I couldn't find any source that wasn't affiliated to a rightwing agenda. Which made me highly suspicious as to the veracity of the piece from the outset.
I've never actually said this here before, because, well, knowing there are folcs on both sides of the political spectrum, it just seemed to me to push the boundary of good manners. But, now that you've crossed that hurdle for me, I've got to admit that I feel the exact same way (in reverse, of course!)
Whenever I hear reports coming from the left (HuffPo, Media Matters, MSNBC, etc.), I become highly suspicious as to the veracity of the report. (Which is a polite way of saying I disbelieve it absolutely.) Unless, of course, I find the information collaborated by a source I have confidence in.
In this case, I actually did find this story reported by media outlets on both left and right. These reports all include updates now, stating that Othman is denying the report. We do know that she has spoken in the past about her belief in extraterrestral life, as have many respected scientists, from Carl Sagen to Stephen Hawking (so that's no big deal).
However, knowing she holds these beliefs, I don't know if anyone can really be sure at this point whether she was simply misquoted regarding her alleged quest to become an "ambassador for alien life", or whether she is backtracking now in response to the universal ridicule the idea has been met with.