A lawsuit has been filed against NASA on behalf of a Florida family after a cylindrical object from space crashed into their home, law firm Cranfill Sumner said in a news release Friday.
Homeowner Alejandro Otero filed the claim after an object from space crashed into his family’s home in Naples on March 8, 2024, according to the firm’s statement. It is known that the object damaged the property but did not result in physical injuries. Cranfill Sumner attorney Mica Nguyen Worthy, who is handling the legal action, is advocating that her clients receive compensation for the uninsured property damage.
Florida family whose roof was hit by space station debris sues NASA for damages https://t.co/dRy2DrjTDp
— WINK News (@winknews) June 23, 2024
“Space debris is a real and serious issue due to the increase in space traffic in recent years,” Worthy said in the press release. “My clients are seeking adequate compensation to account for the stress and impact this event has had on their lives. They are thankful that no one was physically injured in this incident, but a ‘near miss’ situation like this could have been catastrophic. If the debris had hit a few meters in a different direction, there could have been serious injuries or fatalities.”
Worthy also noted how the law treats international incidents, making the initiating state absolutely responsible under international treaties, according to the statement. The Oteros are pushing for NASA to apply the same standards to incidents that occur within the U.S., the release said. (RELATED: Boeing Scraps Starliner Mission Launch Carrying Two Astronauts)
Worthy also claimed that there were inconsistencies in NASA’s obligations under the Convention on International Liability for Damage Caused by Space Objects, in which the US would be liable if the incident occurred abroad.
“We have asked NASA not to apply a different standard to US citizens or residents, but instead to take care of the Oteros and make them whole,” she said in the release. Under the Federal Tort Claims Act, the space agency has six months to respond to the claim, the release added.
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NASA confirmed in April 2024 that the object was a 1.6 kilogram metal support previously used to mount old batteries on a cargo pallet. NASA ground controllers operated the International Space Station’s robotic arm to jettison a cargo pallet loaded with old nickel hydride batteries, NASA said. This was after the installation of new lithium-ion batteries, which were part of the power upgrades to the orbital outpost. The device ejected from the space station weighed approximately 5,800 pounds.
Otero, who was on vacation at the time of the incident, rushed home after his son informed him of the crash, WINK-TV reported.
“It was an incredible sound. He almost hit my son. He was two rooms away and heard it all,” Otero told WINK-TV. “Something ripped through the house and then made a big hole in the floor and the ceiling. When we heard that, we were, like, “Impossible,” and then immediately I thought of a meteorite.
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