A technician from SpaceX he was in a coma two months after an accident during a rocket test: he is currently unable to communicate or survive without medical assistance. The United States authorities fined the company Elon Musk with almost 19 thousand dollars.
Francisco “Kiko” Cabada, father of three children, he is the technician who suffered the accident, a skull fracture and head trauma.
According to the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), the technician was performing a tire pressure check on a Raptor 2 engine when the fuel controller cover broke.
How did the events that put the SpaceX technician in a coma happen?
The procedure was being performed “using an automated program, rather than the normal manual method that had been used in previous operations,” according to the OSHA report.
The accident occurred at the SpaceX factory in Hawthorne, California, on January 18. Cabada was in a coma for two months.
Elon Musk’s company remains silent, without commenting on OSHA’s post, that fined her $18,475 for security violations that led to the situation. It is the highest sanction level.
Meanwhile, Cabada’s relatives created a GoFundMe page to help support their children while the technician recovers. So far, it has raised more than $50,000.
SpaceX’s Raptor 2 engine, key to Elon Musk’s company
As it explains space portal, SpaceX’s Raptor 2 engine is Elon Musk’s company’s main reference for the Starship rocket and Super Heavy booster. This is a fully reusable launch vehicle that can reach 120 meters, making it the tallest rocket in the world.
The Super Heavy propellant will use 33 Raptor 2 engines at liftoff, with the Starship powered by six Raptor 2 engines for its continuous flight to orbit.
SpaceX’s goal is to use Starship to take NASA astronauts to the Moon for the Artemis 3 mission, scheduled for 2025, as well as transport space tourists on flights to lunar orbit.