Family sues NASA after Florida home is hit by debris from space station

Sky News

Updated 24 June 2024 at 9:56 am·2-min read

A family from Florida is suing NASA after their home was damaged by debris which fell to Earth from the International Space Station.

Law firm Cranfill Sumner, acting for the family, said the case against the agency is the first of its kind - and will "form the foundation" for similar claims in the future as space debris had become a "real and serious issue".

The object smashed into the home of Alejandro Otero in March, creating a hole in the roof and flooring.

Mr Otero's son, Daniel, was at home at the time but was not injured.

The family wants $80,000 (£63,000) in compensation "to account for the stress and impact that this event had on their lives", said the lawyers.

Cranfill Sumner said their clients were "grateful that no one sustained physical injuries" but added the "near-miss situation" could have been "catastrophic".

"If the debris had hit a few feet in another direction, there could have been serious injury or a fatality," the firm said.

NASA said the debris fell to earth after ground controllers used a robotic arm on the space station to release a cargo pallet containing "aging batteries" in March 2021.

"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."

NASA said the object was from a "stanchion" used in the flight support equipment to mount the batteries on the pallet.

It weighed around 1.6lbs (725g) and measured 4ins by 1.6ins.

The Otero family's lawyer, Mica Nguyen Worthy, said: "Space debris is a real and serious issue because of the increase in space traffic in recent years.

"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."

Futurism
China Finds Something Strange in Sample Retrieved From Moon
Lunar Graphene Chinese scientists have made an unusual discovery while analyzing the sample Chang'e-5 collected from the Moon's surface in December 2020. They found naturally occurring "few-layer graphene" for the first time, as state-run news agency Global Times reports, which could have major implications for our plans to make use of local resources once on […]
Associated Press Finance
China calls on scientists of all nations to study lunar samples, but notes obstacle with the US
China's space officials said Thursday they welcomed scientists from around the world to apply to study the lunar rock samples that the Chang'e 6 probe brought back to Earth in a historic mission, but noted there were limits to that cooperation, specifically with the United States. Officials said at a televised news conference in Beijing meant to introduce the mission's achievements that any cooperation with the U.S. would be hinged on removing an American law that bans direct bilateral cooperation with NASA. "The source of the obstacle in US-China aerospace cooperation is still in the Wolf Amendment,” said Bian Zhigang, vice chair of the China National Space Administration.
CNN
A weird sea creature was anatomically unlike anything ever seen — flipping it around led to a revelation
Researchers have long puzzled over the peculiar innards of an ancient sea creature. A new study says scientists were looking at the Pikaia fossil the wrong way.
CNN
Surprising asteroid sample reveals Bennu may have originated from an ocean world
A sample from asteroid Bennu contains organic compounds usually found at midocean ridges on Earth, suggesting Bennu may have been part of an ancient ocean world.
BBC
Musk's SpaceX hired to destroy ISS space station
The California-based company will build a "tugboat" to execute the end-of-life disposal of the ISS.
France 24
NASA picks SpaceX to carry ISS to oceanic resting place after 2030
NASA awarded on Tuesday SpaceX an $843 million contract to build the vessel that will bring the International Space Station out of its longtime orbit of Earth when its operating lifespan ends in 2030. NASA on Tuesday said it had picked SpaceX to build a vessel to carry the International Space Station back through Earth's atmosphere and on to a final resting place in the Pacific Ocean after it is retired in 2030.Elon Musk's company has been awarded a contract with a potential value of $843 millio
Sky News
Why two NASA astronauts are stuck in space and how they might get down
Two astronauts are stuck in space because Boeing's Starliner can't make the journey back to Earth. Barry "Butch" Wilmore and Sunita "Suni" Williams blasted off on 5 June in Starliner's first mission to orbit carrying astronauts. After docking onto the International Space Station (ISS), the NASA astronauts were supposed to stay in orbit for eight days.
PA Media: UK News
‘Remarkably preserved’ 500-million-year-old sea creature discovered
New findings have allowed scientists to document features in the extinct animal never seen before.
Euronews
Beat them or eat them: What should we do about invasive species in the ocean?
Should we beat them, or eat them? In this episode of Ocean Calls, we’re embarking on a journey to unravel the mysteries of invasive species in EU waters. They unsettle the delicate balance of marine ecosystems, so what can we do about them?
Futurism
Astronauts Sheltered in Escape Vehicles as Debris Menaced Space Station
Shelter in Place Astronauts on board the International Space Station were forced to shelter inside their respective spacecraft after reports indicated pieces of a broken-up satellite were headed their way. The remains of the derelict spacecraft called Resurs-P 1, a Russian commercial Earth observation satellite that launched in June 2013, were spotted by space junk […]
Reuters Videos
Astronauts stuck aboard ISS as Starliner issues delay return
STORY: Problems with Boeing’s Starliner capsule have upended the original plans for the return of two astronauts to Earth, leaving them aboard the International Space Station as teams look at last-minute fixes. :: June 5, 2024Since its liftoff on June 5 the capsule has had five helium leaks, five maneuvering thrusters go dead and a propellant valve fail to close completely.The current problems center on Starliner’s expendable propulsion system, which is needed to back away from the ISS and position it to dive through Earth’s atmosphere. Starliner can stay docked at the ISS for up to 45 days, according to comments by NASA’s commercial crew manager Steve Stich. He said recent test-firings of the thrusters gave mission teams confidence in a safe return, though tests and reviews are ongoing. A source who spoke on the condition of anonymity said internally, NASA’s latest targeted return date is July 6. That would mean the mission, originally planned for eight days, would instead last a month. Even with the propulsion issues NASA has said Starliner would still be capable of returning the astronauts to Earth if absolutely necessary – that is, if the capsule must serve as an escape pod.If Starliner is deemed incapable of safely returning Barry "Butch" Wilmore and Sunita "Suni" Williams, one option would be sending them home aboard SpaceX's Crew Dragon.NASA and Boeing officials, as well as engineers familiar with the program, told Reuters nothing about Starliner’s current problems indicates that this would be needed.This is Starliner's first mission to orbit carrying astronauts - the final test needed before NASA can certify it as the U.S. space agency's second ride to the ISS.
The Telegraph
Last woolly mammoths were inbred, but that’s not why they became extinct
The last woolly mammoths were inbred, scientists have discovered, but this is not the reason they became extinct.
HuffPost
NASA Astronauts Again Postpone Return To Earth After Boeing Spacecraft Issues
There's now no return date set for Boeing's Starliner transportation vessel, after it experienced issues with its thrusters and helium systems.
CNN
Decades after the famed Kyrenia shipwreck’s discovery, researchers have a new estimate of when it sank
The timeline of a Hellenistic Kyrenia shipwreck stumped researchers for decades. But thanks to a cache of ancient almonds, a new study may have a better estimate.
euronews Videos
WATCH: NASA enhances weather observation with GOES-U satellite launch
NASA launched the GOES-U weather satellite on a Falcon Heavy rocket from Kennedy Space Center.View on euronews
Evening Standard
Boeing Starliner astronauts still stranded on ISS, now what? - Tech & Science Daily podcast
Plus, a fully automated transcript of today’s episode...
The Independent
Sunspot that caused intense solar storms makes dramatic comeback
Solar storm could bring extreme auroras, as well as ‘complete collapse’ of electrical grids and blackouts, NOAA warns
The Guardian
Two US astronauts stuck in space as Boeing analyzes Starliner problems
Barry Wilmore and Sunita Williams in spacecraft attached to International Space Station as engineers fix problem
Cosmopolitan
Katy Perry Went Topless in Nothing But Ripped Tights and an Open Jacket at PFW
Katy Perry went topless in nothing but ripped tights and an open jacket during Paris Fashion Week.
The Independent
Boy, 14, was held down and hacked to death at Wyoming mall while he tried to protect his girlfriend
Dominique Antonio Richard Harris and Jarreth Plunkett, both 15, are accused of murdering 14-year-old Bobby Maher during fatal attack

Latest stories