# Do not we have any other worries ? First criminal charges for offenses in space



## Alexander1970 (Aug 24, 2019)

*NASA and the US Consumer Protection Agency are investigating the possible first case of a covert in space. An astronaut is said to have logged into the online banking account of her former spouse and transferred money from the International Space Station (ISS).*

NASA astronaut Anne McClain, who spent six months on the ISS this year, said she had logged into the account after questioning her return to Earth, the New York Times reported Saturday. But she denies any wrongdoing.

Her spouse, Summer Worden, previously filed a complaint with NASA and the US Consumer Protection Agency. The couple does not live together anymore.
"Never done anything inappropriate"

McClain said through her lawyer to the New York Times that she had only made an effort to keep family finances in order and to ensure that the bills and expenses for the son of Worden were raised together until their separation had to be paid. "She denies quite decidedly that she did something inappropriate," said McClain's lawyer Rusty Hardin.

For years, McClain was a US Air Force fighter pilot and flew numerous combat missions, including in Iraq. Worden, in turn, is an Air Force intelligence officer. The couple got married in 2014 and Worden filed for divorce last year.

She had been responsible for the family's finances throughout the relationship, and regularly accessed Worden's account. That never bothered them either. And Worden did not tell her she was no longer accessing her account, McClain claimed.

According to the newspaper, there is no evidence that money on the account has been lost. However, former partner McClains accused the astronaut to the authorities about identity theft. Another complaint to NASA alleges that McClain's access to the account has served to provide arguments for denying their ex custody of their son. The investigations are ongoing.

*National law applies*

Five national space agencies are involved in the ISS: the US, Canada, Japan, Russia and several European countries (via ESA). The regulation between the agencies provides that the national law applies to persons and objects in space. Thus, if a Canadian citizen commits a crime or offense in space, he will be convicted under Canadian law and a Russian citizen would be subject to Russian law.

Mark Sundahl, head of the Center for Space Law at Cleveland University, said the current case was the first known accusation of an outlaw in space. NASA also told the NYT that it was not aware of any crimes on the space station. The law of the universe regulates also the extradition back to the earth, if a state decides to indict an astronaut or an astronaut.


*Test case for the future*

The case sounds obscure at first, but could become significantly more relevant in the near future. Namely, when the different projects for space tourism take off and suddenly significantly more people - at least in the short term - will be in space.

The marriage quarrel in space is likely to be the first case of this kind - but not the last, according to the New York Times, quoting lawyer Sundahl: "The more people get into space and spend time there, all the things that are here happen, even in space happen. "

https://orf.at/stories/3134803/


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## Rolf12 (Aug 24, 2019)

I would say that Amazon on fire is a bigger worry.


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## Veho (Aug 24, 2019)

Agreed, we should ignore crime because there's more important shit going on.


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## Rolf12 (Aug 24, 2019)

Veho said:


> Agreed, we should ignore crime because there's more important shit going on.


In space.


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## Veho (Aug 24, 2019)

Rolf12 said:


> In space.


I guess that makes it... not crime? Or something? Okay then.


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## ut2k4master (Aug 24, 2019)

we can worry about multiple things at the same time


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## Rolf12 (Aug 24, 2019)

ut2k4master said:


> we can worry about multiple things at the same time


Yes. But some issues have precedence.


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## FAST6191 (Aug 24, 2019)

Video I quite like on such matters


That said I am curious about divorce rates among astronauts.


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## DuoForce (Aug 24, 2019)

Rolf12 said:


> Yes. But some issues have precedence.


Like what?


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## dimmidice (Aug 25, 2019)

Rolf12 said:


> Yes. But some issues have precedence.


And where are resources put to this before anything more important?


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## Pleng (Aug 25, 2019)

Rolf12 said:


> Yes. But some issues have *precedence*.



I don't think you know what that word means...


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## EmulateLife (Aug 25, 2019)

Space jail is a bitch trust me, you keep hitting your head on the ceiling of the cell.

Or so I've heard.


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## sarkwalvein (Aug 25, 2019)

Veho said:


> Agreed, we should ignore crime because there's more important shit going on.


Or perhaps pursue the criminals like in any other usual case without making it a circus for headlines that might perhaps draw attention out of an actually relevant topic. You have to be very careful not to distract the public from some important yet inconvenient topics. Nobody wants that.... right?


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## IncredulousP (Aug 25, 2019)

Y'all are just spacist.


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