In 2024, a piece of a 5,800-pound battery pallet jettisoned from the International Space Station survived re-entry and punched through a Florida family’s roof and two floors — exposing an awkward feature of space law: the treaties governing falling space objects hold launching nations responsible, rather than giving victims a direct international claim against the private companies involved.

In 2024, a piece of a 5,800-pound battery pallet jettisoned from the International Space Station survived re-entry and punched through a Florida family’s roof and two floors — exposing an awkward feature of space law: the treaties governing falling space objects hold launching nations responsible, rather than giving victims a direct international claim against the private companies involved.

A 1.6-pound piece of metal fell out of orbit on March 8, 2024, crossed the roof of a home in Naples, Florida, continued through the second floor and stopped in the subflooring. The homeowner’s son was inside and in a nearby room. Nobody was physically injured. The object was small enough to hold in one hand, but it came from a discarded structure weighing about 5,800 pounds. NASA had expected the entire International Space Station battery pallet…