NASA sued after space junk projectile crashes into Florida home: ScienceAlert

An American family is demanding more than $80,000 from NASA after a small piece of debris fell from space and pierced the roof of their Florida home, a law firm said Friday.

The problem of space debris has grown in parallel with the increase in space traffic and NASA’s response could set a precedent for how future claims for damages will be handled, law firm Cranfill Sumner said in a statement.

On March 8, the object, weighing only 700 grams, hit Alejandro Otero’s house in Naples, Florida, leaving a hole in the roof.

NASA later confirmed that it was part of a cargo pallet of used batteries released as waste from the International Space Station in 2021.

Instead of completely disintegrating before impact with Earth, part of it remained intact upon re-entry into the atmosphere, the US space agency said.

Otero’s son was in the house at the time of the impact, the law firm said. NASA has six months to respond to its lawsuit.

“My clients are seeking fair compensation for the stress and impact this event has had on their lives,” said attorney Mica Nguyen Worthy.

“They are grateful that no one was physically injured in this incident, but a near miss like this could have had catastrophic consequences.”

“It could have resulted in serious injury or death.”

NASA did not immediately respond to AFP’s request for comment.

© Agence France-Presse