OSHA probes fatal incident at SpaceX Starbase ahead of Starship launch and IPO
The Occupational Health and Safety Administration has confirmed it is investigating a fatality at SpaceX’s Starbase site, which has been identified as the company’s most dangerous worksite.
The Occupational Health and Safety Administration (OSHA) has launched an investigation into the death of a worker at SpaceX’s Starbase launch facility in South Texas. The incident occurred on 15 May at approximately 4:17 a.m. local time, according to reports from the San Antonio Express-News citing OSHA and local officials. The Wall Street Journal later confirmed the fatality with the county sheriff.
OSHA confirmed to TechCrunch that it is investigating the apparent accident but stated it would not release further details until the inquiry is complete. The agency noted the process could take several months. Representatives for the Brownsville police and fire departments, SpaceX, and the newly incorporated City of Starbase did not respond to requests for comment regarding the circumstances of the death.
The fatality occurs at a critical juncture for the spaceflight company, arriving just days before the first planned launch of its upgraded Starship rocket. Simultaneously, SpaceX is reportedly releasing the detailed prospectus for its initial public offering this week, with the transaction expected to take place next month.
Starbase has a documented history of safety issues, having been identified in a 2025 TechCrunch analysis of OSHA data as the most dangerous of SpaceX’s worksites, with an injury rate that far outpaced industry rivals. A 2023 Reuters investigation previously uncovered dozens of unreported injuries and a worker death in 2014 at SpaceX’s McGregor, Texas, test site.
In January, OSHA issued seven “serious” safety violations to SpaceX, including failure to properly inspect a crane that collapsed at Starbase in June of the previous year. The agency imposed maximum financial penalties on six of those violations, totalling $115,850, which the company is contesting.
The company has also faced litigation over workplace injuries. In December, subcontractor employee Eduardo Cavazos sued after being crushed by a dropped metal support. OSHA closed its rapid response investigation into that incident without punitive action, and the lawsuit was subsequently dropped due to workers’ compensation laws.
