An employee of the company SpaceX died on a construction site just a few days before the Starship launch; the cause of the incident is being investigated.

Brief overview of the incident and safety context at Starbase

- May 15 – just a few days before the scheduled first launch of the upgraded *Starship* rocket from the *Starbase* launch site in South Texas, a worker was killed. The cause of death has not yet been determined, and OSHA is conducting an investigation that could take several months. The agency declined to release additional information until the review is complete.

- Safety issues – *Starbase* has long been regarded as one of SpaceX’s most hazardous sites. According to OSHA, the injury rate here is significantly higher than at competitors’ facilities, making it the company’s most dangerous work zone. In 2023 Reuters investigations uncovered dozens of previously unreported injuries and a reference to a worker’s death in 2014 on a SpaceX test range in McGregor, Texas.

- Regulatory fines – In January OSHA charged SpaceX with seven “serious” safety violations. Among them was failure to follow crane inspection procedures before the crane collapsed at Starbase in June of last year. The agency imposed maximum monetary penalties for six of the seven items, totaling $115 850, which the company contested.

- Litigation – Several lawsuits from injured workers have emerged at Starbase in recent years. In December a subcontractor employee sued after being struck by a falling metal component from a crane; he sustained fractures to his femur, knee and tibia. OSHA launched an expedited investigation, but it yielded no results. The claim was recently withdrawn because the insurance terms do not cover litigation against SpaceX.

- Elon Musk’s IPO – This week a detailed prospectus for SpaceX’s initial public offering is expected to be released, potentially becoming the largest in history.