Camilla Jessen
Space-crime claim collapses as accuser admits she lied.
Before investigators uncovered the truth, the allegation made global headlines: a NASA astronaut accused of committing the first-ever crime in space.
Now, the woman behind that claim has admitted it was false.
Summer Heather Worden, a former U.S. Air Force intelligence officer, has pleaded guilty to lying to federal authorities after accusing her estranged spouse, NASA astronaut Anne McClain, of illegally accessing her bank account during a three-month mission aboard the International Space Station (ISS).
Bitter dispute
According to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Texas, Worden entered her plea on November 13. The 50-year-old had claimed in 2019 that McClain guessed her password and accessed her bank records while orbiting Earth on the ISS.
The accusation triggered investigations by NASA’s inspector general and the Federal Trade Commission, instantly sparking headlines about a possible first crime committed in space.
But prosecutors say Worden’s story did not hold up.
Evidence showed she had opened the account in 2018 and had shared access with McClain for years, including login credentials dating back to 2015.
Records confirmed both partners used the account until early 2019, when Worden changed the password.
Astronauts and allegations
McClain, 46, is a decorated West Point graduate and Iraq veteran who joined NASA in 2013. She later became commander of NASA’s SpaceX Crew-10 mission, returning to Earth in August 2024.
Her divorce from Worden was finalized in 2020, following years of legal conflict.
The allegations emerged during the couple’s contentious separation and a custody battle involving Worden’s young son. Worden had filed for divorce in 2018 after McClain accused her of assault.
This charge was later dismissed, according to local broadcaster KSDK.
Worden now faces up to five years in federal prison and a maximum $250,000 fine for making false statements. U.S. District Judge Alfred Bennett has set sentencing for February 12, 2026. She remains free on bond until then.
Sources: U.S. Attorney’s Office (Southern District of Texas); The New York Times; KSDK
This article is made and published by Camilla Jessen, who may have used AI in the preparation
