A Naples family is seeking damages from NASA after space debris crashed into their home earlier this year.
Mica Nguyen Worthy, a Charlotte, North Carolina-based attorney representing Alejandro Otero and his family, said in a June 21 news release that her firm has submitted a claim to NASA to recover money “resulting from a space debris incident” March 8.
The release did not specify an amount. However, the Washington Post reported Sunday that the attorney told the newspaper in an email that the Oteros were seeking more than $80,000.
NASA confirmed in April that a nearly two-pound cylindrical object was part of a jettisoned pallet of used batteries from the International Space Station.
Why are Oteros seeking damages
Alejandro Otero wasn’t home March 8 but his son Daniel was when the space debris left a sizable hole from the roof through the sub-flooring, said the news release from Cranfill Sumner, a law firm.
The Oteros live in a 4,100-square-foot home on Aspen Chase Drive, north of Immokalee Road and east of Interstate 75, according to Collier County property records.
“The Oteros retained Worthy to navigate the insurance and legal process and to make a formal claim against NASA,” the news release said.
“Space debris is a real and serious issue because of the increase in space traffic in recent years,” added Worthy, a partner with Cranfill Sumner, in the news release.
Worthy said in the release that NASA has six months to respond to the claim under the Federal Torts Claim Act. The claim includes noninsured property damage loss, business interruption damages, emotional and mental anguish damages and costs for assistance from third parties, the release said.
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Setting precedent in seeking damages for space debris
“This space debris claim is historical in that it involves a ‘real life example’ of the consequences of space debris surviving to the Earth’s surface,” the release continued.
“How NASA responds to her claim will form the foundation upon which the legal landscape in this field will be built.”
Worthy added: “My clients are seeking adequate compensation to account for the stress and impact that this event had on their lives. They are grateful that no one sustained physical injuries from this incident, but a ‘near miss’ situation such as this could have been catastrophic. If the debris had hit a few feet in another direction, there could have been serious injury or a fatality.”
More on the space debris
In confirming the debris was from the International Space Station, NASA said that in 2021 ground controllers used the Space Station’s robotic arm to release a cargo pallet containing aging nickel hydride batteries.
The total hardware released was about 5,800 pounds and was supposed to burn up during entry into the Earth’s atmosphere.
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Dave Osborn is the regional features editor of the Naples Daily News and News-Press. Follow him on Instagram and Threads @lacrossewriter and on X (formerly Twitter) @NDN_dosborn.
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