A former Air Force Intelligence officer has admitted to fabricating allegations that her estranged wife committed what she claimed was the 'first crime in space' by illegally accessing her bank account while aboard the International Space Station.
The False Accusation and Investigation
Summer Worden, 50, pleaded guilty in a Texas court last week to two counts of lying to federal law enforcement agencies. She had falsely reported that NASA astronaut Anne McClain, during her 2019 mission on the International Space Station, guessed her password and accessed her personal bank account without permission.
The serious allegation prompted investigations from both NASA's Office of Inspector General and the Federal Trade Commission. However, federal investigators soon uncovered that Worden had actually given McClain access to the accounts back in 2015 when the couple shared finances.
Complex Background of the Case
The indictment against Worden, which was unsealed in April 2020, charged her with making false statements about when she opened her bank account and when she would have changed her password. According to the Southern District of Texas US Attorney's Office, Worden had filed for divorce just months after opening the personal bank account in 2018, yet accused McClain of accessing it in January 2019.
McClain, an Iraq War veteran and accomplished astronaut, maintained that she had accessed the account throughout their relationship and continued doing so after their separation with Worden's knowledge. Her lawyer stated that McClain used the account for family expenses and that Worden had never informed her she could no longer have access.
Broader Legal Disputes and Consequences
The banking allegation was just one aspect of a bitter year-long legal dispute between the former spouses. Their conflict also involved Worden's then-six-year-old son, born through surrogacy about a year before the couple met. McClain had petitioned the court in 2018 for shared parenting rights after Worden refused to allow her to adopt the boy.
During the custody battle, McClain argued that Worden had "an explosive temper and a history of making rash financial decisions". She told the court she accessed Worden's bank account to ensure their son was being properly cared for and sought to "legally validate my established and deep parental relationship" with the child.
Meanwhile, Worden maintained that McClain should have known it was inappropriate to access her account during their divorce and custody dispute.
While Worden now faces up to five years in prison and a $250,000 fine with sentencing scheduled for February 12, 2026, McClain has continued her space career. She commanded NASA's SpaceX Crew-10 mission in March 2025, returning to Earth last August. Worden remains released on bond awaiting her fate early next year.
