OSHA investigates fatal worker incident at SpaceX Starbase facility

A worker died at SpaceX's Starbase launch complex in South Texas on Friday, prompting the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) to launch an investigation into the incident.

According to a report from the San Antonio Express-News published Monday, the unidentified worker was pronounced dead at approximately 4:17 a.m. local time on May 15. The publication cited information from OSHA and local authorities. The Wall Street Journal later reported that the county sheriff also confirmed that a worker had died at the facility. OSHA has since verified that it is investigating the apparent workplace accident.

Officials from the nearby Brownsville police and fire departments did not immediately respond to requests for comment regarding the incident. Likewise, representatives for SpaceX and the recently incorporated city of Starbase did not provide statements when contacted.

Details surrounding the circumstances that led to the worker's death remain unclear. OSHA said it will not release additional information while the investigation remains active. The agency noted that the review process could take several months before findings are made public.

The fatal incident occurred only days before the planned launch of SpaceX's upgraded Starship rocket. At the same time, Elon Musk's aerospace company is reportedly preparing to release the detailed prospectus for its anticipated initial public offering later this week. The IPO is widely expected to be one of the largest in history when it takes place next month.

Worker safety concerns at SpaceX's Starbase facility have drawn attention for years. The site, which serves as the primary location for Starship prototype launches, is also an active construction area where large-scale infrastructure and testing operations take place simultaneously.

In 2025, an analysis of OSHA records found that the injury rate at the Texas launch facility significantly exceeded those reported by industry competitors, making it the most hazardous SpaceX worksite based on available federal data. Earlier, a Reuters investigation published in 2023 uncovered dozens of previously unreported workplace injuries and highlighted a worker fatality that occurred in 2014 at SpaceX's testing facility in McGregor, Texas.

Federal regulators have also cited the company for multiple workplace safety violations. In January, OSHA issued seven "serious" violations against SpaceX related to several safety concerns, including allegations that the company failed to properly inspect a crane before it collapsed at Starbase in June of the previous year. OSHA imposed the maximum allowable financial penalty on six of the seven violations, resulting in total fines of $115,850. Federal records indicate that SpaceX is contesting those penalties.

The company has additionally faced several lawsuits connected to workplace injuries reported at Starbase in recent years. One of the most notable cases emerged in December when Eduardo Cavazos, an employee working for a SpaceX subcontractor, filed a lawsuit after being severely injured by a large metal support structure that reportedly fell from a crane and crushed him. The incident left Cavazos with a broken hip, knee, and tibia. OSHA subsequently opened what it described as a "rapid response investigation" into the accident.

Records obtained through a public records request later showed that OSHA closed that rapid response investigation without issuing any penalties or taking enforcement action. Cavazos's lawsuit was also recently withdrawn. According to his attorney, the case could not proceed because the subcontractor that employed him carries workers' compensation insurance, which limits the ability to pursue legal action against the company under applicable law.

As OSHA continues its investigation into the latest fatal incident at Starbase, additional details regarding the cause of the worker's death are expected to remain unavailable until the agency completes its review and releases its findings.