Summer Heather Worden, 50, pleaded guilty to falsely reporting that her astronaut ex-spouse illegally accessed her bank account while on the International Space Station. Investigators found Worden had opened the account and shared login credentials with the astronaut for years, and both had access through January 2019. Worden pleaded guilty to one count of lying to law enforcement on Nov. 13 and faces up to five years in prison and a $250,000 fine; sentencing is set for February 2026. The astronaut returned to the ISS in 2025 and participated in a spacewalk.
Woman Pleads Guilty After Falsely Accusing Astronaut Ex of Accessing Her Bank Account from the ISS
Summer Heather Worden, 50, has pleaded guilty to making a false report that her former spouse, astronaut Anne McClain, illegally accessed Worden's bank account while McClain was on a mission to the International Space Station (ISS).
Worden reported the alleged crime in July 2019, saying the access occurred earlier that year while McClain was deployed to the ISS (December 2018–June 2019). A subsequent inquiry by NASA's Office of Inspector General and other investigators found that the contested account had been opened by Worden in April 2018 and that both women had access to it through January 2019. Investigators also determined Worden had regularly shared account information, including login credentials, with McClain going back to at least 2015.
McClain has maintained that she accessed the account with Worden's permission during the relationship. Worden, a former Air Force intelligence officer, disputed that account and filed complaints with the Federal Trade Commission and with NASA's Office of Inspector General. McClain publicly denied the allegations and characterized the matter as part of a painful personal separation that became public.
On November 13, Worden pleaded guilty to one count of lying to law enforcement. She is scheduled to be sentenced in February 2026. Under federal law, the charge carries a maximum sentence of five years in prison and a possible fine of up to $250,000; Worden remains on bond pending sentencing.
Anne McClain returned to the International Space Station in 2025 and took part in a spacewalk during that mission. Years earlier she had been slated to participate in NASA's first all-female spacewalk, which was delayed at the last minute due to suit sizing issues; that historic EVA was later completed by Christina Koch and Jessica Meir.
This case highlights legal and practical issues around shared digital access, password sharing and the complexities that can arise when personal disputes intersect with high-profile professions. The guilty plea resolves the federal false-report charge against Worden; sentencing will determine any penalties imposed.
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