William Oefelein

Infobox Astronaut
name =William Oefelein

---

type =NASA Astronaut
status =Dismissed, re-assigned to US Navy
nationality =American
date_birth =birth date and age|1965|3|29
place_birth =Fort Belvoir, Virginia
occupation =Pilot
rank =Commander, USN
selection =1998 NASA Group
time =12d 20h 51m
mission =STS-116
insignia =|

William Anthony "Bill" Oefelein (IPA pronunciation: 'oʊfɛlaɪn,) (born March 29, 1965) is an American Naval officer and former NASA astronaut. He flew as pilot of the STS-116 space shuttle mission.

Early life and education

Oefelein was born in Fort Belvoir, Virginia, but grew up in Anchorage, Alaska, where he flew float planes. He earned a B.S. in electrical engineering from Oregon State University, where he became a member of Sigma Alpha Epsilon, and, ten years later, a master's degree from the University of Tennessee Space Institute.

Military career

In 1988, Oefelein received his commission as an ensign in the United States Navy from Naval Aviation Officer Candidate School in Pensacola, Florida. He entered flight training in Texas in 1989 and was designated a Naval Aviator in September 1990. His early assignments included overseas deployments to the Persian Gulf as a fighter pilot. After attending TOPGUN, the Navy Fighter Weapons School, Oefelein graduated in 1995 from the Navy's test-pilot school at Patuxent River, Md., where he later taught. In 1998, he was working as a strike-operations officer for a carrier wing in Virginia.

NASA announced Oefelein's departure from the space agency on May 23, 2007, stating he would be reassigned to the U.S. Navy. [ [http://www.brisbanetimes.com.au/news/world/space-shuttle-pilot-at-centre-of-nasa-love-triangle-quits/2007/05/26/1179601736701.html Space shuttle pilot at centre of NASA love triangle quits] ] He was assigned by the Navy to the Naval Network Warfare Command in Norfolk, Virginia.

NASA career

In the middle of his military career, Oefelein got the call telling him that he had been selected to join NASA's astronaut corps. After 2 years of training and evaluation, he qualified for an assignment as a space flight pilot. He was initially assigned technical duties in the Astronaut Office Advanced Vehicles Branch and Capsule Communicator (CAPCOM) Branch. Oefelein completed his only mission as pilot on STS-116 and logged over 308 hours in space. [ [http://www.jsc.nasa.gov/Bios/htmlbios/oefelein.html NASA biography] ] [ [http://www.nasa.gov/home/hqnews/1998/98-097a.txt 1998 Astronaut Candidates] ] [ [http://www.jsc.nasa.gov/Bios/htmlbios/oefelein.html NASA biography] ] [ [http://www.spacefacts.de/bios/astronauts/english/oefelein_william.htm Spacefacts biography of William Oefelein] ] [ [http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/shuttle/shuttlemissions/sts116/oefelein_blog.html NASA - Bill Oefelein's STS-116 Mission Blog] ] [ [http://www.nasa.gov/home/hqnews/1998/98-097a.txt NASA biography from 1998] ] [ [http://www.akastronaut.org/index.html From the Last to the Final Frontier - An Alaskan in Outer Space] ] [ [http://www.zimbio.com/William+Oefelein/articles/7/Statement+Regarding+William+Oefelein+Departure Statement Regarding William Oefelein's Departure from NASA] ]

NASA dismissed Oefelein from the Astronaut Corp in June 2007 and he was return to active duty service in the Navy. [ [http://www.smh.com.au/news/world/space-shuttle-pilot-at-centre-of-nasa-love-triangle-quits/2007/05/26/1179601736701.html Space shuttle pilot at centre of NASA love triangle quits] May 27, 2007] [cite news|last=|first=|coauthors=
title=Male astronaut in love triangle to leave NASA|work=|pages=|language=
publisher=Gannett News Service|date=2007-05-29
url=http://www.navytimes.com/news/2007/05/gns_astronaut_070529/|accessdate=2007-05-30] [ [http://www.space.com/news/070526_oefelein_reassign.html Man in Love Triangle to leave NASA] 26 May 2007]

Relationship with Lisa Nowak

Lisa Nowak met Oefelein in 1996 and they became friends about two years later while training together as astronauts at NASA. [http://www.topix.net/content/trb/0852579217076525673222451760091657769088 Love notes shed light on astronaut assault case] , Orlando Sentinel, March 05, 2007] On February 5, 2007 Nowak was arrested at the Orlando International Airport following an alleged assault on US Air Force Captain Colleen Shipman. At the time of Nowak's arrest, she described her relationship with Oefelein as "more than a working relationship but less than a romantic relationship." [cite news | last=Liston | first=Barbara | url=http://news.monstersandcritics.com/usa/news/article_1256658.php/Astronaut_in_bizarre_kidnap_plot_in_Florida_court | title=Astronaut in bizarre kidnap plot in Florida court | publisher=Reuters | date=2007-02-06 | accessdate=2007-02-06] Reportedly, Oefelein later revealed more information about his relationship with Nowak, when he reportedly told detectives that he had a two-year relationship with Nowak, which he ended sometime after he started dating Shipman. "I would [have] never predicted this," Oefelein reportedly told a detective, "She had actually wished me a nice weekend, knowing Colleen was gonna spend it with me."

Oefelein had reportedly provided Nowak with a cell phone to communicate with him. Phone records show that she called him 15 times the day after he returned from his shuttle flight on December 22, but he did not pick up until December 24, when they had a seven-minute conversation. During December and January, over 100 calls were recorded, though it is unclear who called whom. Although Oefelein had reportedly stated that he had broken off the relationship with Nowak, he had also reportedly stated that he had her to lunch in his apartment at least once in January 2007, and that they continued to train for a bicycle race, and go to the gym together. [cite news|last= Sunseri|first= Gina|coauthors=
title=Ex-astronaut Lisa Nowak's lawyer considers insanity plea|work=|pages=|language=
publisher=ABC13.com|date=2007-05-11
url=http://abclocal.go.com/ktrk/story?section=local&id=5296676|accessdate=2007-05-15]

Personal life

Oefelein was married for 15 years to Michaella Davis, whom he had known since high school. She is an employee of a NASA contractor. They divorced in 2005 and their two children live with Davis. [ [http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/nation/4535323.html Former mother-in-law says pair spent time together] Feb. 7, 2007]

Notes