September 12, 2007-- Apollo 11 astronaut Buzz Aldrin stated on Time Magazine’s web site that Nowak should be "admired, but not excused" for her actions. The former Space Shuttle crewmember faces trial later this month on charges of attempted battery and kidnapping on a perceived romantic rival.
I attended the luncheon as the guest speaker that day. The NSC invited me to give a talk on my upcoming book "Final Countdown: NASA and the End of the Space Shuttle Program". University Press of Florida even arranged for some advance copies of the book, ahead of the October 21st release.
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Former astronaut Susan Helms brought up Aldrin’s comments when we met during yesterday’s luncheon meeting of the National Space Club, Florida Committee, in Cocoa Beach. Helms flew on several Shuttle missions, and was part of the second long duration expedition on the International Space Station. The picture at the left is just prior to her launch as payload commander on STS-78. Helms is a General now, in command of the Space Wing at Patrick AFB. She termed it "unusual" for one astronaut to make that kind of a comment about another. Aldrin was the second man to walk on the Moon, and dealt with bouts of depression and alcoholism following his NASA career. 
Among the first to get a copy were Olive Pollak and Jerry Close. Pollak (center) drove in from Orlando for event, and Close (left) works for United Space Alliance and is a WMFE Cornerstone member—small world! They both flattered me greatly by asking me to sign their books. Former astronaut Helms requested a signature on her copy as well. I couldn’t help but to inscribe it "To Susan: the one with REAL stories to tell about space".