Florida family demands compensation from NASA for damages caused by space debris | News in brief

Florida family demands compensation from NASA for damages caused by

According to the law firm, the case may become a precedent for future similar compensation claims.

In the United States, a Florida family has demanded more than $80,000 in compensation from NASA, the country’s space administration, according to a local law firm.

In March, an object weighing about 700 grams struck Alejandro Otero through the roof of the family’s home in Naples, Florida.

Nasa later confirmed that the object was part of a pallet of spent batteries that had been removed as waste from the International Space Station ISS in 2021. Nasan added that the pallet did not completely burn up when re-entering the Earth’s atmosphere, but part of it remained intact.

Otero’s son was present in the house at the time of the accident, the law firm says.

According to the law office representing Otero’s family, the case may become a precedent in terms of future similar compensation claims. According to the law office, NASA has six months to respond to the compensation claim.

– Our clients request adequate compensation for the stress caused by the case and the impact of the case on their lives, lawyer Mica Nguyen Worthy says in the law firm’s statement.

– They are grateful that no one was injured in the accident. However, this kind of near miss could have ended catastrophically. Someone could have been seriously injured or killed, the statement said.

NASA has not yet responded to AFP’s request for comment.

Source: AFP

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