Scientist Gets 13 Years in Spying Case A former government space scientist was sentenced Wednesday to 13 years in prison after admitting that he tried to sell space and defense secrets to Israel in what turned out to be a sting operation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation. The man, Stewart Nozette, said he was "paying for a fatal lack of judgment." Mr. Nozette had high-level security clearances during decades of government work on science and space projects at NASA, the Energy Department and the National Space Council. He pleaded guilty to one count of attempted espionage, admitting that he tried to provide Israel with top-secret information about satellites, early-warning systems and major elements of defense strategy.