First crime in outer space hoax: Space station astronaut’s ex admits fake bank fraud claim

Summer Heather Worden, the woman whose allegations once triggered headlines about a possible “first crime in outer space,” has now admitted in federal court that the accusations were false.

In November 2025, Worden pleaded guilty to one count of making false statements to federal authorities, the U.S. Department of Justice had announced. Worden, a former Air Force intelligence officer from Kansas, became the center of a high-profile investigation in 2019 after she claimed her estranged spouse — NASA astronaut Anne McClain — improperly accessed her bank account from the International Space Station (ISS) during McClain’s six-month mission aboard the orbiting laboratory.

At the time, Worden alleged she had discovered unauthorized access to her online banking account and believed McClain had used NASA systems in space to spy on her finances. She filed complaints with the Federal Trade Commission and with NASA’s Office of Inspector General, sparking international speculation about whether an astronaut had committed the first documented crime in outer space.

McClain denied wrongdoing

During the investigation, McClain consistently denied wrongdoing. She said she used the same login information she had always used during the marriage and checked the account only to stay on top of household finances and make sure family obligations were met amid a custody dispute involving her son.

After months of investigation, NASA OIG and federal agents concluded McClain had committed no crime. Instead, investigators determined that Worden had provided false information, including misleading screenshots purporting to show unauthorized access.

A federal grand jury indicted Worden in 2020 on two counts of making false statements. Prosecutors said she knowingly misrepresented facts when communicating with federal investigators about the alleged “space bank fraud.”

In 2022, she faced additional fraud charges in an unrelated case concerning a Texas land deal, but those charges were ultimately dropped as part of her plea agreement on the false statements charge. In the plea agreement entered this year, Worden admitted that she had falsely claimed McClain improperly accessed the bank account.

According to court documents, Worden acknowledged that the username and password had not been changed prior to McClain’s login — contradicting her earlier claims — and that she had misled authorities about the timing of her attempts to secure her account.

Who is Anne McClain?

Anne McClain, a decorated Army helicopter pilot and one of NASA’s most prominent active-duty astronauts, was fully cleared of all allegations in 2020. She most recently commanded NASA’s SpaceX Crew-10 mission to the ISS in 2025. NASA publicly expressed confidence in McClain at the time, noting that the agency had cooperated fully with the federal investigation.

The case drew global attention not only because of McClain’s status as a member of NASA’s elite astronaut corps, but also because it raised novel questions about legal jurisdiction in space. Under international agreements, astronauts remain subject to their home country’s laws while aboard the ISS.

Worden is scheduled to be sentenced in February 2026. According to the Justice Department, the charge of making false statements carries a potential penalty of up to five years in federal prison and a fine of up to $250,000.