The Baltimore Sun has got it so right today, in its coverage of the case of Lisa Nowak, the NASA astronaut who is charged with the attempted murder of Colleen Shipman. Nowak returned to Texas for a medical assessment, but at this stage, NASA has not clarified whether that assessment included a psychological evaluation.The newspaper highlighted the viewpoint of former NASA flight surgeon Jon Clark, who told CNN that NASA needs to have a stronger psychological and behavioural health support system for shuttle astronauts. While the legal focus revolves around the fact that Nowak posted $25,500 bail on Tuesday evening (US time), her immediate career is in limbo as NASA has put her on a 30-day leave and removed her from mission activities.
Clark, who lost his wife, astronaut Laurel Clark, in the 2003 Columbia disaster, told CNN that Nowak supported his family then and he supports her now. ``She was a mother before she was an astronaut. I mean, she really was into family life, and what's happened in the last few days has just been totally a shock. She is a really wonderful, good, caring person,’’ he said. "You have to find forgiveness and love in your heart to get her through this." His words provide a human counterpoint to a story that has completely dominated the international media.Speaking about the pressure on NASA’s shuttle astronauts, Clark said, ``They don't have to have any evaluation before or after a mission, and it is only when something catastrophic happens, does this ever even come to light.’’
The Baltimore Sun also refers to a NASA interview last year, just before Nowak’s Discovery mission. The mother of twin five-year-old girls and a teenage son spoke candidly about the strain her career placed on her family. ``It's a sacrifice for our own personal time and our families and the people around us,’’ she said. ``But I do think it's worth it because if you don't explore and take risks and go do all these things, then everything will stay the same.’’
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