After a testing accident that put one of its workers in a coma for over two years, Elon Musk’s company SpaceX is being accused of dangerous working conditions and negligence.
According to SpaceX, Francisco Cabada was seriously hurt in June 2022 when an engine part broke off while the Raptor V2 rocket engine was being tested in McGregor, Texas. Cabada’s skull was broken when the part hit him in the head.
This week, Cabada’s wife Ydy filed a claim saying that her husband’s terrible injuries were caused by SpaceX not following the right procedures and not keeping the workplace safe.
The case that was sent to the Los Angeles County Superior Court says that SpaceX knew or should have known that the part of the fuel system was broken. It also says that the company didn’t give Cabada enough safety gear or training.
Ydy Cabada wants to be paid for her hospital bills, lost wages, and pain and suffering. The case also asks for punitive damages to make SpaceX less likely to break safety rules in the future.
Accident Draws Scrutiny to SpaceX Safety Culture
The shocking accident has made people look more closely at how safe SpaceX sites are. Even though Musk’s company has changed the space business, its fast-paced testing methods are getting more and more criticism.
In 2019, a SpaceX Crew Dragon ship exploded while being tested. Investigators later found that mistakes in the process were to blame. The next year, SpaceX broke the rules of its FAA launch license when a Starship prototype blew up right before landing.
SpaceX hasn’t said anything about the new case directly. Regulators have, however, called for better safety in the past. Because of how quickly it tests, close calls may be unavoidable. Cabada’s terrible accident, on the other hand, shows that real people suffer when things go wrong.
The claims of carelessness are the latest setback for SpaceX as it works on game-changing projects such as the Starship and Starlink satellites. But the company is also facing more and more competition in the space business.
Above all, Francisco Cabada and his family need to know what’s going on and be held responsible. The claim says that SpaceX neglected worker safety in its haste to come up with new ideas. It’s not fair that the company’s arrogance has cost so many lives. He might not wake up to see the future Musk wants to make.