TL;DR:
- Two former employees have filed lawsuits against SpaceX, alleging retaliation for raising safety concerns.
- One supervisor warned of fatal risks during rocket recovery and was fired months later.
- A plumber says he was terminated after injury-related medical leave.
- Lawsuits highlight ongoing tension between speed, cost-saving, and workplace safety.
Allegations of Unsafe Work Practices at SpaceX
Two former SpaceX employees have filed wrongful termination lawsuits, claiming they were dismissed after raising concerns about safety and health violations. Both lawsuits, recently moved to federal court, underscore what they describe as a culture at SpaceX where cost and speed are prioritized over employee welfare.
Robert Markert, a 13-year veteran and supervisor, alleges that when he warned SpaceX leadership about a potentially fatal risk in the rocket fairing recovery process, his warnings were dismissed for being too costly to address. Markert was terminated in April, just months after raising his concerns.
In his suit, he claims technicians were often forced to work 15 to 20 days consecutively, sometimes in high-risk situations. When he advocated for formal safety training and proper certification, Markert was told that “there is no time for that and the company would not spend money on it.”
Worker Injuries and Fear of Reporting
The second lawsuit was filed by David Lavalle, a plumber at SpaceX since 2014. Lavalle alleges he was fired shortly after taking medical leave for gout-related knee pain. He claims the company failed to accommodate his numerous workplace injuries, including a fractured foot, back and shoulder injuries, and wrist issues.
According to Lavalle, he refrained from filing some workers’ compensation claims out of fear of retaliation. His lawsuit also suggests age discrimination, stating that he was among a wave of older employees terminated under the direction of a 28-year-old manager hired last year.
OSHA Injury Rates at SpaceX Sites
| Site | Injury Rate per 100 Workers (2024) |
| Starbase (Texas) | 4.27 |
| Aerospace Industry Average | 1.6 |
| West Coast Rocket Recovery | 7.6 |
Lawsuits Come as SpaceX Accelerates Starship Launch Timeline
These allegations surface amid intense operational pressure at SpaceX. The company is racing to ready its Starship ultra-heavy rocket for future NASA missions, commercial contracts, and its Starlink satellite internet deployments. In addition, the company’s Falcon 9 rocket has already completed 87 launches in 2025, making it the most frequently launched orbital vehicle in history.
However, such rapid execution has raised flags about whether worker safety is being compromised to meet ambitious deadlines.
Legal Developments and Corporate Silence
Both lawsuits were initially filed in Los Angeles County Superior Court and later transferred to the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California. While Markert’s attorney declined to comment, Lavalle’s legal team did not respond to requests from TechCrunch. SpaceX also remained silent on the matter.
Recent investigations have placed SpaceX among the worst performers in worker injury rates across the aerospace sector. Notably, the west coast rocket fairing recovery division — where Markert was reportedly stationed — had the highest reported injury rate in the company.
A Culture of Risk-Taking?
As one of the most celebrated private space firms globally, SpaceX is often praised for disrupting the aerospace sector. But these lawsuits suggest that the internal cost of innovation may be worker health and morale.
The allegations are unlikely to stall Starship’s momentum, but they may intensify regulatory scrutiny from agencies like OSHA and the Department of Labor as SpaceX continues its march toward Mars.
