This is bad news for SpaceX, which is increasingly under a microscope after a recent crane collapse at its Boca Chica launch facility in Texas. Lab Padre, an independent YouTube channel focusing on SpaceX, livestreamed the event. This tragic incident points to grave workplace safety and environmental justice violations by the company across the region.
The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) has launched an investigation into the collapse. This incident is just the latest in a long line of unsafe incidents at the aerospace giant. One fine morning in 2014, long-time SpaceX employee Simon LeBlanc was tragically killed on the job. OSHA subsequently ruled that the company had not ensured his safety from an obvious danger. This past episode has heavy precedent, in settlement terms, to SpaceX’s favor, as Labor and OSHA are under fire for not rigorously enforcing protective measures.
In addition to workplace safety, environmental activists in both the United States and Mexico have voiced their concerns regarding the repercussions of SpaceX’s operations. They allege that more than thirty of the company’s rocket explosions have damaged sensitive habitats and endangered wildlife. Moreover, these blasts have harmed marine animals adjacent to the launch site. These voices come on the heels of all the scrutiny that SpaceX is facing as it pushes full steam ahead on its ambitious space exploration initiatives.
Elon Musk, the CEO of SpaceX, has become an outsized force in political circles. He was a major monetary patron of President Donald Trump. Yet his influence went beyond his monetary contributions. Musk had secretly lobbied for his buddy Jared Isaacman—a fellow commercial astronaut—to be named administrator of NASA if Trump was elected to a second term. One of the first acts that Musk launched on Twitter was the DOGE department M for Department of Government Efficiency. This new push to downsize the federal government resulted in severe cuts to OSHA’s budget and the shuttering of at least 11 field offices.
The implications of these developments are multifaceted. In light of OSHA’s continuing investigation, it is all more critical now that stiff safety standards be enforced across the aerospace industry. Activists are out in front raising environmental concerns. This can herald a new chapter of growing awareness and opposition to the ecological impacts of space exploration.