'Diaper Lady' Shuttle Astronaut Strikes Plea Deal in Love Triangle Attack

The naval officer and former astronaut at the center of a bizarre love triangle has pleaded guilty to felony burglary of a car and misdemeanor battery.

Lisa Nowak, who rode the Shuttle Discovery to the International Space Station in 2006, allegedly drove nonstop from Texas to Orlando in February, 2007, to confront a woman who was seeing the same man -- William A. Oefelein, who was also an astronaut at the time.

Police say Nowak told them she wore diapers so she wouldn't have to visit any restrooms along the way. Then, dressed in a wig and trench coat, she pretended to be in need of help at the Orlando Airport as she flagged down Air Force Captain Colleen Shipman.

She allegedly sprayed Shipman with pepper spray, and was intent on kidnapping her... but Shipman managed to get away and call police... leading to some of NASA's strangest and most unwanted headlines.

The plea deal means Nowak will not serve any jail time beyond the two days she already spent in custody, and will have to take an anger management course and fulfill 50 hours of community service.

Nowak was a mission specialist on STS-121, a 2006 shuttle Discovery flight to the International Space Station. Until this incident, NASA had never fired any astronauts... but both Nowak and Oefelein were dismissed and reassigned to the Navy, and a new astronaut code of conduct was created. (Love, Sex & Marriage)

Photo © Orlando Police Department
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