As danger of space debris grows, could wood be the safest solution?

Reports of metal parts landing on people’s property from SpaceX’s spacecraft have gained international attention. The debris from the Dragon Crew spacecraft is posing as a major concern for astronomers.

Metal chunks of the spacecraft have been found on a Saskatchewan farm, a North Carolina hiking trail, and another was found in Florida after hitting a home. No one was injured but space experts said it’s just a matter of time before one of these incidents becomes deadly — unless something is done to help prevent it.

NASA and Elon Musk’s SpaceX claim the space debris in orbit should burn up on re-entry into Earth’s atmosphere, but these recent incidents seem to somewhat dispel that notion. Scientists also contend that even if space debris does burn up, it releases an ozone-depleting chemical into the air known as aluminum oxide.

However, solutions are in development. A Japanese astronaut and engineer invented the world’ first wooden satellite, which is set to launch later this year. When it returns to Earth, it burns up into water vapor and carbon dioxide, which is a much cleaner alternative to aluminum oxide.

The wooden satellite doesn’t solve the problem of liability, though. While NASA is required by federal law to compensate victims impacted by space debris, there is no legal precedent for what private companies have to do for those impacted by their fallen spacecraft debris.

In the case of the Saskatchewan farmer, SpaceX employees reportedly picked up the debris with a U-Haul truck and drove off. SpaceX reportedly donated thousands of dollars to a local skating rink at the farmer’s request but no follow-up by U.S. or Canadian government occurred.

Any compensation that SpaceX did give the farmer is voluntary since it’s a private company and no damage occurred during the incident.

The lack of accountability has some questioning what would happen if someone were killed by SpaceX’s debris. Currently, there is no “space law” for private companies to sort these legal matters out. That is why accountability advocates are pushing for more regulation of private companies exploring space, urging agencies to take action “before disaster strikes.”