Navy recommends discharge for former astronaut

A Navy panel recommended on Thursday the service discharge former NASA astronaut Lisa Nowak, who is currently serving one year of probation for third-degree felony burglary and misdemeanor battery conviction, Fox News reported Friday.

The discharge will not be final until the Naval Personnel Command and the Navy secretary approve the recommendation. The panel recommended a discharge of "other than honorable."

Nowak's convictions were the result of an encounter with a romantic rival in 2007. Nowak was in love with William Oefelein, a fellow astronaut, and believed Coleen Shipman was romantically involved with Oefelein. Nowak drove from Houston, Texas, where she worked at the Lyndon B. Johnson Space Center, to the airport in Orlando, Fla., to confront Shipman about the alleged relationship. Nowak wore a diaper during the drive so she did not have to stop to use the restroom.

Wearing a trench coat and wig, Nowak confronted Shipman as she got into her car in Orlando and sprayed pepper spray at her through the open window. Authorities later found a BB gun, a steel mallet, folding knife, rubber tubing and plastic garbage bags in Nowak's possession.

Nowak, born and raised in the Washington, D.C. area, earned her bachelor's degree at the U.S. Naval Academy and her master's degree at the U.S. Naval Postgraduate School.