NASA confirmed Monday that a mysterious object that pierced the roof of a Florida home last month was a piece of discarded equipment from the International Space Station. The cylindrical object that fell on the house in the city of Naples on March 8 was later sent to the Kennedy Space Center, Cape Canaveral, for analysis.
The space agency said it is a metal bracket used to place old batteries on a charging pad for disposal. The platform was jettisoned from the Space Station in 2021, and its cargo was expected to burn up upon entering Earth’s atmosphere, but one piece survived the trip. The piece of metal weighed 700 grams (1.6 pounds), and was 10 centimeters (4 inches) high and 4 centimeters (1.5 inches) wide.
Alejandro Otero, owner of the home, told WINK television at the time that he was on vacation and that his son informed him what happened. Otero returned to his house to check it, and realized that the object had pierced the ceiling and destroyed the floor.
“I was shaking. I could not believe it. What are the possibilities of something falling on my house with such force to cause so much damage,” said Otero. “I am extremely grateful that no one was hurt.”
In other news, NASA has selected three companies to advance the development of its lunar vehicle. The agency also announced plans to launch three rockets and pursue the total solar eclipse on April 8 with planes. Additionally, NASA is seeking solutions to problems faced by its crew members.