A Texas woman who once alleged the world’s first crime committed in space has now admitted the entire story was false.
Summer Worden, the former spouse of NASA astronaut Col. Anne McClain, pleaded guilty to lying to federal investigators after claiming McClain accessed her bank account from the International Space Station.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office in the Southern District of Texas says she now faces a potential five-year prison term and a fine of up to $250,000.
Worden told authorities in 2019 that McClain had guessed her password and entered her bank account during a NASA mission. Her accusation triggered inquiries from NASA’s Office of Inspector General and the Federal Trade Commission.
But investigators later concluded the account had been opened long before the alleged incident and that both women had used it during their marriage. According to prosecutors, Worden had provided McClain with access to her financial records “from at least 2015, including her login credentials.”
McClain consistently denied wrongdoing. In a statement reported by The New York Times, she said: “Ms. Worden intentionally, and with full knowledge of the truth, presented a story to federal investigators and to the media with the intention of harm.” She added that “from the outset, there was no evidence supporting her claims, and overwhelming evidence disproving them.”
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