A family in the United States is claiming more than $80,000 from the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) after a small piece of debris fell from space and smashed through the roof of their home in Florida, the news agency AFP reported on Friday (June 21).
According to law firm Cranfill Sumner, the incident occurred on March 8 when the debris weighing 700 grams hit Alejandro Otero's home in Naples, Florida, making a hole in the roof.
Cranfill Sumner pointed out that the problem of space trash has risen due to increased spatial traffic, and NASA's response could set a precedent for how future claims are handled.
'There could've been injury or fatality'Cranfill Sumner said Otero's son was at the house at the moment of impact.
Instead of fully disintegrating before falling to Earth, a section remained intact when it reentered the atmosphere, the US space agency added.
A family in the United States is claiming more than $80,000 from the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) after a small piece of debris fell from space and smashed through the roof of their home in Florida, the news agency AFP reported on Friday (June 21).
According to law firm Cranfill Sumner, the incident occurred on March 8 when the debris weighing 700 grams hit Alejandro Otero's home in Naples, Florida, making a hole in the roof. There were no injuries reported.
Cranfill Sumner pointed out that the problem of space trash has risen due to increased spatial traffic, and NASA's response could set a precedent for how future claims are handled.
'There could've been injury or fatality'
Cranfill Sumner said Otero's son was at the house at the moment of impact. Mica Nguyen Worthy, the family's lawyer, said, "My clients are seeking adequate compensation to account for the stress and impact that this event had on their lives."
"They are grateful that no one sustained physical injuries from this incident, but a ‘near miss’ situation such as this could have been catastrophic," Worthy said.
"There could have been serious injury or a fatality," the lawyer added.
A look at the debris
NASA confirmed that the debris was part of a cargo pallet of used batteries that was released from the International Space Station as waste in 2021.
Instead of fully disintegrating before falling to Earth, a section remained intact when it reentered the atmosphere, the US space agency added.
