Authorities Share Bizarre Update in Case of First Astronaut Accused of Crime in Space

The ex-wife of the first astronaut accused of committing a crime in space has admitted that they fabricated key aspects of the allegations.

Anne McClain Was First Astronaut Accused of Crime in Space

In 2019, former Air Force Intelligence Officer Summer Heather Worden accused her estranged wife, astronaut Anne McClain, of “illegally access[ing]” Worden’s bank account from the International Space Station (ISS). But on Tuesday, the U.S. District Attorney's Office, Southern District of Texas announced in a news release that Worden pleaded guilty on Nov. 13 to lying to law enforcement.

Summer Worden Convicted of Lying to Law Enforcement

Worden claimed that McClain had “illegally accessed” her bank account in July 2019 while aboard the ISS; but during the investigation, federal agents discovered that Worden had lied about key details. "Worden had actually opened the account in April 2018,” the release explains. “Both parties had accessed it until January 2019 when Worden changed the credentials. The investigation revealed Worden had granted her spouse access to her bank records from at least 2015, including her login credentials.”

At the time, McClain admitted through a lawyer that she had accessed the bank account, including from the ISS, after she and Worden split and throughout divorce proceedings, but did so only to ensure that the family’s finances were in order.

McClain and Warden Were Married From 2014 Until 2019

McClain and Worden were married from 2014 until 2019. At the time Worden made the allegations, the two women were in the middle of an acrimonious divorce, which included custody arrangements of their then-six-year-old son. Worden filed for divorce in 2018 after McClain accused her of assault. That case was dismissed, according to KSDK. Their divorce was finalized in 2020. The New York Times reported that in April of that year, Worden was indicted by a grand jury after investigators found she had falsified her claims.

Worden’s sentencing has been scheduled for Feb. 12, 2026. She faces up to five years in federal prison and a possible $250,000 maximum fine. Federal prosecutors permitted Worden to remain on bond until sentencing.