Are Space Debris Threatening Our Safety? Family Requests $80,000 from NASA after Object Falls on Home

On March 8, a strange object fell into Alejandro Otero’s home in Naples, Florida, penetrating through the roof and two floors. Fortunately, it narrowly missed hitting his son. A few days later, NASA collected the fragment for evaluation and confirmed that it was remains from the International Space Station (ISS). The debris was identified as a NASA flight support equipment strut used to load batteries onto the cargo platform, weighing 0.7 kilograms and measuring 10 by 4 centimeters in diameter.

Following the incident, the Otero family is requesting $80,000 in compensation from NASA, with the agency having six months to respond to their claim. Their attorney, Mica Nguyen Worthy, stated that the family seeks appropriate compensation for the stress and impact of the incident on their lives. Despite no injuries or deaths, the near-miss situation caused emotional distress.

The increase in space traffic has led to a growing problem of space debris, which poses significant threats. The United Nations has identified space debris as one of the six threats that could potentially destroy systems essential to human life. With about 30,000 objects larger than a baseball orbiting Earth, the risk of objects falling and causing harm is a serious concern.

Efforts are being made to address the issue of space debris, including monitoring released objects and updating legislation around space objects. NASA has introduced a Space Sustainability Strategy to ensure the cleanup of space around Earth and the equitable and sustainable sharing of space resources. International space agencies are working together to tackle this global problem.