Ex-wife of top NASA astronaut pleads guilty to falsely alleging former spouse committed first crime in space
A former Air Force intelligence officer, 50‑year‑old Summer Worden, has pleaded guilty to making false statements to law‑enforcement officials. Worden accused her estranged astronaut wife, NASA’s Anna McClain, of hacking into her bank account from the International Space Station (ISS) in January 2019.
Worden faces up to five years behind bars and a potential $250,000 fine under federal law. The plea ends a bitter legal battle that began when Worden claimed McClain, who was on a six‑month ISS mission, guessed a password and accessed her finances without permission.
The allegations sparked investigations by the Federal Trade Commission and NASA’s Inspector General. Prosecutors say Worden opened the bank account in 2018, shared its credentials with McClain until January 2019, and then changed the login information. Evidence shows Worden had given her wife access to the account—and to the login data—back in 2015.
McClain has consistently maintained that she had Worden’s full knowledge and used the account to manage the couple’s shared finances. The couple’s divorce was finalized in January 2020, after a period of intense separation and a custody dispute.
McClain returned to the ISS in March 2025 as commander of the SpaceX Crew‑10 mission, the first beyond‑Earth crewed flight flown by a private company. She was selected by NASA in 2013 and has become one of the agency’s most well‑known astronauts.
Worden’s sentencing is scheduled for February 12. He has been allowed to stay on bond while awaiting the hearing. The case adds to the growing list of incidents that highlight the need for tight security over financial accounts, even in orbit.
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