ORLANDO, Fla. -- A NASA astronaut will be charged with attempted first-degree murder Tuesday after police said she tried to kidnap a romantic rival for a space shuttle pilot's affections, according to Local 6 News.

"In a dramatic turn of events, we have been told that the charges have been upgraded to attempted first-degree murder," Local 6's Louis Bolden said. "The judge had originally set bond at $15,000 but that has changed."

"Just moments before her anticipated release, the Orlando Police Department came into our booking center to file an additional charged of attempted first-degree murder and that stopped the release process from going forward," Orange County Corrections Officer Allen Moore said. "She had already satisfied all of the conditions of her release granted by the court this morning."

Lisa Nowak, 43, was originally charged with attempted kidnapping, attempted vehicle burglary with battery and destruction of evidence and battery.

Earlier Tuesday, Orange County Judge Mike Murphy said Nowak would be released on $15,500 bond.

Police said Nowak drove from her home in Houston to Orlando International Airport to confront Colleen Shipman, who the astronaut believed was romantically involved with U.S. Navy Cmdr. William Oefelein, who was a pilot during space shuttle Discovery's trip to the space station last December.

Nowak allegedly followed Shipman to a parking lot dressed in a wig and trench coat and sprayed her with pepper spray, police told Local 6 News.

"The suspect had a confrontation with the victim or attempted to summon the victim for help and in doing so, sprayed into the car," Orlando police Sgt. Barbara Jones said.

Police said Nowak was carrying a steel mallet, BB gun, a new folding knife, some rubber tubing and some large plastic bags.

Authorities believe Nowak drove 900 miles in a diaper to avoid stopping during the trip.

"Police found a bag of diapers in the suspect's car that the suspect admits to using so she didn't have to stop and take any bathroom breaks on the trip," Local 6's Jessica D'Onorio said.

"It looks a fairly elaborate plan and we believe she was probably going to try to kidnap the victim and possibly do serious bodily harm," Jones said. "It is a really, really sad case that somebody of that success in her professional career finds herself on the other side of the law, facing some serious charges," Jones said.

Nowak was given the name "Robo-Chick" by mission controllers because she operated the remote arm attached to the $2 billion space craft.

Nowak flew last July on a space shuttle mission to the International Space Station.

According to NASA's official biography, Nowak is a Naval Academy graduate who has a master's degree in aeronautical engineering. She has a teenage son and younger twin girls.

A NASA spokesman said Nowak's status had not changed as of Monday, but wouldn't speculate about her future with the organization.

A NASA statement said, "Our concern for her right now is just her health and well-being. And that is really what we're concerned about at this point."

Police said Nowak told them she was just trying to scare the woman into talking with her about the relationship, Local 6 reported.

Oefelein has two children and began his aviation career as a teenager flying floatplanes in Alaska, according to a NASA biography. He studied electrical engineering at Oregon State University and later earned a master's degree in aviation systems at the University of Tennessee Space Institute. He has been an astronaut since 1998.

Watch Local 6 News for more on this story.