SpaceX’s Starbase, a sprawling launch-and-manufacturing hub in Texas, has been in the news lately. In recent years, concern has grown over its injury rates, which are still a major issue. The facility, which has officially incorporated as its own city, known as Starbase City, serves as the heart of SpaceX’s most ambitious program: the development of the fully reusable ultra-heavy-lift rocket named Starship. This rocket is at the heart of CEO Elon Musk’s goal to create a future where humanity is multi-planetary.
The facility’s safety record is now at the forefront of the conversation. In 2024, its injury rate was 2.89 per 100 workers. This reflects a modest yet notable improvement from last year’s 5.9 injuries per 100 workers, which was a historic high. Safety advocates have still been concerned about the lack of any comprehensive approach to address the situation. The injury rate is a sad continuation of the trend that has continued for years, with an injury rate of 4.8 injuries per 100 workers in 2022.
Starbase, SpaceX’s primary land-based facilities, has the highest prevalence of the company’s lowest injury types. This puts it second overall, only slightly behind the company’s west coast booster recovery operations, which had a total recordable incident rate (TRIR) of 7.6. In comparison, other SpaceX facilities logged lower injury rates: McGregor (2.48), Bastrop (3.49), Hawthorne (1.43), and Redmond (2.89).
Even with the progress in 2024, the injury rate at Starbase is still shockingly high. That number this year is almost six times that of the average for comparable space vehicle manufacturing operations. It’s nearly triple that of the rest of the aerospace manufacturing industry as a whole.
Starbase’s short history has already been marred by several life-threatening situations. Most significantly, a partial finger amputation in 2021 and a crane collapse in June of 2025, still under investigation, at time of writing. These crashes highlight the urgent need for enhanced safety improvements around the facility.
“is a red flag that there are serious safety issues that need to be addressed.” – Debbie Berkowitz
A representative from the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) confirmed TechCrunch’s calculation of Starbase’s TRIR in an email. They further pointed out the facility’s excellent safety performance against industry averages. Safety is always a priority for SpaceX. It should be just as essential to all its partners in the aerospace sector.
In response to these incidents, NASA has re-emphasized its focus on safety within its commercial partners. A NASA spokesperson stated, “Safety is paramount to NASA’s mission success. The agency continues to work with all our commercial partners to build and maintain a healthy safety culture.” The aerospace industry has a culture of safety ingrained in the industry. This focus is all the more important as SpaceX tests limits with its aggressive endeavors.
The pervasive concern with Starbase’s injury rates has hit at a time when SpaceX is ramping up as fast as they can towards their Mars moonshot goal. The company aims to establish a permanent human presence on Mars, making advancements in rocket technology and human spaceflight essential.
As efforts continue to improve safety and reduce injury rates, stakeholders will be closely monitoring how SpaceX addresses these challenges at Starbase. As the fate of astronauts venturing deeper into space than ever before is decided, providing a safe workplace continues to be an imperative mission focus.