Reports on April 16 reveal that the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) has confirmed that a mysterious object that crashed into the roof of a house in Florida, United States last month indeed originated from the International Space Station.
According to officials from NASA, in an update released on April 15, "Upon inspection, the agency has determined that the debris is from a flight support strut used by NASA to secure batteries to a pallet."
It's understood that the fragment is cylindrical, made of a metal alloy called Inconel, weighing about 0.7 kilograms, with a height of 10 centimeters and a width of 4 centimeters.
The Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) is thought to be responsible. In May 2020, JAXA launched the H2B carrier rocket from the Tanegashima Space Center in Japan. It carried supplies such as batteries and food to the International Space Station.
In 2021, the International Space Station disposed of a batch of space debris weighing 2.6 tons. Among them was the battery that JAXA had launched as supplies the previous year.
Some space debris failed to burn up completely and fell to Earth, puncturing a residence in Florida, USA.
According to the United Nations Convention on International Liability for Damage Caused by Space Objects, the launching state is strictly liable for damage caused by its space objects on the surface of the Earth or to aircraft in flight.
Officials from NASA stated that the tray and battery were supposed to completely burn up in the Earth's atmosphere, but remnants were found for reasons unknown. The agency is currently investigating the cause.
