SpaceX Starbase Injury Rates Higher Than Industry Average

SpaceX Starbase Injury Rates: A Detailed Examination

Analysis of company worker safety records, as reviewed by TechCrunch, indicates that SpaceX personnel face a heightened risk of injury at the Starbase facility compared to all other SpaceX manufacturing locations.

Starbase, the expansive launch and production complex that has recently been established as a city within Texas, recorded injury rates significantly exceeding industry averages.

Injury Rate Statistics

Data released by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) in May reveals that in 2024, Starbase’s injury rates were almost six times greater than those of similar space vehicle manufacturing companies.

Furthermore, the injury rate at Starbase was nearly three times higher than the average for the broader aerospace manufacturing sector. This elevated rate has been consistently observed since 2019.

Starship and Rapid Development

The Starbase location serves as the central hub for SpaceX’s most ambitious undertaking: the Starship program. This program focuses on developing a fully reusable, ultra-heavy-lift launch vehicle.

SpaceX is aggressively pursuing the operational readiness of Starship, intending to utilize it for launching Starlink internet satellites and a variety of other payloads.

Flight Tests and Booster Recovery

Following the initial orbital test flight in April 2023, SpaceX has conducted eight further integrated flight attempts.

Notably, during three of these tests, the company successfully demonstrated the capture of the substantial Super Heavy booster using mechanical arms – often referred to as “chopsticks” – mounted on the launch tower.

Safety Considerations

The available data suggests a correlation between SpaceX’s accelerated development pace and an increased incidence of workplace injuries.

While injury rates alone do not fully encapsulate the safety culture at Starbase, they provide valuable insight into the working environment within the world’s foremost space exploration company.

These statistics offer a rare perspective on the conditions experienced by employees at this cutting-edge facility.

Analyzing Safety Records at Starbase

The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) employs the Total Recordable Incident Rate (TRIR) as a standard metric for evaluating and comparing workplace safety performance across companies, including those like Blue Origin and United Launch Alliance. It’s important to note that publicly accessible data regarding these rates has inherent limitations.

Specifically, the available data doesn’t differentiate between the severity of injuries, such as minor incidents requiring stitches and more critical events like amputations.

TRIR Calculation and Starbase’s Position

A TRIR calculation, performed by TechCrunch, is based on the total number of incidents reported and the total hours worked by SpaceX personnel at each location.

Starbase, a pivotal location in SpaceX CEO Elon Musk’s ambition to establish a multi-planetary existence for humanity, demonstrates a significantly different safety profile compared to other company sites and the broader industry.

In 2024, Starbase recorded a TRIR of 4.27 injuries for every 100 employees, based on a workforce averaging 2,690 individuals, according to OSHA submissions. This resulted in 3,558 restricted-duty days and an additional 656 lost-time days due to injury severity.

Historical Context and Industry Trends

The U.S. government classifies Starbase as a space vehicle manufacturing facility. Historically, the injury rate within this sector has experienced a substantial decline.

Data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) reveals a drop from 4.2 injuries per 100 workers in 1994 to 0.7 injuries per 100 workers in 2023. BLS derives these rates through annual company surveys requesting information consistent with OSHA injury reports.

Despite widespread improvements in safety protocols throughout the industry, Starbase’s current rate aligns more closely with those observed three decades ago.

Comparison with Other SpaceX Facilities

The overall injury rate across all SpaceX manufacturing sites – encompassing engine development in McGregor, Texas; Starlink satellite production in Bastrop, Texas; the Falcon rocket facility in Hawthorne, California; and a satellite manufacturing location in Redmond, Washington – is 2.28.

Individual facility TRIR rates for 2024 include 2.48 at McGregor, 3.49 at Bastrop, 1.43 at Hawthorne, and 2.89 at Redmond. The aerospace manufacturing industry average TRIR for 2024 is 1.6.

SpaceX also maintains several non-manufacturing locations, such as barge operations, offices in Sunnyvale, California, and launch facilities at Cape Canaveral and Vandenberg Space Force Base.

Expert Opinion and Metric Debate

Debbie Berkowitz, a former OSHA chief of staff, communicated to TechCrunch via email that Starbase’s TRIR “indicates a critical need to address serious safety concerns.”

However, a discussion exists among safety experts regarding the reliability of TRIR as a definitive measure of safety performance, particularly in predicting severe incidents or fatalities, and especially for smaller organizations. Recent research has questioned the statistical validity of TRIR, advocating for the adoption of alternative safety metrics.

OSHA Inspections and Reported Incidents

Over the past four years, SpaceX facilities have been subject to 14 OSHA inspections, with six of those investigations stemming from accidents and injuries at Starbase. These include a partial finger amputation in 2021 and a crane collapse in June 2025, the latter of which remains under investigation.

Additional reporting from news organizations, including Reuters, has revealed hundreds of previously unreported worker injuries, encompassing crushed limbs and one fatality.

Recent Improvements and Ongoing Concerns

The 2024 injury rate at Starbase represents an improvement over the previous year, which recorded 5.9 injuries per 100 workers in 2023 and 4.8 injuries in 2022.

Nevertheless, it remains the highest among SpaceX’s land-based facilities and is surpassed only by its West Coast booster recovery operations, which has a TRIR of 7.6.

Official Response

OSHA confirmed TechCrunch’s TRIR calculation for Starbase via email but declined to provide further comment regarding the location’s injury rate. SpaceX did not respond to requests for comment.

NASA’s Investment in Starship

A significant investment has been made by NASA in the progression of Starship. The agency is relying on this rocket to facilitate the return of astronauts to the moon prior to the conclusion of the current decade.

Over $4 billion is being allocated by NASA to SpaceX for the purpose of two crewed Starship missions destined for the lunar surface.

Contractual Safety Provisions

Both the contract pertaining to the Starship lunar lander and SpaceX’s existing Commercial Crew contract, which covers services to the International Space Station, incorporate specific stipulations.

These clauses empower the agency to intervene should a substantial safety compromise occur, such as a fatal incident or a documented “willful” or “repeat” Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) violation.

It’s important to note that a consistently elevated Total Recordable Incident Rate (TRIR) can indicate underlying safety concerns, but it doesn't automatically necessitate action.

Furthermore, it doesn’t qualify as a “major breach of safety” as defined within the contractual agreements.

NASA’s Ongoing Oversight

A NASA spokesperson communicated to TechCrunch that the agency maintains frequent engagement with its partners, including SpaceX, to guarantee safety from a mission assurance standpoint.

Regular contact is also maintained with the company during standard contract management procedures.

Safety remains the highest priority for NASA’s mission objectives.

The agency is continuously collaborating with all commercial partners to foster and sustain a robust safety culture.

Comparative Injury Rates

Currently, Starbase demonstrates the highest injury rate among operational rocket manufacturers.

For comparison, United Launch Alliance’s (ULA) facility in Decatur, Alabama, reports a TRIR of 1.12 injuries for every 100 employees.

Blue Origin’s rocket facility located on the Florida coast has a rate of 1.09 injuries per 100 workers.