SpaceX Didn’t Properly Inspect Crane Before Collapse at Starbase, OSHA Says

SpaceX failed to properly inspect a hydraulic crane that had recently undergone repairs before it collapsed at the company's Starbase facility in Texas last June, according to findings from the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA).

As a result of its investigation, the federal safety agency cited SpaceX for seven "serious" safety violations. OSHA imposed the maximum allowable fine on six of those violations, totalling $115,850 against Elon Musk's spaceflight company. The investigation was launched the day after the crane collapse.

OSHA's probe remains open, according to information posted on the agency's website. It is still not clear whether any workers were injured during the incident. SpaceX has the option to contest the penalties and did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

The citations come as SpaceX prepares to increase activity at its Starbase launch site significantly. That expansion is partly driven by efforts to meet Donald Trump's stated goal of returning astronauts to the Moon by the end of his second term. SpaceX has received approval from the Federal Aviation Administration to conduct up to 25 Starship launches in Texas this year. At the same time, the company is rapidly expanding the launch complex in line with Musk's long-term plan to manufacture thousands of Starship rockets annually.

Yes, at massive volume. Maybe as high as 10,000 ships per year. https://t.co/XYolfwaVBi — Elon Musk (@elonmusk) January 4, 2026

SpaceX has faced ongoing safety concerns at its South Texas launch site. A 2023 investigation by Reuters documented dozens of previously undisclosed workplace injuries and one employee death during the site's development over the past decade. Separately, a TechCrunch analysis of OSHA records published last year found that SpaceX's Starbase location had a significantly higher injury rate than other SpaceX facilities and comparable industry sites.

Incidents at Starbase have continued. In December, an employee of a SpaceX subcontractor filed a lawsuit alleging he was crushed by a considerable metal support that fell from a crane. OSHA is also investigating that case, as first reported by TechCrunch.

The crane collapse cited in the latest OSHA action occurred on June 24, 2025. At the time, SpaceX employees at a Starbase test site were clearing debris from a Starship explosion that had taken place four days earlier. Video footage captured by LabPadre, which regularly streams activity from Starbase, showed a crane bending and collapsing while lifting a large section of the destroyed Starship.

According to OSHA citations published online, one worker was operating a Grove RT9150E crane to lift debris. At the same time, another employee used the excavator's bucket to inspect the material to determine the cause of the explosion.

OSHA said the Grove crane had recently been repaired and returned to service. Still, SpaceX did not ensure that the repairs met manufacturer requirements through an inspection conducted by a qualified individual. The agency did not specify why the crane had been repaired, though another citation noted that a Grove RT9150E crane at the site had a computer system that failed to start without multiple attempts.

The agency also found that SpaceX either failed to perform or failed to document required monthly inspections of the Grove crane and that the equipment had not been inspected within the previous 12 months. OSHA further alleged that SpaceX did not conduct monthly inspections of the wire rope used to move debris and that rigging equipment at the site lacked manufacturer-required markings indicating safe working load limits.

In addition, OSHA determined that a worker had been operating a Tadano 90-ton crawler crane at the test site while holding an expired certification from the National Commission for the Certification of Crane Operators.