A Florida family is suing NASA after debris from the International Space Station (ISS) crashed onto their home, causing damage. A mysterious item weighing around 700g collided with a Naples house in March. While the homeowner’s son was living there, the item ripped through the ceiling and tore up the flooring. Fortunately, nobody suffered injuries in the event. The family is reportedly suing NASA for $80,000 (more than Rs 66 lakh) to cover expenditures for emotional and mental suffering, business and property damages and other expenses.
In a press release, the law firm Cranfill Sumner stated that it has filed a claim on plaintiff Alejandro Otero’s and his family’s behalf, as per the Guardian.
On March 8, 2024, a metallic cylinder slab from a cargo pallet launched by the ISS in 2021 struck the Otero family home while their son Daniel was at home.
Otero, who was two rooms over, told Wink News that his son was nearly hit by the debris.
Later, the US space agency confirmed that the debris originated from its flight support systems.
A piece of the debris stayed intact rather than dissolving after entering Earth’s atmosphere and plummeting to the surface.
According to The Guardian, lawyer Mica Nguyen Worthy indicated that her clients are demanding adequate compensation for the trauma and impact of the occurrence on their lives.
Cranfill Sumner pointed out that Worthy highlighted that the US government, via NASA, has the opportunity to establish a benchmark for responsible and secure space operations.
Worthy has pushed for the agency—and thus the U.S. government—to react in the same way that it would be obligated to by international law if the item had fallen elsewhere.
NASA will now have six months to address the accusations under the Federal Tort Claims Act (FTCA).
Cranfill Sumner also said that Worthy has spoken with other authorities in the field of space law, talking about the legal ramifications of previous space debris episodes.
Professor of space law and policy Christopher Newman of the University of Northumbria in the UK told Forbes that the state that launched the space debris is not required to prove culpability to be held accountable for damages resulting from it.
It just has to be demonstrated that the space object is what caused the harm.
The object’s creation on the ISS, according to Newman, could complicate matters because it was made as part of an international partnership that requires consultation between the governments of the United States, Russia, Europe, Japan, and Canada regarding liability and the defence of claims under international treaties.
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