Nasa reassigns love triangle pilot

US space agency says Bill Oefelein will return to the navy with effect from June 1.

Astronaut William A Oefelein
Oefelein was the focus of attention of two rival lovers[EPA]

‘Lust in space’

Nowak, who was fired by Nasa on May 8, wore a wig and trench coat when she approached Colleen Shipman, an air force captain, at an airport parking lot and doused her with pepper spray, according to police.

The case captivated the US media, earning headlines such as  “Astronaughty,” “Space Oddity,” “Lust in Space,” and “Astronut.”

Nowak, a mother of three, is charged with attempted kidnapping, attempted burglary and battery for confronting Shipman.

Rostohar said: “The navy and Nasa mutually agreed to end his detail. Nasa determined his detail was no longer necessary.”

Oefelein, who according to his Nasa biography has two children and is now divorced, served as pilot on the space shuttle Discovery’s mission to the international space station in December 2006.

Court documents showed that Nowak began having an affair with Oefelein in 2004, when both were married.

Under strict military rules, Nowak and Oefelein could be court-martialed on charges of “conduct unbecoming an officer” for their extra-marital relationsip.

Nowak also faces life in prison if convicted on all charges in her trial that is set for September.

Source: News Agencies