Alaska, Nov 11 (THAINDIAN NEWS) A former NASA astronaut Lisa Nowak has been charged with attacking a romantic rival Colleen Shipman. She pleaded guilty on Tuesday to burglary and battery charges, but was sentenced very lightly, only to year probation and no additional jail time.

Nowak apologized, as she pleaded guilty to the crime. “I’m glad to have the opportunity to apologize to Colleen Shipman in person,” Nowak, a married mother of three, said.

Lisa Nowak had agreed to the plea so as to avoid the trial and to get a lighter sentence and she got it.

Lisa Nowak is a Navy captain, and she confronted victim Colleen Shipman in the parking lot of Orlando International Airport in February 2007 after she drove an astonishing 1,000 miles from Houston just for this task.

Shipman had begun dating Lisa Nowak’s love interest, former space shuttle pilot Bill Oefelein. Lisa Nowak didn’t like this intrusion and hence assaulted Colleen. Finally Bill Oefelein was forced out of NASA and now lives in Alaska with Shipman.

Police arrested Nowak a short time later after she had attacked Colleen. She was found near a trashcan in the parking lot, where she was trying to dispose of a bag. When she was apprehended then the police confiscated the bag and in it, police found a steel mallet, a knife, a BB pistol, rubber tubing and several large garbage bags.