The U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) is investigating the death of a worker at SpaceX's Starbase launch site in South Texas. The incident occurred in the early morning of May 15, local time, further intensifying the outside world's concern about the safety of this key launch base.
According to US media citing OSHA and local officials, a worker whose identity has not been disclosed died at the star base construction site at approximately 4:17 a.m. on May 15. Later, the local county sheriff confirmed to the Wall Street Journal that a worker died at the facility. OSHA confirmed to the media that it has officially opened an investigation into the suspected construction site accident.
At present, the specific circumstances of the worker's death are not yet clear. OSHA said it would not disclose further details until the investigation is completed, which could last several months. The Brownsville police and fire departments in the area where the star base is located have not yet responded to the incident. Neither SpaceX nor the recently registered City of Starbase responded to reporters’ requests for comment.
The death occurred as SpaceX prepared for the first launch of its upgraded Starship rocket. At the same time, there are reports that SpaceX plans to release a detailed prospectus for the company's initial public offering (IPO) to investors this week. The IPO is expected to be officially launched next month and is regarded as a very large-scale listing that is expected to set a record.
Safety issues at the SpaceX star base construction site have long been questioned. The base is not only responsible for testing and launching starship prototype rockets, but it is also a large-scale construction site under construction. In 2025, TechCrunch analyzed OSHA public data and found that the rate of workplace injuries at the star base was not only much higher than the average level of peers in the aerospace industry, but also had the highest accident rate among all SpaceX workplaces. Earlier in 2023, a Reuters investigation revealed multiple previously undisclosed workplace injuries at SpaceX's McGregor test site in Texas, as well as a worker death in 2014.
Regulatory authorities have issued fines to SpaceX many times in recent years over satellite base safety issues. In January this year, OSHA determined that SpaceX had seven "serious" safety violations because it failed to properly inspect a crane at the star base, which led to the collapse of the equipment in June last year. Six of the violations carried the maximum financial penalty, totaling $115,850. SpaceX is currently appealing those penalties, according to federal records.
In addition to regulatory pressure, SpaceX and its contractors have also been involved in a number of civil lawsuits related to work-related injuries at star bases in recent years. In December last year, a subcontractor employee named Eduardo Cavazos sued the responsible party, claiming that he was hit by a large metal support lifted by a crane while working at the star base, causing fractures to his hip, knee and tibia. OSHA subsequently launched a "rapid response investigation" into the crane accident, but according to public records, the investigation was closed without any disciplinary action.
According to Cavazos’ attorney, the lawsuit was recently withdrawn because his employer, a subcontractor responsible for part of the star base project, has workers’ compensation insurance. According to relevant legal provisions, employers with workers’ compensation insurance are protected from similar lawsuits. The results also further highlight the legal and institutional barriers workers face in pursuing liability for accidents.
As this latest fatal accident enters the formal investigation process of OSHA, the outside world will continue to pay attention to whether regulatory agencies will impose new rectification requirements on SpaceX's safety management at the star base, or impose additional fines. At a critical moment when SpaceX is stepping up its pace of starship launches and seeking to enter the capital market through an IPO, how to strike a balance between rapid expansion and employee safety will become an important test question to test its sustainable development capabilities.