NAPLES, Fla. — A Florida family is suing NASA for damages after a chunk of space junk from the International Space Station (ISS) tore through their roof, according to a release from law firm Cranfill Sumner.
The claim was submitted by attorney Mica Ngyuen Worthy on May 22, according to the release. The family is reportedly citing damages for non-insured property, business interruption, emotional and mental anguish and the cost of assistance from third-party agencies.
The cylindrical object crashed through the home of Alejandro Otero earlier this March in Naples, according to the Associated Press.
That object was reportedly taken to the Kennedy Space Center in Cape Canaveral for analysis. NASA confirmed it was a metal support used to mount old batteries on a cargo pallet for disposal, AP said.
That pallet was jettisoned from ISS in 2021 and was expected to eventually burn up on reentry into Earth's atmosphere, but one 1.6-pound chunk of metal survived before it crashed into the home this year, according to AP.
Otero told CBS affiliate WINK-TV that he was on vacation when his son told him what had happened.
“I was shaking. I was completely in disbelief. What are the chances of something landing on my house with such force to cause so much damage,” Otero said. “I’m super grateful that nobody got hurt.”
In the release, Worthy stated, "space debris is a real and serious issue because of the increase in space traffic in recent years."
NASA has six months to respond to the claims, according to Cranfill Sumner.