Starbase Injury Rates Surpass Industry Norms as SpaceX Races Toward Mars

Recent findings indicate that employees working at SpaceX’s Starbase facility in Texas experienced injury rates significantly higher than those at comparable sites within the space industry, according to company safety records analyzed by TechCrunch. Starbase, recently incorporated as its own city, recorded injury rates nearly six times the sector average for space vehicle manufacturing and almost three times that of the broader aerospace manufacturing industry in 2024, based on Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) data. This elevated rate has remained consistent since 2019 when SpaceX began filing dedicated Starbase reports with OSHA.

Understanding the Starbase Numbers

Starbase is the epicenter of SpaceX’s Starship project, an ultra-heavy reusable rocket pivotal for launching Starlink satellites and future interplanetary missions. Since Starship’s maiden test launch in April 2023, the company has performed eight additional integrated flights—three of which marked historic firsts by capturing the Super Heavy booster using giant “chopstick” arms.

According to OSHA, the Total Recordable Incident Rate (TRIR) is the benchmark used to assess and compare safety records across manufacturing sites. TechCrunch’s analysis, drawing from hours worked and reported incidents, found Starbase’s TRIR spiked at 4.27 injuries per 100 workers in 2024—far above the 0.7 industry benchmark. Over the year, with a workforce averaging 2,690, employees spent a combined 3,558 days on restricted duty and lost an additional 656 days due to injury-related absences.

By contrast, other SpaceX manufacturing hubs reported TRIRs between 1.43 (Hawthorne, CA) and 3.49 (Bastrop, TX) in 2024, while the industry average sat at 1.6. Starbase’s record more closely mirrors rates seen decades ago before modern safety reforms were widely adopted.

Persistent Safety Challenges

Debbie Berkowitz, former chief of staff at OSHA, stated that Starbase’s high TRIR is “a red flag” for safety concerns. Of 14 OSHA investigations at SpaceX sites in the past four years, six involved Starbase—ranging from a partial finger amputation to a crane accident. Investigations by external media have documented further unreported injuries, including one fatality.

Despite improvement from a TRIR of 5.9 in 2023, Starbase’s rates remain the highest among SpaceX’s manufacturing sites and only fall behind the company’s west coast booster recovery operations, which reach a TRIR of 7.6.

NASA’s Perspective and Contractual Stakes

NASA has a significant interest in Starship’s development, allocating over $4 billion for crewed lunar missions using the rocket. Both NASA’s Starship and Commercial Crew contracts enable NASA to intervene in cases of gross safety breaches—such as fatalities or repeated OSHA violations—but high injury rates alone do not automatically trigger these clauses. Nevertheless, the agency continues to monitor its partners’ safety records closely.

Among operational space vehicle manufacturers, Starbase’s injury rate remains unmatched: United Launch Alliance (ULA) posted 1.12 and Blue Origin 1.09 injuries per 100 workers, respectively.

Deep Founder Analysis

Why it matters

SpaceX’s trajectory illustrates the tradeoff between aggressive innovation and workforce safety. For startups, this highlights the critical balance between speed, ambition, and operational discipline. As aerospace and deep tech startups push boundaries, investor and regulator scrutiny around workplace conditions will likely intensify—impacting partnerships, contracts, and talent pipelines across the industry. Startup founders must recognize that rapid progress should not come at the expense of a sustainable, safe growth culture.

Risks & opportunities

High-profile safety issues can present reputational risks for both individual companies and the broader ecosystem they operate within. However, they also create opportunities: startups specializing in advanced safety analytics, predictive risk assessment platforms, or employee well-being solutions may find new demand as established firms and government contractors seek to mitigate similar challenges. The focus on regulatory compliance and transparency in high-growth environments is becoming both a necessity and a potential differentiator.

Startup idea or application

This situation suggests a clear use case for a SaaS platform tailored to high-risk manufacturing ventures—offering real-time injury reporting, AI-driven root-cause analysis, and proactive compliance alerts. Integrations with wearable IoT devices and workforce management tools could provide actionable insights for safety officers, HR teams, and managers. Additionally, a transparency dashboard for external partners (e.g., NASA, investors) could help build trust and satisfy compliance requirements.

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