'Space junk' crashed through roof of Florida home, family tells NASA

Otero family NaplesIn Florida, NASA is suing for compensation $80,000 Damage caused by space debris from the International Space StationMarch 8, 2024 The impact punctured the ceiling and floor of their home, but fortunately no one was hurt. The piece of “space junk” was a 720-gram, 10-centimeter-long metal cylinder that had been deformed and “burned” upon re-entry into the atmosphere. After analysis at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, the US space agency confirmed that it was part of the equipment used in the mission. March 2021 To replace some batteries in orbit. The object was removed from the International Space Station with a payload of approximately 2600 kgIt is scheduled to deorbit until it completely burns up in the atmosphere due to friction on March 8, 2024, with a final fall point at The Gulf Of MexicoUnfortunately, the debris that fell through the roof of Oteros unexpectedly survived.
The story takes place at a time when astronauts aboard the International Space Station are ordered to take shelter in their capsules because the Russian satellite is no longer working. Resource-P1began losing debris in an orbit about 50 kilometers below that of the International Space Station. Then the alarm went off and nothing happened, and no one was injured on March 8 in Naples, but it is clear that the risks associated with “space junk” are becoming increasingly urgent, as is the need to find solutions.

Atmospheric re-entry and space debris that passed through the roof of a house in the USA

In fact, atmospheric yields are determined on the basis of complex physical models And engineering Which takes into account the chemical composition of the materials, their shape and the trajectory of the “space junk” that is being dropped. So it is not a question of an uncontrolled reentry, like the Long March rockets used by the Chinese space agency to build the Tiangong space station or the one that recently happened to the European satellite ERS-2, but a controlled reentry in a specific orbit based on model predictions. If these predict that the material will not burn up completely in the atmosphere, for example, then landing can be arranged to take place in safe locations, primarily Pointe Nemo In the Pacific Ocean (the most isolated point on the planet). Clearly, something went wrong in this case, and NASA's studies will be useful in making subsequent re-entries safer. NASA engineers are working to understand why the debris did not burn up completely.

Space Waste Risks: A Solution Needed

However, the Otero family case brings the spotlight back into the spotlight. Fears Associated with space debris causing increased clutter in low Earth orbit. It is no coincidence that the Otero family's attorney, Micah Nguyen DennyThe complaint argues that “space debris is a real and serious problem due to the increase in space traffic in recent years.” NASA has six months to respond to the complaint and seek compensation, but the case highlights very serious questions about the responsibility of space agencies and the strategies needed to mitigate these risks as much as possible. Currently, several space agencies are working on various projects for future missions. Waste removal To remove space debris from low orbit.