SpaceX's Starbase reported over 4 injuries per 100 workers
SpaceX's Starbase in Texas reported 4.27 injuries per 100 workers in 2024—way above the industry average as the company pushes hard on its Starship rocket project.
The pace is fast, but it's coming at a real cost to worker safety.
Thousands of lost workdays due to accidents
Even though injuries dropped from last year, Starbase remains SpaceX's most injury-prone site.
Out of about 2,700 workers, thousands of days have been lost to restricted duty or time off because of accidents.
Other SpaceX sites like Hawthorne and Bastrop also reported higher-than-average injury rates.
Starbase stands out for all the wrong reasons
Compared to rivals like United Launch Alliance and Blue Origin—both with just over one injury per 100 workers—Starbase stands out for all the wrong reasons.
The West Coast booster recovery unit is even higher, showing safety is a wider issue for SpaceX right now.
NASA isn't pulling out of contracts yet
NASA knows about these high injury rates but isn't pulling out of contracts yet.
Instead, they're working with SpaceX to keep missions safe and make sure things improve going forward.