Former Wife of American Astronaut Sentenced for Fraud 0 8

51-year-old Summer Worden was sentenced in Kansas to three months in federal prison and two years of probation for giving false testimony against her ex-wife. The woman was married to astronaut Anne McClain and accused her of hacking into her bank account from the International Space Station (ISS).

Worden, who previously served in U.S. Air Force intelligence, claimed in July 2019 that her ex-spouse allegedly guessed her password and illegally accessed her funds while in space. The case could have been the first recorded instance of criminal activity from outside Earth.

Later, federal investigators found that Worden had herself granted McClain access to her accounts since 2015 as part of a joint account. Nevertheless, Worden continued to spread false information in news outlets and hired a media consultant to promote this narrative, authorities noted.

The prosecution ultimately filed criminal charges against Worden for giving false testimony. In November 2025, the woman pleaded guilty. In addition to a brief prison sentence and additional probation, she will also have to pay her ex-spouse $210,000 in damages for her statements.

People notes that shortly before their divorce in 2018, McClain had filed a complaint against Worden. The astronaut accused her wife of domestic violence, but the case did not progress.

McClain is the third openly LGBTQ astronaut in U.S. history. Her orientation was not known until Worden's complaint. The astronaut continues her career — she last flew to the ISS in March 2025 as the commander of the SpaceX Crew-10 mission. She returned from there in March of the same year.