AstroNut Gal a Product of Maryland & DC
Diaper-clad nutbucket Lisa Nowak isn't just proof that even America's astronauts are deranged creeps -- she's also a shining tribute to being born and raised in the DC metropolitan area!
Just five days ago, the Washingtonian published this nice feature about the hometown girl who grew up in Rockville and spent so many happy hours of her childhood at the Smithsonian Air & Space Museum, where she dreamed of being the monster from "Alien." There's also a chilling peek at Nowak's family dynamics. There is nothing more tragic than a child wishing his mom would blow up in space.
Nowak's mission aboard Discovery was NASA's second launch since the Columbia disaster in 2003. Nowak, a mother of three, was watching news coverage of the disaster with her son, Alexander, then 12.
Sitting with Alexander as smoke streamed across the screen, Nowak worried how he would react, but he took her hand and said, "Mom, I still want you to go."
Lisa Nowak: An Astronaut Reaching for the Stars [Washingtonian]
Earlier: Never Forget 2/6/07: The Day of the Astronaut Story