NASA Reveals What the Strange Object Was that Fell From the Sky and Tore Through a Florida Home's Roof The home's owner, Alejandro Otero, allowed NASA to collect and analyze the sample after attempting to connect with the agency through a post on X, formerly Twitter, last month.

By Sherin Shibu

Key Takeaways

  • The mysterious object that fell through a Florida home was space junk, NASA confirmed on Monday.
  • The International Space Station will investigate why the debris failed to burn as it entered Earth's atmosphere.

One month after an object crashed through the roof and two floors of a home in Naples, Florida, NASA published the results of what the object really was — and why it unexpectedly fell from the sky.

The object. Credit: Alejandro Otero

NASA stated that the object was space debris, a 1.6-pound piece of a bigger 5,800-pound pallet containing old batteries that the agency released from the International Space Station three years ago. The pallet was supposed to burn up as it entered Earth's atmosphere in March, but a small piece survived and impacted the Florida home.

The homeowner, Alejandro Otero, allowed NASA to collect and analyze the sample after attempting to connect with the agency through a post on X, formerly Twitter, last month.

Otero posted footage of the sounds of the crash as captured by his home security camera.

NASA found that the debris was made of Inconel, a metal known for its ability to withstand high temperatures.

The International Space Station will investigate why the debris failed to burn as it should have and update its engineering models according to what it finds, NASA stated.

The agency affirmed its commitment to "responsibly operating" and decreasing the risk to people on Earth when it has to release objects from space.

Related: A Former Disney Star Just Launched a Space Startup With $6.3 Million in Seed Funding

Space junk, or man-made debris in orbit around the Earth, is a problem — not only can debris travel 10 times faster than a bullet, but there's also a lot of it. Around 44 tons of space debris hits Earth's atmosphere every day, and while 95% of it burns up, NASA documents that over the past 50 years, an average of one piece of debris fell back to Earth per day.

The Aerospace Corporation estimates that the risk of injury due to falling space debris is less than one in a trillion, but cautions that the potential impact of even a small piece of debris can be noticeable. A blueberry-sized piece of debris, for example, can cause an impact comparable to a falling anvil.

Florida isn't the only state to see the recent presence of space debris — residents in Southern California spotted a fiery streak of light in the sky earlier this month that the U.S. Space Command confirmed was falling debris from a spacecraft.

Related: Richard Branson Sounds Alarm on Space Tourism

Sherin Shibu

Entrepreneur Staff

News Reporter

Sherin Shibu is a business news reporter at Entrepreneur.com. She previously worked for PCMag, Business Insider, The Messenger, and ZDNET as a reporter and copyeditor. Her areas of coverage encompass tech, business, strategy, finance, and even space. She is a Columbia University graduate.

Want to be an Entrepreneur Leadership Network contributor? Apply now to join.

Business Ideas

70 Small Business Ideas to Start in 2025

We put together a list of the best, most profitable small business ideas for entrepreneurs to pursue in 2025.

Business News

'I Love Doing Product Reviews': Bill Gates Stepped Down from Microsoft in 2020, But Admits He Still Spends 15% of His Time Working at the Company

In a new interview with the Wall Street Journal, Gates also said he is still close with Microsoft's CEO Satya Nadella.

Business News

Uber's CEO Says Drivers Have About 10 Years Left Before They Will Be Replaced

Uber CEO Dara Khosrowshahi says the jobs of human drivers are safe for the next decade, but after that, another type of driver will take over.

Business News

'Everyone Can Profit From It': What Is DeepSeek? China's 'Cheap' to Make AI Chatbot Climbs to the Top of Apple, Google U.S. App Stores

DeepSeek researchers claim it was developed for less than $6 million, a contrast to the $100 million it takes U.S. tech startups to create AI.

Branding

How to Build a Strong Brand Identity for Your Early-Stage Startup

Branding might not be your first priority, but neglecting it can hurt your startup. A strong brand identity early on sets the stage for marketing success.

Business News

Elon Musk's DOGE Is Hiring People Eager to 'Work Long Hours' to Eliminate 'Waste, Fraud and Abuse' in the Government. Here's How to Apply.

The Department of Government Efficiency is hiring U.S. citizens to help cut spending and headcounts in the federal government.