A Florida family is seeking compensation from NASA for damages caused by space debris

Miami. A Florida family is asking NASA for compensation for the damages they suffered after a piece of garbage from the International Space Station fell on their house last March, destroying part of the roof and causing them “psychological distress.”

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

On that day, a piece of rubble fell on the house, while his son Daniel, who was present, was almost hit by the piece, which created a large hole extending from the ceiling to the basement.

Damages include “uninsured property damage losses, business interruption damages, emotional and mental damages, and the costs of third-party assistance necessary in the process,” says law firm Cranfill Summer, which handled the case.

“My clients are seeking appropriate compensation that takes into account the stress and impact this event has had on their lives,” attorney Mika Nguyen Worthy said in a statement.

He stressed that “space debris represents a real and serious problem due to the increase in space traffic in recent years.”

Worth urged NASA to keep in mind that people should not bring a claim under a legal theory of negligence when the US government has agreed to be “fully liable” under international treaty law for damage to persons or property on Earth caused by space objects.

The object was taken for analysis to the Kennedy Space Center, Cape Canaveral, on Florida’s east coast, which confirmed in April that it was a metal plate used to mount old batteries on a loading platform for disposal.

The pad was jettisoned from the space station in 2021 and it was expected that the entire cargo would eventually burn up upon entering Earth’s atmosphere, but one piece survived.

Otero told CBS that his son was on vacation and described him as distraught after saving him from the hit.

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