Summer Heather Worden, an Air Force intelligence officer, has pleaded guilty to lying to law enforcement over a crime she alleged was committed in space in 2019, prosecutors said. The case, which became the first allegation of a crime in space, was initially sparked by claims that her husband, NASA astronaut Anne McClain, accessed her bank account during his deployment to the International Space Station.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Texas revealed that Worden had previously opened the bank account in April 2018, and both she and McClain accessed it until January 2019 when she changed the credentials. Prosecutors highlighted that Worden had granted her spouse access to the account from as early as 2015, including login credentials. This revelation has led to the legal proceedings against Worden, where she faces up to five years in federal prison and a maximum fine of $250,000. The sentencing is set for February 12, 2026.
The initial claim sparked investigations by both the Federal Trade Commission and NASA’s Inspector General, drawing attention to the unique nature of the allegations and their implications for space-related crimes. Worden’s actions have also raised questions about the intersection of personal and professional lives in high-profile scientific endeavors, especially within the context of space exploration.