SpaceX’s Starbase facility has one of the highest injury rates among its manufacturing facilities and the entire industry. According to worker safety records reviewed by TechCrunch, the facility logged an injury rate that was almost 6 times higher than the average for comparable space vehicle-manufacturing outfits and nearly 3 times higher than aerospace manufacturing as a whole in 2024.
The data suggests that SpaceX’s rapid progress with its ambitious Starship program comes at a cost. Despite major changes in safety processes across the industry, Starbase’s injury rate remains close to levels seen 30 years ago. This has raised concerns among safety professionals and regulators.
NASA is paying over $4 billion for two crewed Starship flights to the lunar surface, which makes it crucial that Starbase meets strict safety standards. However, a persistently high injury rate can be an indicator of deeper safety issues, rather than just a specific incident.
The facility’s injury rate has improved slightly in 2024 compared to the previous year but still exceeds industry averages. OSHA confirmed TechCrunch’s calculation of Starbase’s Total Recordable Incident Rate (TRIR) over email, but did not respond to questions regarding the location’s injury rate.
Other companies in the industry have lower TRIR rates, with ULA’s manufacturing facility in Decatur, Alabama, reporting a rate of 1.12 injuries per 100 workers and Blue Origin’s rocket park on the coast of Florida, reporting a rate of 1.09. This highlights the need for SpaceX to address its safety concerns.
Debbie Berkowitz, former OSHA chief of staff, warned that Starbase’s TRIR “is a red flag that there are serious safety issues that need to be addressed.” The incident rate at Starbase has been a concern since 2019, when SpaceX began sharing the facility’s injury data with the federal regulator.
Source: https://techcrunch.com/2025/07/18/spacex-worker-injury-rates-at-starbase-outpace-industry-rivals