Summer Worden, the estranged wife of NASA astronaut Anne McClain, has pleaded guilty to lying to law enforcement over a crime she claimed was committed in space in 2019. Prosecutors revealed that Worden had falsely accused McClain of guessing her bank account password and accessing her finances while McClain was aboard the International Space Station. However, an investigation showed that Worden had opened the account in April 2018 and had been sharing access with McClain since at least 2015. Worden now faces up to five years in federal prison and a $250,000 fine. A judge will sentence her on February 12, 2026, with her remaining on bond pending the hearing. The case initially sparked inquiries from the Federal Trade Commission and NASA’s Inspector General.
McClain, a decorated Air Force intelligence officer, had returned to the International Space Station in March as commander of the agency’s SpaceX Crew-10 mission. Worden, a former Air Force intelligence officer, had been married to McClain until their divorce in 2020. The false allegations, which were initially reported as the first crime committed in space, had caused widespread public attention and prompted the Federal Trade Commission to investigate potential violations of consumer protection laws. The allegations also led to an investigation by NASA’s Inspector General, raising questions about the integrity of space-related legal cases.
According to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Texas, the initial report by Worden was based on a misunderstanding of the shared access she had previously granted to McClain. The evidence showed that Worden had opened the account herself and had shared her login details with McClain multiple times. The investigation revealed that the access to the bank account was not a result of McClain’s actions but rather a result of their shared access. This has led to the conclusion that the incident was not a crime but a misunderstanding that evolved into a false accusation.
The case has raised important questions about the legal implications of space-related crimes and the challenges of enforcing laws in extraterrestrial environments. While the incident itself was not a crime committed in space, it has sparked debates on how to define and address criminal activities in the context of space missions. The involvement of NASA and the Federal Trade Commission highlights the intersection of space exploration with earthly legal systems.
The sentencing hearing for Worden is scheduled for February 12, 2026. She has been granted bail pending the proceedings, and the outcome of her case will likely have implications for future legal actions involving individuals connected to space missions.