NASA^® Astronaut Accused of First Crime in Space

Sure, you've heard of hundreds of crimes committed in the U.S. — maybe some in your very own zip code. But, what about in space?

This is a tale of a NASA^® astronaut who was accused of the first crime ever — while in space. Let's launch into it.

The Allegation

Summer Worden, a former Air Force intelligence officer, and Anne McClain, a decorated NASA astronaut, filed for divorce in 2018. The difficult separation and parenting dispute lasted nearly a year.

During this time, Worden discovered her estranged spouse, McClain, appeared to have inside knowledge about her spending habits. This concerned Worden and she began investigating how McClain obtained her financial information.

She asked her bank to track the locations of computers that had recently accessed her account, which led back to a computer with the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA).

At the time, McClain was in the midst of a six-month mission aboard the International Space Station (ISS), where she was about to partake in NASA's first all-female spacewalk.

Photo of NASA Astronaut, Anne McClain. Photo courtesy of NASA.

Filing Formal Complaints

Worden filed a complaint with the Federal Trade Commission. Her family also filed a complaint with NASA's Office of Inspector General. The accusations against McClain ranged from identity theft to improper access of Worden's private financial records.

When confronted with these accusations, McClain quickly admitted to accessing the bank account from space, sharing her intentions were innocent and that she was simply overseeing their still intertwined finances.

McClain takes a selfie during her first spacewalk, Expedition 59 EVA 1, on March 22, 2019. Photo courtesy of NASA.

Return to Earth

When McClain returned to Earth, she had an under-oath interview with the inspector general and defended her actions, stating that she accessed the bank account from space to make sure there were sufficient funds for bills and for the care of the child they had jointly raised.

She argued that this was a practice consistently observed throughout their relationship and that Worden had never communicated any restriction on accessing the account, for which the password used remained the same.

Clearing McClain's Name

Following an investigation, astronaut Anne McClain — former West Point graduate and commissioned Army officer that flew more than 800 combat hours in the Iraq war before joining NASA — was cleared of any wrongdoing.

The Accuser Gets Indicted

When McCain was cleared, the tables turned. Worden was then charged with lying to federal prosecutors.

According to the U.S. Attorney's Office, Worden's two-count, grand-jury indictment charges her with making false statements twice. She allegedly filed the false complaint in March 2019, with the Federal Trade Commission, and made a false statement in an interview with the NASA-Office of Inspector General (OIG) in July 2019.

Worden was set to make her initial court appearance in April 2020, but the case has still not been resolved. According to U.S. Attorney Ryan Patrick, Worden faces up to five years in prison for each count and a possible fine of up to $250,000.

References: NASA Astronaut Anne McClain Accused by Spouse of Crime in Space | NASA astronaut's estranged wife charged with lying about claim that spouse improperly accessed account from space | United States v. Worden (4:20-cr-00125) | Woman charged with falsely claiming officer accessed her bank account from International Space Station