William Oefelein

Bill Oefelein
Oefelein in 2003
Born
William Anthony Oefelein

(1965-03-29) March 29, 1965 (age 59)
EducationOregon State University (BS)
University of Tennessee, Tullahoma (MS)
Space career
NASA astronaut
RankCommander, USN
Time in space
12d 20h 45m[1]
SelectionNASA Group 17 (1998)
MissionsSTS-116
Mission insignia

William Anthony "Bill" Oefelein (/ˈfɛln/; born March 29, 1965) is an American freelance adventure writer and photographer and former NASA astronaut who, on his only spaceflight, piloted the STS-116 Space Shuttle mission.[2]

Oefelein gained media attention on February 5, 2007, when fellow astronaut Lisa Nowak was arrested in Florida and charged with attempting to kidnap his girlfriend, U.S. Air Force Captain Colleen Shipman. Nowak later pleaded guilty to felony burglary and misdemeanor battery. Oefelein admitted to a two-year affair with Nowak, and he and Nowak became the first astronauts ever dismissed from NASA. Following the dismissals, NASA created its first astronaut Code of Conduct.[3]

  1. ^ "Mission Information | STS-116". NASA. April 2, 2008. Retrieved December 14, 2010.
  2. ^ Oefelein, William A. (February 1, 2009). "Billy O's Bio". Adventure Write. Archived from the original on March 4, 2009. Retrieved January 19, 2009.
  3. ^ "Ex-Astronaut Nowak Pleads Guilty". KPRC-TV. November 10, 2009. Archived from the original on November 12, 2009. Retrieved January 8, 2010.