Space debris is becoming a growing problem for Earth seeing as we are now launching more and more man-made objects in space. What's worse is that not only are they polluting low-orbit, but some of the junk falls back to Earth as well. In this case, one that managed to survive the descent ended up in a Florida home.
Space Junk Punches a Hole in Florida Home
Most of the time, we don't really need to worry about falling space junk since they either burn up before they even reach the Earth's surface, or space agencies have precisely calculated their landing so that it wouldn't harm anyone or any structures.
However, there is still a slim chance that debris will survive its entry to Earth. Even space agencies accept that there's a 1 in 10,000 chance that an uncontrolled reentry can lead to casualty risk. Unfortunately, for a homeowner in Florida, they were the 1 in 10,000.
The son of the homeowner, Alejandro Otero was home at the time of the impact and fortunately did not sustain any injuries. The debris, however, left a hole in the home's roof and even went through the sub-flooring, as per Gizmodo.
"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," the family lawyer expressed.
Other than the property damage and the emotional anguish caused by the incident, the compensation will also pay for the legal and other services required to resolve the matter. NASA will likely pay the fee requested.
The space agency has already retrieved the object for analysis and confirmed that it was a fragment from the flight support equipment, which held a pallet of old batteries from the ISS that weighed around 5,800 pounds.
"NASA remains committed to responsibly operating in low Earth orbit, and mitigating as much risk as possible to protect people on Earth when space hardware must be released," the space agency said in a statement.
The Growing Space Junk Problem
This just adds weight to the fact that Earth's low orbit is becoming more and more polluted by space junk, and it won't be stopping any time soon. With the advancement of technology and the pursuit of scientific knowledge, people will keep sending spacecraft into space.
Not only will it create problems for space missions, but the crowded space is starting to be the cause of collisions. These incidents will then create more and smaller debris from the impact, making it harder to avoid.
Satellites have been performing collision-avoidance maneuvers to avoid being destroyed or damaged, including the ISS. Even astronomers are already pointing out how stargazing is affected by all the space debris contributing to light pollution, as per The Guardian.
For instance, observations by the Hubble telescope are being affected by Starlink streaks. Hopefully, these matters are addressed before we have no other choice but to.
