Nasa said to be investigating first allegation of a crime in space

bbc link

From source:
Nasa is reported to be investigating a claim that an astronaut accessed the bank account of her estranged spouse from the International Space Station, in what may be the first allegation of a crime committed in space.

Anne McClain acknowledges accessing the account from the ISS but denies any wrongdoing, the New York Times reports.

Her estranged spouse, Summer Worden, reportedly filed a complaint with the Federal Trade Commission.

Ms McClain has since returned to Earth.


The astronaut told the New York Times through a lawyer that she was merely making sure that the family's finances were in order and there was enough money to pay bills and care for Ms Worden's son - who they had been raising together prior to the split.

Legal frameworks agreed by the five states that own the space station - the US, Russia, Europe, Japan and Canada - set out that national law applies to people and possessions in space.

So if a Canadian national were to commit a crime in space, they would be subject to Canadian law, and a Russian citizen to Russian law. Europe exists as one state within the legal framework, but any of the European states may extend their respective national laws and regulations to the European equipment and personnel 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.

As space tourism becomes a reality, so might the need to prosecute space crime, but for now the legal framework remains untested.Nasa officials told the New York Times that they were not aware of any crimes committed on the space station.
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Is spying on someone else's bank account from space a crime ? How did anyone find out ? Hasn't she been a little bit astronaughty ?

a reply to: FieldMarshalMatt

I would think that it would only be a crime if she actually hacked the bank account rather than just logged in with a password previously given by the estranged spouse or if she took money from the account. Since NASA is stating they know of no crimes being committed I would think she did neither. However if the estrangement hasn't yet gotten to the point of an actual filed in court, legally binding separation it would not matter if she did hack the account or take money because the law would still consider the account "community property"- that is how my hub's ex got away with hacking and cleaning out his personal bank account that she wasn't even on. The laws are tricky on this.

a reply to: FieldMarshalMatt

This is a cool concept , using a nonsense story.

Bummer, the first crime in space is the same crime that is committed on earth every day.

I was hoping for tampering with thrusters, or rerouting the conduits or something..

Meh...

originally posted by: FieldMarshalMatt
bbc link
From source:

Nasa is reported to be investigating a claim that an astronaut accessed the bank account of her estranged spouse from the International Space Station, in what may be the first allegation of a crime committed in space.

The astronaut committed the crime outside of Earth's atmosphere. Find out who claims outer-space and turn it over to them.

If the spouse is "estranged," but not divorced, which this seems to indicate, she had a right to access the account anyway, at least in a community property state. We don't know the circumstances, of course, but just because an "estranged" spouse complains does not mean it is illegal.

I think it's gonna be an extended time until she's brought to justice. She does not appear to be this respected person people think she is at home that's for damn sure.

a reply to: FieldMarshalMatt


Ummm...I thought the first crime in space was...when someone drilled a hole in the Soyuz capsule...?








YouSir

Sounds like a common sense way to approach the legal issues of space. All the standard stuff is common amongst nations and the individual is familiar with national expectations. In time space will develop its own standards and culture if it works. The right stuff.

With banking details getting exposed like this, privacy is one sacrifice if you want to go.

originally posted by: Stupidsecrets
I think it's gonna be an extended time until she's brought to justice. She does not appear to be this respected person people think she is at home that's for damn sure.

If she committed a crime at all.

Looking at a spouse's bank account is not a crime. There is the added twist here that they are an estranged couple working through a separation, so that may (or may not) factor in to this, but the spouse who alleged that something wrong was done by her astronaut wife may not have a legal leg to stand on. Unless specifically otherwise stated in a prenuptial agreement, one spouse's bank account is communal property in a marriage.

So It isn't necessarily a cut-and-dry case. Maybe it isn't "proper" for Anne McLain to be looking at her estranged wife's bank account because they are separated, but just because it might not be proper that doesn't necessarily mean it's illegal.