At SpaceX’s Starbase facility in 2024, four times as many employees were harmed than expected according to the industry standard during spaces vehicle manufacturing activities. The facility is a key part of the NFL’s home, the Houston Texans’ bold effort—along with the full architect team—to win the design competition for their new practice facility! It exposed injury rates almost six times the industry average. UPDATE 10/19/23: This troubling trend calls into question the safety of the workplace. It shines a spotlight on the workplace culture at one of the nation’s largest space development facilities.
In 2023, Starbase had a TRIR of 5.9 injuries per 100 workers. While this is an increase over the 4.8 injuries per 100 workers in 2022, it is an indicator of progress. The 2024 TRIR was still alarming since it was the highest TRIR of all of SpaceX’s land-based facilities. Only the West Coast booster recovery operations were worse, at a TRIR of 7.6. For example, United Launch Alliance (ULA) in Decatur, Alabama, had a TRIR of 1.12. By contrast, Blue Origin had a much lower TRIR at 1.09 at its facility in Florida.
High injury rates at Starbase have been a controversial topic since 2019. After all, that’s when SpaceX began providing its injury data to federal regulators. The TRIR figures are shocking, and they paint a pretty grim picture. Injured workers at Starbase generated 3,558 restricted duty days and lost work to injury that left them unable to work for 656 days, according to reports.
These mishaps were all caused by major accidents and those injuries. Past significant accidents such as 2021’s partial finger amputation and a June 2025 crane collapse now under investigation. In that same period, OSHA conducted just 14 inspections at SpaceX facilities. Of those, six inspections were accident- and injury-specific targeted inspections at Starbase.
Debbie Berkowitz, a former OSHA official and current labor safety advocate, put the situation in stark terms.
“This is a red flag that there are serious safety issues that need to be addressed.” – Debbie Berkowitz
The continuing issues related to workplace safety at Starbase have already received widespread concern from multiple parties, including NASA. In the agency’s announcement, a spokesperson for the agency stressed the extreme importance of safety in space missions.
“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.” – NASA spokesperson
That has changed in recent years, with TRIR dropping slightly from 2022 to 2023. Even with the backdrop of overall trends improving, Starbase’s injury rates continue to be deeply alarming for workers that we’ve spoken to and industry observers. The facility’s high rate of incidents poses challenges not only for employee well-being but for the overall success of SpaceX’s missions.
Of course, SpaceX is at the forefront of extreme innovation in space travel with its Starship program. To maintain a healthy and efficient workplace, it is imperative that we address these safety concerns directly. The company’s commitment to safety will be tested as it navigates the complexities of engineering and manufacturing at such a high scale.