<div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Days after being rejected for an upcoming space flight, an American astronaut went on a cross-country trip in order to attack a romantic rival on </span><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/today-in-history" rel="" target="" title="February 4, 2007"><span>February 4, 2007</span></a><span>.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/technology/drunk-astronaut-claims-sabotage-embarrass-nasa/bf7910fc-aaf5-441e-a3cb-427c8847fa18" rel="" target="" title="Lisa Nowak"><span>Lisa Nowak</span></a><span> was in contention to be selected as a mission specialist for an upcoming space flight, which would be her second voyage to space.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>But she was passed over in favour of Stephanie Wilson.</span></div></div><div><div id="adspot-mobile-medium"></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><strong><span>READ MORE:</span></strong><span> </span><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/world/today-in-history-january-31-what-happened-on-this-day/8818560c-2d30-44c1-ab8a-e3c14e96f311"><strong><span>Bank robber brought undone by notorious Aussie traffic bottleneck</span></strong></a><span></span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Less than a week later, Nowak set out to attack the new partner of her former lover, astronaut William Oefelein.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>What seemed like an impulsive decision actually took a remarkable amount of preparation and commitment.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Nowak knew she needed to get to Orlando International Airport at 1pm when Air Force Captain Colleen Shipman would be landing.</span></div></div><div><div class="OUTBRAIN" data-reactroot="" data-src="//www.9news.com.au/world/today-in-history-february-4-what-happened-on-this-day-lisa-nowak/38253645-edc9-47db-b1b4-6edaa9accd2b" data-widget-id="AR_5"></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><strong><span>READ MORE:</span></strong><span> </span><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/world/today-in-history-january-29-what-happened-on-this-day/69d68b09-4491-4679-9c8e-cf7111c2e1d2"><strong><span>Teen girl's chilling reason for gunning down eight schoolchildren</span></strong></a><span></span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Shipman had been dating Oefelein for several months.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Equipped with a BB pistol, pepper spray, a drilling hammer, a knife and dressed in a trenchcoat and black wig, Nowak set out to intercept Shipman.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>She then drove 1550km from Houston to Orlando.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Nowak then cornered Shipman as she got in her car, then pepper-sprayed her.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Nowak was arrested and charged with attempted </span><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/world/today-in-history-january-22-what-happened-on-this-day-north-korea-kidnapping/b26411a8-bd6a-4dbb-8cd1-df7c2e6da9be" rel="" target="" title="kidnapping"><span>kidnapping</span></a><span>, attempted murder, battery, attempted vehicle burglary and destruction of evidence.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Shipman told police that Nowak had been stalking her for two months.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>During the police interrogation, the astronaut told police she had worn a diaper during her long drive so she wouldn't have to stop along the way.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><strong><span>READ MORE:</span></strong><span> </span><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/world/today-in-history-january-25-what-happened-on-this-day-avianca-flight-052/251ced8e-f7d2-4aea-8a67-be5948ff0ef1"><strong><span>Shock discovery when surgeons cut open plane crash survivor</span></strong></a><span></span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>She would later deny that story, but not after it became fodder for every late-night host in America.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>"As you know she went to court yesterday and was released on her own incontinence," Jay Leno remarked.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>The charges were later reduced in a plea deal, and she was sentenced to a year's probation.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Nowak would get divorced the following year. She was booted out of NASA and then the Navy.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Oefelein and Shipman married and moved to Alaska.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><strong><span>READ MORE:</span></strong><span> </span><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/national/today-in-history-september-21-lawrence-brewer-last-meal-request-what-happened-on-this-day/76bbf57c-cb30-4e52-9eb3-5a511bde9a43" target="" title="The last meal request that infuriated prison officials"><strong><span>The last meal request that infuriated prison officials</span></strong></a></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><strong></strong></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><strong><span>NEVER MISS A STORY: Get your breaking news and exclusive stories first by following us across all platforms.</span></strong></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><ul><li><p><strong><span>Download the 9NEWS App here via</span></strong><span> </span><a href="https://apps.apple.com/au/app/9news/id1010533727"><strong><span>Apple</span></strong></a><span> </span><strong><span>and</span></strong><span> </span><a href="https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=nineNewsAlerts.nine.com&amp;hl=en_AU&amp;pli=1"><strong><span>Google Play</span></strong></a></p></li><li><p><strong><span>Make 9News your preferred source on Google by</span></strong><span> </span><a href="https://www.google.com/preferences/source?q=9news.com.au"><strong><span>ticking this box here</span></strong></a><strong></strong></p><p><strong><span>Sign up to</span></strong><span> </span><a href="https://login.nine.com.au/edm?client_id=nineatnine" rel="" target="" title=""><strong><span>our breaking newsletter here</span></strong></a></p></li></ul></div></div>