Includes Sections On Personal Behavior, Relationships

If you've ever looked at a seemingly obvious warning placard in an aircraft cockpit, you may have asked yourself what bonehead made it necessary. US astronauts won't have to look past recent headlines to understand why NASA's new Astronaut Code of Conduct has a few more pages.

Orlando's WESH-TV reports NASA made it almost 50 years without feeling the need to address issues such as personal relationships and other risky behavior. But if you read the new policy, it immediately calls to mind Lisa Nowak, space diapers, and booze.

As ANN reported, Nowak's love triangle involving fellow astronaut Bill Oefelein led to the sad February 2007 episode in which she armed and disguised herself, donned a high-tech diaper to allow a marathon road trip, then confronted and pepper-sprayed her rival -- US Air Force Captain Colleen Shipman -- in an airport parking lot. The resulting charges are still working their way through the courts.

NASA's other recent, big embarrassment was an official report by an independent team led by an Air Force doctor, that uncovered reports of heavy alcohol use by astronauts immediately before launches. That report was later discredited by NASA... but the stigma remained.

So now, WESH reports the astronaut code includes entire sections on responsibility in relationships, and personal conduct.

"We will maintain our professional standards in... relationships in both work and professional environments. We will protect and balance the best interests of our co-workers, families and NASA."

And any astronauts considering hitting the bottle to calm pre-launch jitters will read, "We will live in a manner that reflects credit and honor upon our profession... We will not take actions that put people or hardware at unreasonable risk."

Human resource professionals will tell you that no employee handbook or behavior code can guarantee proper behavior, but a good one can cut red tape when you need to fire someone.

Nowak and Oefelein carry the dubious honor of being the first astronauts ever fired from NASA. If there is a "next time," no one can say they weren't warned.

FMI: www.nasa.gov