Lisa Nowak life and biography

Lisa Marie Nowak, née Caputo is a United States naval officer and a former NASA astronaut. Lisa Nowak was born May 10, 1963, in Washington, D.C. to Alfredo and Jane Caputo. Her parents reside in Rockville, Maryland.

After graduating from C.W. Woodward High School, Rockville, Maryland, in 1981, Lisa received a bachelor of science degree in aerospace engineering from the U.S. Naval Academy in 1985, when she also received her commission. After receiving her commission Lisa was assigned temporary duty and from June to November 1985 she provided engineering support for the JSC’s Shuttle Training Aircraft Branch at Ellington, Texas. After the six months of temporary duty, she reported to flight school, earning her wings as a Naval Flight Officer in June 1987, followed by Electronic Warfare School at Corry Station, Florida, and initial A-7 training at Naval Air Station Lemoore, California.

Having met Richard Nowak at the U.S. Naval Academy, where they were classmates, the pair wed in 1988.

Meanwhile, Lisa Nowak was assigned to Electronic Warfare Aggressor Squadron 34 at Point Mugu, California, where she flew EA-7L and ERA-3B aircraft, supporting the fleet in small and large-scale exercises with jamming and missile profiles. While assigned to the squadron, she qualified as Mission Commander and EW Lead.

In 1992, Lisa Nowak completed two years of graduate studies at the U.S. Naval Postgraduate School in Monterey, CA, where she earned a master of science degree in aeronautical engineering and a degree of aeronautical and astronautical engineer from. She began working at the Systems Engineering Test Directorate at Patuxent River, Maryland.

In 1993, she was selected for both Aerospace Engineering Duty and U.S. Naval Test Pilot School. After graduation in June 1994, she stayed at Patuxent River working as an aircraft systems project officer at the Air Combat Environment Test and Evaluation Facility and at Strike Aircraft Test Squadron, flying the F/A-18 and EA-6B. Nowak was then assigned to the Naval Air Systems Command, working on acquisition of new systems for naval aircraft, when she was selected for the astronaut program by NASA in April 1996.

She reported to the Johnson Space Center in August of that year. After completed two years of training and evaluation, she became qualified for flight assignment as a mission specialist. Initially assigned technical duties in the Astronaut Office Operations Planning Branch, she also served in the Astronaut Office Robotics Branch and in the CAPCOM Branch, working in Mission Control as prime communicator with on-orbit crews.

STS-121 (July 4-17, 2006), was a return-to-flight test mission and assembly flight to the International Space Station. Lisa Nowak flew as a mission specialist on STS-121. During the 13-day flight the crew of Space Shuttle Discovery tested new equipment and procedures that increase the safety of space shuttles, repaired a rail car on the International Space Station and produced never-before-seen, high-resolution images of the Shuttle during and after its July 4th launch. Nowak was responsible for operating the remote arm during scheduled EVAs. The crew also performed maintenance on the space station and delivered and transferred more than 28,000 pounds of supplies and equipment, and a new Expedition 13 crew member to the station. The mission was accomplished in 306 hours, 37 minutes and 54 seconds.

Lisa Nowak has logged over 1,500 flight hours in more than 30 different aircraft and has logged almost 13 days in space. She enjoys bicycling, running, skeet, sailing, gourmet cooking, rubber stamps, crossword puzzles, piano, and African violets. As an undergraduate she competed on the track team. She belongs to the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics, the U.S. Naval Academy Alumni Association and Tau Beta Pi Engineering Society. Lisa has received the Defense Meritorious Service Medal, a Navy Commendation Medal, a Navy Achievement Medal and various other service awards.

In February of 2007, Lisa Nowak was arrested and eventually charged with attempted attempted kidnapping and burglary with assault, in what appears to be a love triangle with fellow astronaut, Navy Commander Bill Oefelein and her alleged victim, Air Force Captain Colleen Shipman.

On March 8, 2007, NASA terminated Lisa Nowak as an astronaut and she returned to navy duty.

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