A former Air Force intelligence officer has admitted to lying to authorities, claiming that her estranged wife, who happens to be an astronaut, committed the first crime in space.
Summer Warden, aged 50, could face a maximum of five years in prison and a fine that could reach $250,000 for falsely alleging that Anna McClain, a prominent NASA astronaut and her then-spouse, accessed Warden’s bank account from the International Space Station. This was reported by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Texas.
Warden’s guilty plea, which came on Thursday, marks the end of a contentious legal struggle with McClain.
The accusations stemmed from an incident in January 2019. Prosecutors indicated that Warden claimed McClain guessed her password to gain unauthorized access to the account while on a six-month mission at the International Space Station.
This unfounded allegation triggered inquiries by both the Federal Trade Commission and NASA’s Inspector General.
It turns out that Warden had actually opened the bank account back in 2018, and both she and McClain had access to it until January 2019, when Warden changed her login details.
Investigators found that Warden had granted her spouse access to bank records, including the necessary login information, as far back as 2015.
According to reports, McClain had previously accessed and managed Warden’s accounts to handle their shared finances during a difficult separation.
The couple was engaged in a bitter split and an ongoing dispute regarding their son when Warden made these allegations—a situation that has certainly added a layer of complexity to an already fraught relationship.
Their divorce was finalized in January 2020.
McClain ascended to the International Space Station again in March 2025, taking on the role of commander for NASA’s SpaceX Crew-10 mission. She was selected as a NASA astronaut in 2013.
Warden is set to be sentenced on February 12. However, authorities have indicated that she will remain out on bail until the sentencing occurs.
