Lisa Marie Nowak (née Caputo) (born May 10, 1963) is a former American naval flight officer and NASA astronaut. Born in Washington, D.C., she was selected by NASA in 1996 and qualified as a mission specialist in robotics. Nowak flew aboard during the STS-121 mission in July 2006, where she was responsible for operating the robotic arms of the shuttle and the International Space Station.