By Marisa Taylor

SpaceX, the space venture led by billionaire Elon Musk, has once again come under scrutiny for its high injury rates at facilities across the United States. According to newly disclosed data from the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), SpaceX reported injury rates in 2023 that exceeded industry averages.

At its Brownsville, Texas manufacturing-and-launch facility, SpaceX reported 5.9 injuries per 100 workers, up from 4.8 injuries in 2022 and well above the space industry average of 0.8. These numbers are concerning, especially considering the serious nature of the injuries reported, including crushed limbs, amputations, and one fatality.

Despite these troubling figures, SpaceX has remained silent on the issue, with no response to requests for comment from media outlets.

Experts in workplace safety warn that these high injury rates should raise red flags for SpaceX’s clients, including NASA, which has paid the company billions of dollars for various contracts. Former OSHA administrator David Michaels emphasized that high injury rates can signal poor production quality, which could have implications for the safety of future space missions.

The latest OSHA data revealed that SpaceX’s injury rates at multiple facilities far surpassed industry norms. For example, at a unit responsible for retrieving rocket boosters in the Pacific Ocean, SpaceX reported a shocking 7.6 injuries per 100 workers – over nine times the industry standard.

Despite the lack of public address from SpaceX or Elon Musk on these safety concerns, the company’s chief operating officer, Gwynne Shotwell, recently reiterated on social media that safety is a top priority for SpaceX.