NASA investigates first crime committed in space.

Hyderabad: Astronaut Anne McClain has been accused of identity theft and improperly accessing her estranged spouse’s personal financial records from the ISS (International space station).

Although she disagrees to this wrong-doing, her spouse Summer Worden has filed a complaint in the federal trade commission. McClain has since returned to Earth.

The astronaut in her defence said that she was making sure that they had enough money to pay the bills of Ms Wardon’s son, who they had been raising together before they decided to split.

Her lawyer, Rusty Hardin said, "She vehemently denies that she did anything improper and also noted that she was completely co-operating."

Ms McClain and Ms Worden, married in 2014 and Ms Worden filed for divorce in 2018. Investigators from NASA’s Office of Inspector General have contacted both over the allegation, the New York Times reported.

Speaking of how the law works in space, There are five national or international space agencies involved in the ISS - from the US, Canada, Japan, Russia and several European countries - and a legal framework sets out that national law applies to any people and possessions in space.

Space law also sets out provisions for extradition back on Earth, should a nation decide it wishes to prosecute a citizen of another nation for misconduct in space.

NASA officials told the New York Times that they were not aware of any crimes committed on the space station.