Sat Jul 19 03:30:00 UTC 2025: **SpaceX’s Starbase Plagued by High Injury Rates, Data Shows**
BOCA CHICA, Texas – SpaceX’s Starbase facility in South Texas, the heart of its ambitious Starship program, has a significantly higher injury rate than other SpaceX facilities and the aerospace industry as a whole, according to a TechCrunch review of company worker safety records.
The site, integral to Elon Musk’s vision of interplanetary travel, recorded a Total Recordable Incident Rate (TRIR) of 4.27 injuries per 100 workers in 2024, nearly six times higher than the average for comparable space vehicle-manufacturing outfits. This concerning trend has persisted since 2019, with Starbase employees experiencing a total of 3,558 restricted-duty days and 656 lost-time days due to injuries in 2024.
While SpaceX is making rapid progress in the development of its Starship rocket, this data suggests that progress comes at the expense of employee safety. Former OSHA chief of staff Debbie Berkowitz called the high TRIR a “red flag,” indicating serious safety issues that need to be addressed.
The issue seems to be limited to Starbase, since other SpaceX facilities are faring better. The TRIR rates for 2024 are 2.48 at McGregor, 3.49 at Bastrop, 1.43 at Hawthorne, 2.89 at Redmond.
While the rates are concerning, some safety professionals debate whether TRIR is the most reliable metric for assessing and predicting injury rates. Regardless, OSHA inspections at Starbase have uncovered accidents and injuries, including a partial finger amputation and a crane collapse.
NASA, which relies on Starship for its lunar missions, stated that safety is paramount and that they work with SpaceX to maintain a healthy safety culture.
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