Emily Chan
Still, some of it has made it back onto our planet before, so this isn’t the first time that space junk has struck.
For example, in Canada and North Carolina, portions of a SpaceX Dragon trunk were found. In addition, a piece of a rocket from the Indian Space Research Organization landed on a beach in Australia.
The damage they caused was less severe than at the Otero home, but it serves as a wake-up call to have better practices and policies in place.
The event has the potential to pave the way for how victims of similar incidents should be compensated in the future. It also could change the way that space debris is disposed of.
“Here, the U.S. government, through NASA, has an opportunity to set the standard or ‘set a precedent’ as to what responsible, safe, and sustainable space operations ought to look like. If NASA were to take the position that the Oteros’ claim should be paid in full, it would send a strong signal to both other governments and private industries that such victims should be compensated regardless of fault,” said Mica Nguyen Worthy, a partner from the law firm representing the Oteros.
