A former Air Force intelligence officer has admitted to fabricating claims that her estranged astronaut wife committed what became known as the “first crime in space,” closing a chapter on one of NASA‘s most unusual controversies.
Summer Worden, of Kansas, pleaded guilty on Thursday, November 13, in federal court to lying about Anne McClain, a U.S. Army colonel and NASA astronaut, during a bitter divorce and custody battle that captured international attention in 2019.
The case began when Worden told investigators that McClain had illegally accessed her bank account while aboard the International Space Station during a six-month mission. The allegations sparked worldwide headlines and triggered an uncommon investigation by NASA’s Office of Inspector General into potential criminal activity conducted from orbit.
However, federal prosecutors in Texas revealed a very different story. According to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Texas, Worden had actually opened the bank account herself in 2018 and had shared the login credentials with McClain for years. Court documents showed that both women regularly accessed the account until early 2019, when Worden changed the password during their separation.
Prosecutors stated that Worden knowingly filed false reports with NASA OIG and the Federal Trade Commission, accusing McClain of identity theft. The timing proved particularly challenging for McClain, who was preparing for what was expected to be NASA’s first all-female spacewalk.
McClain maintained her innocence throughout the ordeal. Her attorney told The New York Times in 2019 that the astronaut was simply monitoring the couple’s shared finances, a practice that had been routine during their relationship.
Despite the controversy, McClain’s career at NASA continued to flourish. She returned to Earth in June 2019 and went on to command the SpaceX Crew-10 mission to the ISS from March to August 2025.
Worden was indicted for the false accusations more than five years after the initial incident. She had been scheduled to stand trial next week before entering her guilty plea. She remains free on bond pending her sentencing hearing on February 12, where she faces up to five years in federal prison.