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An American family is claiming more than $80,000 from NASA after a small piece of debris fell from space and smashed through the roof of their Florida home, a law firm said Friday.<\/p>\n
The problem of space trash has risen in tandem with increased spatial traffic, and NASA’s response could set a precedent for how future claims are handled, law firm Cranfill Sumner said in a statement.<\/p>\n
On March 8, an object weighing just 700 grams hit Alejandro Otero’s home in Naples, Florida, making a hole in the roof.<\/p>\n
NASA later confirmed it was part of a cargo pallet of used batteries that was released from the International Space Station as waste in 2021.<\/p>\n
Instead of fully disintegrating before falling to Earth, a section remained intact when it reentered the atmosphere, the US space agency said.<\/p>\n
Otero’s son was at the house at the moment of impact, according to the law firm, which said that NASA has six months to respond to its claim.<\/p>\n
“My clients are seeking adequate compensation to account for the stress and impact that this event had on their lives,” said lawyer Mica Nguyen Worthy.<\/p>\n
“They are grateful that no one sustained physical injuries from this incident, but a ‘near miss’ situation such as this could have been catastrophic.<\/p>\n
“There could have been serious injury or a fatality.”<\/p>\n
NASA did not immediately respond to AFP’s request for a comment.<\/p>\n
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\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tNASA faces $80,000 claim after space debris hit family home (2024, June 22)
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