An accident at SpaceX’s Starbase launch site in south Texas has left 1 worker dead, prompting the U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) to open an investigation. Starbase is a key hub for development and test launches of the next-generation spacecraft Starship, and long-running concerns over safety management there are again in the spotlight.

On May 18, local time, IT outlet TechCrunch reported that the incident occurred at about 4:17 a.m. on May 15. OSHA confirmed it is investigating what it believes was a workplace incident, but did not disclose details of how the death occurred.

The identity of the worker who died has also not been made public. OSHA said it would not provide additional information until the investigation is complete, and added the full probe could take months.

So far, SpaceX and the recently incorporated city government of Starbase have not issued an official statement. Police and fire authorities in nearby Brownsville also made no separate comment, but a local sheriff was reported to have confirmed the worker’s death itself.

The incident is drawing greater attention as it coincides with a period when SpaceX is preparing a test launch of an upgraded next-generation Starship rocket. Starbase is a large, complex site where assembly and launches of Starship prototypes and construction of various large structures take place at the same time. Because of this, on-site safety issues have been repeatedly flagged for years.

Starbase’s record of industrial accidents is known to be higher than that of its competitors. TechCrunch said its analysis of 2025 OSHA data showed Starbase had one of the highest injury rates among major space companies and was classified as the most dangerous workplace among SpaceX facilities.

Past cases are also being revisited. In 2023, Reuters reported that multiple injury incidents at the McGregor test site in Texas and a worker death in 2014 were not properly reported.

In January, OSHA also cited 7 serious safety violations at Starbase. These included a finding that equipment inspections were not properly carried out before a crane collapsed in June last year. Authorities imposed the maximum level of fines for 6 of the violations, and the total penalties were $115,850. SpaceX is contesting the action.

Civil lawsuits related to on-site injuries have also continued in recent years. In December last year, Eduardo Cavazos, an employee of a SpaceX contractor, filed a lawsuit after suffering serious injuries when a large metal support that fell from a crane landed on him. He suffered fractures to his hip bone, knee and shinbone, and OSHA launched a separate rapid-response investigation at the time.

That investigation ended without additional penalties. According to Cavazos’ lawyer, the related lawsuit was also recently withdrawn because the contractor had workers’ compensation insurance.

The fatal accident is expected to put Starbase’s safety management system back under intensified review. In particular, how far OSHA will investigate the cause of the incident, the work environment and compliance with safety procedures is emerging as a key issue going forward.