There is still so much to discover about the Universe and the work that NASA carries out on a daily basis, together with the other space agencies, is very precious. Every now and then, however, there can be accidents and side effects: it is the price of knowledge. In this case, it would amount to $80,000. This is the compensation requested by an American family after some debris fallen from space they hit and tore the roof of a house.
It happened in Floridathe announcement came directly from the lawyer of Alejandro Otero, the protagonist of a story that seems like the plot of a film, but which actually happened in March 2024. Here are all the details and possible repercussions.
Debris from space pierces the roof of a house in Florida
Many wonder where they end up debris from space, an American family discovered it the hard way when they ripped off the roof of their house. A significant accident, which could have had tragic consequences and which dates back to 8 March 2024.
700 grams were enough to pierce the ceiling of a house in Florida. It was waste that was part of a pallet of used batteries released by the International Space Station in 2021. Unexpectedly, the debris did not disintegrate, but entered the atmosphere intact and caused considerable damage, not to mention that the consequences could have been much more serious.
Alejandro Otero, in an interview with the Washington Post, said he received a phone call from his “panicked” son. When he returned home, he found “a hole in the roof and in the floor of the second floor”. He also noted “a unusual projectile, a dense, cylindrical piece of charred metal, slightly smaller than a soup can, lodged in a wall.” Otero immediately understood that it was not a common object, but something that “came from Space”.
“My clients are trying to obtain compensation adequate to take into account the stress and impact this event had on their lives,” said lawyer Mica Nguyen Worthy, pointing to the fact that it was a “near accident” that could have had “catastrophic” consequences .
The family sues NASA: is the agency responsible?
The extraterrestrial debris that ripped off the roof of a house in Florida forces us to reflect on an important question. The space waste problem has increased hand in hand with the increase in traffic and what NASA decides could create a significant precedent. But let’s see what the law provides.
It seems that the country from which the object is launched and the nationality of the people involved have a specific weight. In fact, there is an international agreement that regulates cases like the one that happened to the Otero family, it is the Treatise on Outer Space of 1967. However, it only applies when an object launched into space by a specific country falls into the territory of another state. The former is considered responsible for any financial compensation resulting from any damage or the need to carry out a cleanup.
In this case they are only the United States to be involved, but the frequency with which certain events occur has increased and has led to reflections. “The current space law has worked so far because cases have been few and far between, and they have been dealt with diplomatically. As an increasing number of objects are sent into orbit, however, the risks will inevitably increase,” said Timiebi Aganaba, who deals with the relationship between space and society at the University of Arizona.
What causes dangers are not the active satellites, which remain in balance and gravitate around the Earth, but the inactive ones which are turned off or stop working. These are objects that in 2023 were 3,300 and which can be handled in two ways.
- They can be raised in orbitso that they are far enough away and therefore harmless.
- They can be hijackedso that they disintegrate upon contact with the atmosphere or cause minimal damage.
Will NASA pay compensation after the accusations?
According to the Otero family’s lawyer, the space debris that ripped off the roof of their home caused damage of $80,000. The figure includes material damage, third-party assistance and the emotional repercussions of the accident.
“If the accident had happened abroad If someone in another country had been harmed by the same space debris, the United States absolutely would have been required to reimburse them for their damages,” said Mica Nguyen Worthy, the family’s attorney.
NASA now has six months time to decide whether to make a refund or proceed through legal action. In any case, this is an important precedent that could mark the fate of any other similar events in the future.
