Space debris: Mysterious object damages house in Naples, Florida
Naples, Florida, April 16, 2024 ((rezonodwes.com))–NASA confirmed Monday that the mysterious object that came through the roof of a Florida home last month was a piece of space debris from abandoned equipment to the International Space Station. The cylindrical object that passed through the house in Naples on March 8 was then taken to the Kennedy Space Center at Cape Canaveral for analysis.
The space agency said it was a metal bracket used to mount old batteries on a cargo pallet for disposal. The pallet was jettisoned from the space station in 2021, and although the payload was expected to burn up entirely upon entering Earth’s atmosphere, a piece survived.
Weighing 1.6 pounds (0.7 kilograms) and measuring 4 inches (10 centimeters) high and approximately 1 1/2 inches (4 centimeters) wide, the piece of metal caused significant damage on impact.
Owner Alejandro Otero, who was on vacation at the time, was shocked when his son informed him of the incident. Otero returned home early to find that the object had torn through his ceiling and damaged the floor.
” I was shaking. I was in complete disbelief. What are the chances of something landing on my house with that much force to cause that much damage,” Otero expressed. “ I am extremely grateful that no one was hurt.»
