Hot topics close

Chunk of International Space Station crashed into Florida home: NASA

Chunk of International Space Station crashed into Florida home NASA
A chunk of the International Space Station that was released three years ago crashed into a Florida home last month, according to NASA’s Monday news release. A cargo pallet was released from the space station in March 2021. It was filled with aging batt

A chunk of the International Space Station that was released three years ago crashed into a Florida home last month, according to NASA’s Monday news release.

A cargo pallet was released from the space station in March 2021. It was filled with aging batteries. When released, it was supposed to burn up in Earth’s atmosphere without any harm, but a piece did not burn and eventually landed in a house in Naples, Fla., in early March of this year.

The object that hit the Florida house on March 8 weighed 1.6 pounds, NASA confirmed on Monday.

WINK News, a CBS News affiliate, first reported on the object’s crash.

The object crashed into Naples resident Alejandro Otero’s home, ripping through the home’s room and floor.

“It was a tremendous sound. It almost hit my son. He was two rooms over and heard it all,” Otero told WINK News. Otero was not home when the crash occurred, but the incident shook the entire family.

“I was shaking. I was completely in disbelief. What are the chances of something landing on my house with such force to cause so much damage,” Otero said. “I’m super grateful that nobody got hurt.”

The piece was cylindrical in shape, and it was 1.6-inches wide and around 4 inches tall. NASA examined and confirmed the purpose of the object at the Kennedy Space Center in Florida.

“Based on the examination, 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 Monday.

NASA said the International Space Station will perform a probe to find out why the debris survived when dropping through the Earth’s atmosphere.

“NASA specialists use engineering models to estimate how objects heat up and break apart during atmospheric re-entry,” NASA said Monday. “These models require detailed input parameters and are regularly updated when debris is found to have survived atmospheric re-entry to the ground.”

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill.

View comments
Similar news
News Archive
  • Sarah Harding
    Sarah Harding
    The first signs of breast cancer Sarah Harding spotted - and the symptoms you shouldn't ignore
    25 Jul 2022
    21
  • Mini PC
    Mini PC
    The World's Most Cost-efficient i9 Mini PC is Now Available for Purchase
    10 Apr 2024
    5
  • Compounding
    Compounding
    High Intensity Natural Sweetener Market Production and Demand Analysis 2020 to 2026
    16 Feb 2020
    3
  • Arsenal vs Lyon
    Arsenal vs Lyon
    Arsenal vs. Lyon - Football Match Report - December 8, 2022 - ESPN
    8 Dec 2022
    9
  • Bugs Bunny
    Bugs Bunny
    The Lasting Legacy of Bugs Bunny
    27 Jul 2020
    1