SpaceX fined ₹1cr after crane collapse at Starbase facility
21 Jan 2026

The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) has penalized SpaceX for seven "serious" violations following a crane collapse at its Starbase facility in Texas last June.

The US federal safety agency found that SpaceX failed to properly inspect a hydraulic crane that had recently been repaired before the incident.

As a result, it imposed the maximum financial penalty on six of these violations, amounting to $115,850.

SpaceX's future plans amid safety concerns
Expansion plans

The penalties and violations come as SpaceX is preparing to ramp up activity at its Starbase facility.

This is partly driven by President Donald Trump's goal of returning astronauts to the Moon by end of his second term.

The company has received clearance from the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) for up to 25 Starship launches in Texas this year.

Meanwhile, it is rapidly expanding its launch complex to meet Elon Musk's ambitious plans of producing thousands of Starship rockets annually.

SpaceX's injury rate and recent incidents
Safety record

SpaceX has a history of injuries at its South Texas launch complex.

A 2023 Reuters report revealed dozens of unreported injuries and one employee death during the facility's construction over the last decade.

An analysis by TechCrunch last year showed that SpaceX has a higher injury rate at the Starbase site than at other company-run facilities or those of its industry peers.

Lawsuit filed after crane-related accident
Legal action

In December, a SpaceX subcontractor's employee sued the company after being allegedly crushed by a large metal support dropped from a crane.

OSHA is also investigating this incident.

The latest OSHA penalty stems from the June 24, 2025, crane collapse incident when SpaceX employees were cleaning up debris from a Starship explosion just four days earlier.

Details of the crane collapse
Incident

Footage from LabPadre, which livestreams the Starbase site, showed a crane buckling under the weight of a large piece of the exploded Starship.

An employee was using a Grove RT9150E crane to lift debris while another used an excavator's bucket to inspect it in hopes of determining the cause of explosion.

The Grove crane had recently been repaired and returned to SpaceX "without the employer ensuring repairs met manufacturer's criteria via an inspection by a qualified person."