One Florida family is seeking restitution for damages after a chunk of space debris smashed into their house. They're suing NASA after the incident occurred earlier this year. According to law firm Cranfill Sumner, this will be the first of its kind case. The firm believes it will "form the foundation" for future claims.
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The firm cites space debris as a "real and serious issue." In March, an object from space crashed into the home of Alejandro Otero. It put a hole in both his roof and the floor. As a result, the family is suing NASA for $80,000 "to account for the stress and impact that this event had on their lives." The law firm said that Otero's son Daniel was home at the time.
"The hardware was expected to fully burn up during entry through Earth's atmosphere on 8 March 2024," it said. "However, a piece of hardware survived re-entry and impacted a home in Naples, Florida." According to NASA, the space debris was a "stanchion" used to mount the batteries on the pallet. It weighed 1.6 pounds.
The law firm wants the organization to stand responsible for the mess. It said, "If NASA were to take the position that the Oteros' claims should be paid in full, it would send a strong signal to both other governments and private industries that such victims should be compensated regardless of fault."
