An American household is claiming greater than $80,000 from NASA after a small piece of particles fell from area and smashed by means of the roof of their Florida house, a legislation agency mentioned Friday.
The issue of area trash has risen in tandem with elevated spatial site visitors, and NASA’s response might set a precedent for a way future claims are dealt with, legislation agency Cranfill Sumner mentioned in an announcement.
On March 8, the article weighing simply 700 grams hit Alejandro Otero’s house in Naples, Florida, making a gap within the roof.
NASA later confirmed it was a part of a cargo pallet of used batteries that was launched from the Worldwide Area Station as waste in 2021.
As an alternative of absolutely disintegrating earlier than falling to Earth, a piece remained intact when it reentered the ambiance, the US area company mentioned.
Otero’s son was on the home in the intervening time of influence, based on the legislation agency, which mentioned that NASA has six months to answer its declare.
“My purchasers are searching for sufficient compensation to account for the stress and influence that this occasion had on their lives,” mentioned lawyer Mica Nguyen Worthy.
“They’re grateful that nobody sustained bodily accidents from this incident, however a ‘close to miss’ state of affairs resembling this might have been catastrophic.
“There might have been severe damage or a fatality.”
NASA didn’t instantly reply to AFP’s request for a remark.
© Agence France-Presse