A family is seeking compensation from NASA after a piece of metal trash from the International Space Station tore through the roof of their home in Naples, Fla. in March.
Florida
Family whose home was hit by space debris seeks damages from NASA
Homeowner Alejandro Otero previously told The Washington Post that on the day of the incident he received a panicked call from his son. He returned home to find the dense, cylindrical piece of charred metal a little smaller than a soup can lodged in a wall, and knew immediately it “was from outer space.”
“My clients are seeking adequate compensation to account for the stress and impact that this event had on their lives,” the family’s attorney, Mica Nguyen Worthy, said in a news release. “If the debris had hit a few feet in another direction, there could have been serious injury or a fatality.”
NASA did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the legal claim.
NASA previously confirmed that the 1.6-pound cylindrical object that smashed through the roof of the Otero’s house was a piece of a 5,800-pound cargo pallet carrying old nickel hydride batteries released from the International Space Station in March 2021.
The space junk had been expected to burn up upon reentering the Earth’s atmosphere, but somehow survived, sparking concerns about a possible increase in such incidents in the future.
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“Space debris is a real and serious issue because of the increase in space traffic in recent years,” Worthy said.
How NASA responds to the claim could set a legal precedent for how it treats such incidents when they involve U.S. citizens and residents, Worthy said. She is asking NASA to treat the family’s case in the same way that it would meet its obligations under international space law.
In the case of international incidents, the “launching state” — the country that procured an object’s launch or the country from which it was launched — is liable for any damage its objects cause. In the early ’80s, the Soviet Union agreed to pay millions in compensation after a malfunctioning satellite burned up over Canada.
“If the incident had happened overseas, and someone in another country were damaged by the same space debris as in the Oteros’ case, the U.S. would have been absolutely liable to pay for those damages,” Worthy said.
Worthy did not immediately respond to questions on the claim, including how much the family is seeking. She told science and technology publication Ars Technica that the claim is “in excess of $80,000.”
NASA has six months to respond to the claim under the Federal Torts Claim Act, she said in the news release. The claim includes noninsured property damage loss, business interruption damages, emotional and mental anguish damages and the costs for assistance from third parties.
Praveena Somasundaram and Daniel Wu contributed to this report.
South Florida is experiencing a prolonged stretch of wet weather as deep tropical moisture combines with a stalled frontal boundary across the region.
The result has been frequent showers, thunderstorms, periods of heavy rainfall, and localized flooding concerns from Broward to Miami-Dade and throughout the Keys.
The atmosphere is loaded with moisture, allowing storms to produce intense downpours in a short amount of time.
Some neighborhoods have already seen several inches of rain, with additional rounds of showers and thunderstorms expected through the end of the week.
Flood-prone streets and poor drainage areas remain especially vulnerable during the heaviest rainfall.
While the rain is helping ease drought conditions, it is also increasing the risk of flash flooding and travel delays.
South Florida is two weeks into its rainy season, when abundant heat and humidity combine to generate daily rounds of showers and thunderstorms.
Heavy rainfall, frequent lightning, and gusty winds are common features of this time of year.
The good news? Drier air will gradually filter into parts of the region heading into the weekend, allowing rain chances to slightly decrease. Until then, keep the umbrella handy and be prepared for sudden tropical downpours.
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A man is in custody after deputies said he tried to kidnap a woman at a Wawa near Winter park. Per investigators, Matthew Seaberg approached the victim from behind, picked her up by the waist, and threw her into his truck.
Florida
Jury selection continues in fatal boat crash trial of South Florida real estate mogul George Pino
MIAMI — A new group of prospective jurors was questioned Tuesday in the trial of South Florida real estate mogul George Pino, who is charged in connection with a 2022 boat crash that killed a teenager in Miami-Dade County.
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During jury selection in a Miami-Dade courtroom, Judge Marisa Tinkler Mendez asked potential jurors what they already knew about the case and whether they had recently seen or heard anything about it.
Several prospective jurors said they knew only basic details, including that a fatal boating crash occurred and that a teenage girl died. Others said they recalled media reports that alcohol may have been involved.
As questioning continued, some prospective jurors disclosed connections to schools and communities tied to the case.
Passengers aboard Pino’s boat included his wife, his teenage daughter and 11 of her friends, many of whom attended private schools in Miami-Dade County.
One prospective juror said they graduated from a local private school around the time of the crash and were familiar with some of the students involved.
Another said references to schools and witnesses brought back memories of seeing posts and articles about the incident shared on social media.
A third said their child participates in youth sports with students from schools connected to the case.
Investigators said the boat struck a channel marker while returning from an outing on Biscayne Bay. Seventeen-year-old Lourdes Academy student Lucy Fernandez drowned after the crash.
Tinkler Mendez also addressed concerns that a prospective juror had been viewing a news report about the case on a cellphone while waiting outside the courtroom.
Another prospective juror reported hearing the report but said it was not loud enough for everyone in the area to hear.
Tinkler Mendez reminded prospective jurors to avoid news coverage and social media discussions related to the case as jury selection continues.
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