NASA recently announced that a piece of “space debris” from equipment left over from the International Space Station (ISS) was the “mystery object” that broke the roof of a home in Florida in March 2024. The cylindrical object tore through a residence in Naples, Florida, on March 8. 2024.
The item was later taken to the Kennedy Space Center in Cape Canaveral for examination according to One America News (OAN). NASA indicated that the object was a metal support used to install outdated batteries for disposal on a cargo pallet measuring 4 inches in height 1.6 inches in width and weighing nearly 2 pounds.
Fox 13 News reported that the pallet was abandoned from the ISS in March 2021. It was expected to fully burn up as it entered Earth’s atmosphere on March 8 2024 but a piece survived and decimated the home in Naples.
In a statement NASA vowed to find out how the debris was able to enter the atmosphere. “The agency determined the debris to be a stanchion from the NASA flight support equipment used to mount the batteries on the cargo pallet,” NASA said. “The object is made of the metal alloy Inconel weighs 1.6 pounds is 4 inches in height and 1.6 inches in diameter.”
“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 added.
Alejandro Otero the owner of the Naples residence hit by the cylindrical object told WINK that he was informed of the incident while he was on vacation. When he arrived home he noticed that the object had devastated the flooring and ceiling of the residence.
“It was a tremendous sound. It almost hit my son” Otero said. “He was two rooms over and heard it all. Something ripped through the house and then made a big hole on the floor and on the ceiling.”
Hello. Looks like one of those pieces missed Ft Myers and landed in my house in Naples.
Tore through the roof and went thru 2 floors. Almost his my son.
Can you please assist with getting NASA to connect with me? I’ve left messages and emails without a response. pic.twitter.com/Yi29f3EwyV— Alejandro Otero (@Alejandro0tero) March 15, 2024
“I was shaking. I was completely in disbelief” he added. “What are the chances of something landing on my house with such force to cause so much damage? I’m super grateful that nobody got hurt.”
The incident raises concerns about the potential risks posed by space debris and the importance of responsible management of objects in low Earth orbit. As space exploration and the use of the ISS continue to expand, measures must be taken to minimize the chances of similar incidents occurring in the future.
