An American family is claiming more than $80,000 from NASA due to a small piece of space debris that fell from space and passed through the roof of their Florida home, a law firm reported Friday.
The space debris problem has grown alongside increased space traffic, and NASA’s response could set a precedent for how future claims are handled, law firm Cranfill Sumner said in a statement.
On March 8, a 700-gram object hit Alejandro Otero’s house in Naples, Florida, causing a hole in the roof. NASA later confirmed that it was a fragment of a used battery charging platform that had been released from the International Space Station as waste in 2021.
Instead of disintegrating completely before falling to Earth, a portion remained intact upon re-entering the atmosphere, the US space agency said.
Otero’s son was in the house at the time of impact, according to the law firm, which said NASA has six months to respond to his claim.
“My clients are seeking appropriate compensation that takes into account the stress and impact this incident had on their lives,” said attorney Mica Nguyen Worthy.
“They are thankful that no one was physically injured, but a ‘near miss’ situation like this could have been catastrophic. There could have been serious injuries or a fatal incident.”
NASA did not immediately respond to AFP’s requests for comment.
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