June 24, 2024 – Earlier this year, a family in Florida had a harrowing experience when their house was hit by a piece of space debris, puncturing the roof. According to a report by CBSNews, the incident occurred on March 8th at the home of Alejandro Otero in Naples.
Otero, who was on vacation at the time, received a shocking phone call from his son informing him about the damage. “I was trembling; I couldn’t believe it. The chances of something this big hitting my house and causing such destruction are so low. Thankfully, no one was hurt,” he said.
The mysterious object, later identified as a metal bracket used to secure old batteries, was sent to the Kennedy Space Center at Cape Canaveral for analysis. NASA confirmed in April that the object originated from a cargo pallet, specifically designed to hold old batteries, which was jettisoned from the International Space Station in 2021. The pallet was expected to burn up completely during re-entry into the Earth’s atmosphere, but a fragment of it survived.
Now, the Otero family is seeking compensation from NASA. The law firm Cranfill Sumner has filed a claim on behalf of the family, seeking damages for uninsured property loss, business interruption, emotional distress, and the cost of assistance from third-party agencies.
In a statement, attorney Mica Nguyen Worthy emphasized that this incident highlights the growing issue of space debris. “My clients are seeking appropriate compensation to offset the stress and impact this incident has had on their lives. They are fortunate that no one was physically harmed, but such a close call could have had catastrophic consequences. If the debris had landed just a few feet away, it could have resulted in serious injury or even death,” she said.
Worthy added that this case could set a precedent for future space debris claims against both private and public entities. NASA has six months to respond to the claim.
