A US family whose home was struck by space debris earlier this year is seeking compensation from NASA. The debris, identified as part of a 2.9-ton pallet of used batteries from the International Space Station, punctured through two layers of ceiling in Alejandro Otero’s Naples home in March.

Mr. Otero reported that his son narrowly escaped injury from the impact. Recently, the law firm Cranfill Summer announced it has filed a claim on behalf of the Otero family, listing damages such as uninsured property damage, business interruption, emotional distress, and costs for third-party assistance.

According to Attorney Mica Nguyen Worthy, the issue of space debris has become increasingly serious due to the rise in space traffic in recent years. She emphasized that her clients are seeking fair compensation to cover the stress and disruption caused by the incident.

Separately, in an interview with CBS affiliate Wink-TV, Mr. Otero described the moment when the space debris struck his home, saying it created a loud noise and left him shaken and in disbelief. He expressed astonishment at the unlikely odds of such a forceful impact causing significant damage to his house.

The US space agency confirmed that the debris was part of its flight support equipment, specifically a metal support used to secure old batteries on a disposal pallet that was jettisoned from the International Space Station in 2021.

Although most of the pallet was expected to burn up during re-entry into Earth’s atmosphere on March 8, 2024, this particular piece of hardware survived and collided with a home in Naples, Florida.

NASA stated that it will conduct a thorough investigation into how this debris managed to survive the re-entry process. The BBC reported that NASA now has six months to respond to Mr. Otero’s compensation claims related to the incident.