A Nasa astronaut is being charged with attempted first-degree murder a day after she was arrested for an alleged kidnap attempt involving a romantic rival.

 

Lisa Nowak was arrested on Monday while attempting to confront a woman she believed was a rival for the affections of a space shuttle pilot.

 

"It's just really a very sad case... Now she [Nowak] ends up finding herself on the other side of the law with some very serious charges," said Sgt Barbara Jones, a spokeswoman for the Orlando police department.

 

Police said Nowak, who was part of a shuttle mission to the international space station in July, drove from her home in Houston to the Orlando International airport to confront Colleen Shipman, who she believed was a rival for the affections of William Oefelein.

 

There Nowak disguised herself and confronted Shipman with pepper spray, said police who later found a knife, latex gloves and rubbish bags which Novak had dumped as she fled.

 

Oefelen is a navy commander and was a pilot during space shuttle Discovery's trip to the international space station in December last year.