Debris from Space Crashes into Florida house; Family Sues NASA

A family has filed a case against the American space agency, NASA after space junk crashed into their Florida house, reported Space.com.

On March 8, a chunk of space debris tore through the roof and two floors of Alejandro Otero’s seaside home in Naples, Florida. The falling debris narrowly missed his son.

NASA has accepted that the debris originated from a 2.9-ton pallet of used batteries jettisoned from the International Space Station in March 2021. The structure did not burn up completely upon re-entry into Earth’s atmosphere.

The legal counsel of the family argues that under the Space Liability Convention, NASA would be liable if the debris had caused damage in another country, and believes this policy should apply within the United States as well.

This incident highlights the growing problem of space debris. The outcome of this case could set a precedent for how governments and private space companies handle compensation for victims of similar incidents in the future.