and evaluation procedures. What would you recommend the agency do differently?
“… I see the news coming out with headlines like “Lust in Space” or “Astronuts,” I certainly would be reluctant to reveal an interpersonal issue, and I can certainly imagine why astronauts would be reluctant to reveal that when it jeopardizes their flight status. Those are the kinds of attitudes that need to be changed.”