SpaceX hit with OSHA fines after Starbase crane collapse

The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), the US federal safety regulator, has issued seven “serious” violations and a combined fine of $115,850 to SpaceX. The regulatory action follows an investigation into a hydraulic crane collapse on June 24, 2025, at the company’s Starbase launch facility in Texas. According to OSHA, SpaceX failed to properly inspect the hydraulic crane before it collapsed at the site. While SpaceX is able to contest the penalties, it is currently unclear if any workers were harmed in the accident.

The crane collapse occurred while employees at a Starbase test site were cleaning up debris from a Starship explosion. According to the federal safety agency’s citations, SpaceX returned a recently repaired Grove crane to service “without the employer ensuring repairs met manufacturer’s criteria via an inspection by a qualified person.” The citations also state that the crane’s computer would not start until “multiple attempts” were made. OSHA claims that SpaceX was either not performing or not documenting monthly inspections on the Grove crane, and that the equipment had not been inspected within the last 12 months. Furthermore, rigging equipment at the site was missing manufacturer-prescribed markings detailing a safe working load. OSHA also found that an employee had operated a Tadano 90-ton crawler crane with an expired certification from the National Commission for the Certification of Crane Operators. Footage of the collapse was captured by LabPadre, a livestreamer that monitors the Starbase site.

This regulatory action occurs as SpaceX, led by CEO Elon Musk, is set to ramp up activity at the Starbase facility. The company has clearance from the Federal Aviation Administration to perform as many as 25 Starship launches in Texas this year. However, the South Texas launch complex faces ongoing scrutiny over its safety record. A 2023 Reuters report uncovered dozens of previously unreported injuries and one employee death at the site. Additionally, an employee of a SpaceX subcontractor filed a lawsuit after he was allegedly crushed by a large metal support dropped from a crane.

Why it matters

The OSHA penalties arrive as SpaceX accelerates operations at its Starbase facility to meet federal lunar mission goals, highlighting the tension between rapid expansion and workplace safety.