A metal fragment that crashed into a Florida home last month has been identified as space debris from the International Space Station, NASA confirmed.

The 1.6-pound object was part of a cargo pallet released intentionally from the space station three years ago, containing old batteries.

Despite expectations of burning up in the atmosphere, a portion survived, causing damage to a home in Naples, Florida.

NASA analyzed the object, matching it to equipment used on the space station, NBC News reported.

While space agencies often discard defunct hardware in this manner to avoid contributing to space debris, occasionally surviving pieces raise concerns.

NASA plans to investigate how this debris endured re-entry to inform future handling protocols.

Written by B.C. Begley