Not surprisingly, NASA announced this week that it was dismissing astronaut Lisa Nowak. I’m sure you have no idea who I’m talking about.
Here’s the reason:
NASA requested an end to the detail because the agency lacks the administrative means to deal appropriately with the criminal charges pending against Nowak. Because Nowak is a naval officer on assignment to NASA, rather than a NASA civil servant, she is not subject to administrative action by NASA.
In other words, since Nowak is an active duty naval officer, stationed by the military, she doesn’t really report to them. Were she a civil servant, the agency would be able to put her on administrative leave, leave without pay or indefinite suspension until the charges are worked out. She’s the military’s problem now.
And in another strange twist, ABC News is publishing racy emails that Nowak’s love interest Bill Oefelein was sending to Colleen Shipman. Apparently Nowak had printouts of these emails as she made her marathon drive to confront Shipman.
Okay, that’s it, nothing more on this for a while from me, promise.
Original Source: NASA News Release