Florida family seeks compensation from NASA for damage caused by space debris

Miami. A Florida family is suing the US space agency NASA for damages after a piece of debris from the International Space Station (ISS) fell into their home last March, destroying part of the roof and causing them “emotional distress”.

One of the plaintiffs, Alejandro Otero, who lives in Naples on Florida's west coast, said the cylindrical object passed his home on March 8.

A piece of debris hit the house that day, and his son Daniel, who was there, was nearly injured by the piece, which left a sizable hole from the roof to the basement.

The damages include “uninsured property damage losses, business interruption damages, emotional and mental distress damages and the costs of third-party assistance required in the process,” according to law firm Cranfield Summers, which handled the case.

“My clients seek appropriate compensation given the stress and impact this event has had on their lives,” attorney Micah Nguyen Worthy said in a statement.

“Space debris is a real and serious problem due to the increase in space traffic in recent years,” he stressed.

Worthy urged NASA that while the U.S. government is “absolutely responsible” for damages to the Earth's surface under international treaty law, people do not have to file a claim under the legal doctrine of negligence for space objects.

The object was taken to the Kennedy Space Center at Cape Canaveral on Florida's east coast for examination, which confirmed last April that it was a metal bracket used to mount old batteries onto a loading platform for disposal.

The platform was removed from the space station in 2021 and the cargo was expected to burn up completely upon entering Earth's atmosphere, but one piece survived.

Otero told CBS that her son was on vacation and was stunned after being saved from the attack.

“I was shaking. I was in complete disbelief. What are the chances of something falling into my house with such force to cause so much damage? ” Otero said. “I'm just so thankful no one was hurt.”