The 250 Mile High Club

Houston, we have a problem:

A NASA astronaut is being held without bail after police say she attacked her rival for another astronaut's attention at Orlando International Airport Monday.

Lisa Marie Nowak drove more than 12 hours from Texas to meet the 1 a.m. flight of a younger woman who had also been seeing the astronaut Nowak pined for, according to Orlando police.

Nowak -- who was a mission specialist on a Discovery launch last summer -- was wearing a trench coat and wig and had a knife, BB pistol, and latex gloves in her car, reports show. They also found diapers, which Nowak said she used so she wouldn't have to stop on the 1,000-mile drive. Reports show that after U.S. Air Force Capt. Colleen Shipman's flight arrived, Nowak followed her to the airport's Blue Lot for long-term parking, tried to get into Shipman's car and then doused her with pepper spray.

Nowak, 43, is charged with attempted kidnapping, battery, attempted vehicle burglary with battery and destruction of evidence. Police considered her such a danger that they requested she be held without bail in the Orange County Jail, reports show.

A married mother of three, Nowak told police that she was "involved in a relationship with," Bill Oefelein, another NASA astronaut, which she categorized as "more than a working relationship but less than a romantic relationship," according to the charging affidavit.

Oefelein, who piloted the most recent shuttle Discovery flight in December, could not be reached Monday night at home in Houston.

Sounds like she'll be watching future Shuttle launches on the communal TV - if she can convince the other inmates to tune to the NASA Channel.

Speaking of Shuttle astronauts (smooth segue alert), while brousing Barnes and Noble Friday night I found a book in the $1 bargain book pile that I'm really enjoying. What The Right Stuff did for the Mercury program, Riding Rockets does for the Shuttle program. It's written by Shuttle astronaut Mike Mullane, and although I've only read the first few chapters, I've laughed out loud more than once. Mullane is a good writer and his stories of childhood and his time in the Shuttle program are both informative and very funny. If you're a fan of the space program, or enjoy reading about the behind-the-scenes stuff that never makes it into the press, you'll enjoy it.