A worker died at SpaceX's Starbase launch site in South Texas on Friday, prompting an investigation by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA).
The circumstances of the death are unclear. OSHA is keeping details under wraps until its investigation is complete, which could take months. The incident comes just days before the first planned launch of SpaceX's upgraded Starship rocket.
SpaceX has a history of worker safety issues at its Texas sites. In 2025, TechCrunch found that the Texas launch site had an injury rate far higher than industry rivals and was deemed the most dangerous of SpaceX’s worksites by OSHA data analysis. A Reuters investigation in 2023 uncovered dozens of previously unreported injuries and a worker death at SpaceX's McGregor test site.
OSHA fined SpaceX for seven “serious” safety violations, including not properly inspecting a crane that collapsed last June. The company is currently contesting these penalties, with a total fine of $115,850.
