private aerospace company

SpaceX

A private aerospace and satellite company selling launch services and Starlink connectivity, with strategic value, concentrated control, labor, safety, and subsidy questions. SpaceX remains weak because of documented human harm, ecological harm, and person-dependent governance, even where the product or service has practical value.

Why this matters: Public-purpose infrastructure operated by private control needs especially careful scoring.

Letter grade D Extractive Medium confidence (AI) Rubric gcd-rubric-v1 Last reviewed May 6, 2026

Final Score 2* D - Extractive

DEXTRACTIVE2 pts

* Tentative scaffolding score. Not human-checked or final.

Base Material23

Bonus+0

Cap35Ownership <= 2 and Governance <= 2

After Cap23

Penalties-21

!Not Verified

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Evaluation Overview

D - Extractive

The score turns mainly on Product Integrity, with the largest penalty coming from Reversibility.

Strengths

Product Integrity4/5
Scale Integrity4/5
Extraction3/10

Penalties

Reversibility-5
Human Harm-5
Ecological Harm-5
Coercive Violence-3

Evidence state

ConfidenceMedium confidence (AI)
ThoroughnessDeveloped (AI)
Linked claims8
Direct axis claims8
Coverage8/15

Scoring Axes

Axis	Score	Why this score
Ownership ? Control rights: shareholder-dominated at 0, worker cooperative control at 10.	1 / 10	SpaceX is privately held and led through concentrated founder/executive control rather than public shareholder or worker-democratic governance. SpaceX is privately held and led through concentrated founder/executive control rather than public shareholder or worker-democratic governance. That keeps SpaceX low on Ownership: decisive control remains with shareholders, private owners, executives, or state insiders rather than affected people. The value is above zero only where the linked record still shows some real function, constraint, or public value on this axis. Calibration notes Comparative anchor: Column-spectrum position: 12 scored entries below, 65 tied, 149 above on Ownership. Linked evidence SpaceX is privately held and led through concentrated founder/executive control rather than public shareholder or worker-democratic governance. [1]
Governance ? Binding decision authority: centralized control at 0, democratic stakeholder control at 10.	1 / 10	SpaceX is privately held and led through concentrated founder/executive control rather than public shareholder or worker-democratic governance. SpaceX is privately held and led through concentrated founder/executive control rather than public shareholder or worker-democratic governance. That keeps SpaceX low on Governance: ordinary users, workers, customers, or affected communities cannot change the rules that govern them. The value is above zero only where the linked record still shows some real function, constraint, or public value on this axis. Calibration notes Comparative anchor: Column-spectrum position: 2 scored entries below, 68 tied, 156 above on Governance. Linked evidence context SpaceX is privately held and led through concentrated founder/executive control rather than public shareholder or worker-democratic governance. [1]
Extraction ? Surplus allocation, wage share, CEO pay ratio, margins, and structured extraction judgment.	3 / 10	SpaceX is privately held and led through concentrated founder/executive control rather than public shareholder or worker-democratic governance. SpaceX is privately held and led through concentrated founder/executive control rather than public shareholder or worker-democratic governance. That keeps SpaceX low on Extraction: the business model makes extraction from workers, users, suppliers, customers, or the public central rather than incidental. The value is above zero only where the linked record still shows some real function, constraint, or public value on this axis. Calibration notes Comparative anchor: Column-spectrum position: 39 scored entries below, 22 tied, 165 above on Extraction. Linked evidence context SpaceX is privately held and led through concentrated founder/executive control rather than public shareholder or worker-democratic governance. [1]
Labor Sovereignty ? Worker power: coercive conditions at 0, co-determination or ownership at 7. Employee dissatisfaction matters only when source-backed evidence shows concrete limits on worker agency, such as coercive scheduling, retaliation, wage theft, harassment, unsafe conditions, suppression of worker voice, or extreme turnover.	2 / 7	The NLRB issued a complaint alleging SpaceX illegally fired employees connected to a letter criticizing CEO conduct. The NLRB issued a complaint alleging SpaceX illegally fired employees connected to a letter criticizing CEO conduct. That keeps SpaceX low on Labor Sovereignty: labor remains managerially controlled, replaceable, or exposed to coercive employment and contracting conditions. The value is above zero only where the linked record still shows some real function, constraint, or public value on this axis. Calibration notes Comparative anchor: Column-spectrum position: 8 scored entries below, 36 tied, 182 above on Labor Sovereignty. Linked evidence The NLRB issued a complaint alleging SpaceX illegally fired employees connected to a letter criticizing CEO conduct. [2]
Solidarity with the Unemployed ? Treatment of exits and nonworkers, including severance, redeployment, and non-competes.	2 / 7	SpaceX is privately held and led through concentrated founder/executive control rather than public shareholder or worker-democratic governance. SpaceX is privately held and led through concentrated founder/executive control rather than public shareholder or worker-democratic governance. That keeps SpaceX low on Solidarity with the Unemployed: the model provides little protection for people who leave, are excluded, or cannot bargain from employment. The value is above zero only where the linked record still shows some real function, constraint, or public value on this axis. Calibration notes Comparative anchor: Column-spectrum position: 31 scored entries below, 49 tied, 146 above on Solidarity with the Unemployed. Linked evidence context SpaceX is privately held and led through concentrated founder/executive control rather than public shareholder or worker-democratic governance. [1]
Loss-Bearing Fidelity ? Willingness to absorb costs to preserve values, workers, users, and public obligations.	3 / 7	SpaceX is privately held and led through concentrated founder/executive control rather than public shareholder or worker-democratic governance. SpaceX is privately held and led through concentrated founder/executive control rather than public shareholder or worker-democratic governance. That places SpaceX in the middle of Loss-Bearing Fidelity: there is some willingness to preserve obligations, but the record still leaves meaningful risk-shifting concerns. The value stays below the top tier because the linked record does not show full democratic control, non-extractive lock-in, or complete stakeholder protection on this axis. Calibration notes Comparative anchor: Column-spectrum position: 48 scored entries below, 39 tied, 139 above on Loss-Bearing Fidelity. Linked evidence context SpaceX is privately held and led through concentrated founder/executive control rather than public shareholder or worker-democratic governance. [1]
Market Conduct ? Pricing fairness, switching costs, lock-in, and rent extraction.	3 / 5	SpaceX is privately held and led through concentrated founder/executive control rather than public shareholder or worker-democratic governance. SpaceX is privately held and led through concentrated founder/executive control rather than public shareholder or worker-democratic governance. That places SpaceX in the middle of Market Conduct: the product has real value but still uses meaningful lock-in, gatekeeping, market power, or dependency. The value stays below the top tier because the linked record does not show full democratic control, non-extractive lock-in, or complete stakeholder protection on this axis. Calibration notes Comparative anchor: Column-spectrum position: 54 scored entries below, 51 tied, 121 above on Market Conduct. Linked evidence context SpaceX is privately held and led through concentrated founder/executive control rather than public shareholder or worker-democratic governance. [1]
Product Integrity ? Preservation of quality rather than degradation for monetization.	4 / 5	SpaceX is privately held and led through concentrated founder/executive control rather than public shareholder or worker-democratic governance. SpaceX is privately held and led through concentrated founder/executive control rather than public shareholder or worker-democratic governance. That places SpaceX high on Product Integrity: the core offering is genuinely useful and comparatively less dependent on traps, degradation, or harmful dependencies. A still-higher or maximum value requires stronger proof that this structure is durable, broad, and not merely discretionary. Calibration notes Comparative anchor: Column-spectrum position: 61 scored entries below, 72 tied, 93 above on Product Integrity. Linked evidence context SpaceX is privately held and led through concentrated founder/executive control rather than public shareholder or worker-democratic governance. [1]
Scale Integrity ? Whether growth improves or degrades fairness and accountability.	4 / 5	SpaceX is privately held and led through concentrated founder/executive control rather than public shareholder or worker-democratic governance. Calibration notes Comparative anchor: Column-spectrum position: 109 scored entries below, 81 tied, 36 above on Scale Integrity. Linked evidence context SpaceX is privately held and led through concentrated founder/executive control rather than public shareholder or worker-democratic governance. [1]

Penalties

Penalty	Applied	Why this penalty
Reversibility ? Applied when positive conduct depends on current living leaders, founders, family owners, or other person-contingent governance rather than durable structure. Range: -5 to 0.	-5	SpaceX's favorable conduct depends partly on current leaders, founders, family owners, executive discretion, or other person-contingent control rather than a fully locked democratic stakeholder-control structure. SpaceX's favorable conduct depends partly on current leaders, founders, family owners, executive discretion, or other person-contingent control rather than a fully locked democratic stakeholder-control structure. That warrants a severe Reversibility penalty because favorable conduct depends on current people or discretionary leadership rather than locked stakeholder structure. The value is near the floor because the conduct appears central, large-scale, repeated, or institutionally powerful rather than incidental. Calibration notes Comparative anchor: Column-spectrum position: 0 scored entries below, 95 tied, 131 above on Reversibility. Linked evidence context SpaceX is privately held and led through concentrated founder/executive control rather than public shareholder or worker-democratic governance. [1] SpaceX's favorable conduct depends partly on current leaders, founders, family owners, executive discretion, or other person-contingent control rather than a fully locked democratic stakeholder-control structure. [3]
Human Harm ? Severity, scale, culpability, vulnerable targets, willful reoffense, reputation laundering, pattern escalation, and time decay. Range: -20 to 0.	-5	CNBC reporting on a Reuters investigation described hundreds of previously undisclosed SpaceX workplace injuries, describes conduct considered under Human Harm. CNBC reporting on a Reuters investigation described hundreds of previously undisclosed SpaceX workplace injuries, describes conduct considered under Human Harm. That warrants a limited Human Harm penalty because ordinary operation, documented misconduct, or institutional power creates serious injury, deprivation, abuse, or foreseeable human damage. The value is limited because the linked record shows a real problem but not one that dominates the profile on this axis. Calibration notes Comparative anchor: Column-spectrum position: 41 scored entries below, 6 tied, 179 above on Human Harm. Linked evidence CNBC reporting on a Reuters investigation described hundreds of previously undisclosed SpaceX workplace injuries, describes conduct considered under Human Harm. [4]
Coercive Violence ? Direct or institutionally enabled killing, torture, detention abuse, armed repression, forced displacement, violent domination, or nonconsensual crisis-line emergency escalation that exposes callers to confinement or force. Range: -30 to 0.	-3	SpaceX provides national-security launch services for U.S. military and intelligence missions, creating a limited but real coercive-violence exposure through military space infrastructure. SpaceX provides national-security launch services for U.S. military and intelligence missions, creating a limited but real coercive-violence exposure through military space infrastructure. That warrants a limited Coercive Violence penalty because the institution uses, enables, profits from, or materially supports violent domination, detention abuse, war, or armed coercion. The value is limited because the linked record shows a real problem but not one that dominates the profile on this axis. Calibration notes Comparative anchor: Column-spectrum position: 18 scored entries below, 0 tied, 208 above on Coercive Violence. Linked evidence SpaceX provides national-security launch services for U.S. military and intelligence missions, creating a limited but real coercive-violence exposure through military space infrastructure. [5]
Ecological Harm ? Footprint, trajectory, irreversibility, culpability, and scale, including whether ecological harm is central to the model and continued after credible notice. Range: -30 to 0.	-5	The FAA publishes environmental review materials for SpaceX Starship/Super Heavy operations in Boca Chica, Texas. Calibration notes Comparative anchor: Column-spectrum position: 21 scored entries below, 11 tied, 194 above on Ecological Harm. Linked evidence The FAA publishes environmental review materials for SpaceX Starship/Super Heavy operations in Boca Chica, Texas. [6]
Accountability Opacity ? Material opacity, reputation laundering, or hidden accountability structures that prevent public accountability. Range: -2 to 0.	-2	SpaceX worker-injury reporting is relevant to the accountability-opacity penalty because the investigation described previously undisclosed workplace injuries and injury-reporting gaps. SpaceX worker-injury reporting is relevant to the accountability-opacity penalty because the investigation described previously undisclosed workplace injuries and injury-reporting gaps. That warrants a severe Accountability Opacity penalty because material facts, risks, conflicts, ownership, or accountability information are obscured from the public. The value is near the floor because the conduct appears central, large-scale, repeated, or institutionally powerful rather than incidental. Calibration notes Comparative anchor: Column-spectrum position: 0 scored entries below, 52 tied, 174 above on Accountability Opacity. Linked evidence SpaceX worker-injury reporting is relevant to the accountability-opacity penalty because the investigation described previously undisclosed workplace injuries and injury-reporting gaps. [7]
Ideological Disavowal ? Concealed ideology presented as neutrality, expertise, professional necessity, public-service administration, market inevitability, or non-ideological common sense while exercising power. Range: -3 to 0.	-1	SpaceX's public framing is assessed as ideological-disavowal evidence because SpaceX shows bounded neutrality theater: some contested choices are softened through expertise,… SpaceX's public framing is assessed as ideological-disavowal evidence because SpaceX shows bounded neutrality theater: some contested choices are softened through expertise, public-interest, professional, market, safety, or institutional language, but the record does not show dominant concealment of standpoint. That warrants a limited Ideological Disavowal penalty because the institution presents situated, contested choices as neutrality, expertise, inevitability, safety, or common sense. The value is limited because the linked record shows a real problem but not one that dominates the profile on this axis. Calibration notes Comparative anchor: Ideological Disavowal 0 to -3 recalibration: 0 for explicit standpoint or no penalty-level neutrality theater; -1 for bounded softening of contested choices; -2 for strong neutrality theater by a powerful institution; -3 for major gatekeeping or coercive power presented as neutral, necessary, objective, or non-ideological. Uncertainty This recalibration uses public self-presentation and profile evidence; later review should add direct language-analysis evidence for high-impact institutions. Linked evidence SpaceX's public framing is assessed as ideological-disavowal evidence because SpaceX shows bounded neutrality theater: some contested choices are softened through expertise, public-interest, professional, market, safety, or institutional language, but the record does not show dominant concealment of standpoint. [8]

Bonus Credits

No bonus credits applied in this version.

Confidence Basis

Confidence is computed from the evidence trail and review state, not typed into the profile by hand.

Medium 72/100

8 verified linked claims 8 direct axis claims 0 disputed claims 8/15 components covered

This confidence label measures the source-backed evidence trail. AI-scaffolded scores remain tentative until human review.

Claim confidence 15/20

8 verified linked claims

Source quality 14/18

Best source per verified claim, weighted by institutional reliability

Direct axis-specific claims 9/18

8 direct claims across 15 active components

Dispute load 12/12

0 disputed claims on this entity

Recency 10/10

Newest accepted timestamp: May 13, 2026

Reviewer status 7/12

Human-reviewed components score higher than AI scaffolding

Component coverage 5/10

8/15 evidence-bearing components have direct support

Evidence State

Profile stateAI draft / human-pending

VerificationUnverified

ConfidenceMedium confidence (AI)

ThoroughnessDeveloped (AI)

Correction routeUse “Challenge this rating” for factual errors, missing counterevidence, source problems, or calculation mistakes.

Company responseCompany representatives can submit source-backed corrections; payment never changes scores or reviewer authority.

Claims and Sources

Claims are the evidence record. Each claim needs a source link, axis category, status, confidence level, and timestamp before it can support a score.

* Tentative scaffolding score. Not human-checked or final.

1SpaceX is privately held and led through concentrated founder/executive control rather than public shareholder or worker-democratic governance.

Ownership Verified Medium confidence AI-generated / human-pending May 5, 2026

AI scaffold

SpaceX homepageGeneral web source · 58%

2The NLRB issued a complaint alleging SpaceX illegally fired employees connected to a letter criticizing CEO conduct.

Labor Sovereignty Verified High confidence AI-generated / human-pending May 5, 2026

AI scaffold

NLRB complaint against SpaceXIndependent reporting · 82%

3SpaceX's favorable conduct depends partly on current leaders, founders, family owners, executive discretion, or other person-contingent control rather than a fully locked democratic stakeholder-control structure.

Reversibility Verified Medium confidence Human-reviewed May 5, 2026

SpaceX homepageGeneral web source · 58%

4CNBC reporting on a Reuters investigation described hundreds of previously undisclosed SpaceX workplace injuries, describes conduct considered under Human Harm.

Human Harm Verified Medium confidence Human-reviewed May 5, 2026

CNBC on Reuters SpaceX worker-injury investigationGeneral web source · 58%

5SpaceX provides national-security launch services for U.S. military and intelligence missions, creating a limited but real coercive-violence exposure through military space infrastructure.

Coercive Violence Verified Medium confidence AI-generated / human-pending May 6, 2026

AI scaffold

U.S. Space Force: National Security Space LaunchPrimary public record · 100%
SpaceX national security space launchGeneral web source · 58%

6The FAA publishes environmental review materials for SpaceX Starship/Super Heavy operations in Boca Chica, Texas.

Ecological Harm Verified High confidence AI-generated / human-pending May 5, 2026

AI scaffold

FAA SpaceX Starship environmental reviewPrimary public record · 100%

7SpaceX worker-injury reporting is relevant to the accountability-opacity penalty because the investigation described previously undisclosed workplace injuries and injury-reporting gaps.

Accountability Opacity Verified Medium confidence Human-reviewed May 5, 2026

CNBC on Reuters SpaceX worker-injury investigationGeneral web source · 58%

8SpaceX's public framing is assessed as ideological-disavowal evidence because SpaceX shows bounded neutrality theater: some contested choices are softened through expertise, public-interest, professional, market, safety, or institutional language, but the record does not show dominant concealment of standpoint.

Ideological Disavowal Verified Medium confidence AI-generated / human-pending May 9, 2026

AI scaffold

SpaceX official siteGeneral web source · 58%
NLRB complaint against SpaceXIndependent reporting · 82%
FAA SpaceX Starship environmental reviewPrimary public record · 100%

Competitors

FMALIGNANT-13 Boeing public company · same market FMALIGNANT-37 CoreCivic private prison and detention contractor · same market FMALIGNANT-37 The GEO Group private prison and detention contractor · same market

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Audit Log

Recent public changes for this company or group. The full audit log is part of the Transparency record.

May 6, 2026 at 12:00 AM UTC ai-scaffolding toxic-products-assessment

Added tentative AI-generated Toxic Products penalty 0 and directory value for current toxic, addictive, pesticide, livestock, chemical, or consumer-safety product exposure.

May 6, 2026 at 12:00 AM UTC ai-scaffolding confidence-calibration

Rechecked evidence coverage and source quality during the evaluation-quality pass; confidence now reflects direct source coverage, complexity, and remaining uncertainty rather than score direction.

May 5, 2026 at 12:00 AM UTC ai-scaffolding ai-scaffolding-score

Added tentative AI-generated claim-backed score components for a previously listed under-review company or group.

View Full Audit Log