SpaceX was fined $18,475 after an accident during a rocket engine test left one employee hospitalized in a coma for months.
On Jan 18, technician Francisco Cabada at the companys Hawthorne, Calif., facility was performing pneumatic pressure checks on a Raptor V2 Engine.
A new automated program was used, rather than doing it manually, and during the automated venting a fuel controller cover broke free, striking Cabada.
According to the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), Cabada “suffered a skull fracture and head trauma and was hospitalized in a coma for months.”
OSHA said in a summary of its investigation that it found two safety violations at the facility. A $475 fine was issued for a violation related to the companys accident prevention program.
An $18,000 fine was issued for a violation relating to servicing multi-piece and single piece rim wheels used on large vehicles.
