A worker was found dead early Friday morning at SpaceX’s Starbase launch complex near Brownsville, Texas, prompting the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) to open a formal investigation. Local officials reported the incident occurred at approximately 4:17 a.m. on May 15, and the victim’s identity has not been released. While police and fire departments in the area have not commented, both SpaceX and the newly incorporated city of Starbase declined to provide statements at this time.

OSHA indicated that it will withhold further details until the inquiry is completed, a process that could extend over several months. The death follows a series of safety concerns at the Starbase site, which serves as the testing and launch hub for the company’s Starship rocket. Earlier this year, the agency cited SpaceX for seven serious safety violations, including a failure to properly inspect a crane that collapsed in June, resulting in a $115,850 fine that the company is currently contesting.

The incident arrives just days before SpaceX is slated to attempt the inaugural launch of its upgraded Starship vehicle and ahead of the release of the company’s initial public offering prospectus, anticipated to be the largest IPO in history. Historical data shows that the Starbase location has a higher injury rate than comparable aerospace sites, and past investigations have uncovered unreported injuries and a prior fatality at a separate Texas test facility.

Recent litigation also highlights ongoing safety challenges: a subcontractor employee previously sued after being crushed by a falling support structure, though the case was dismissed after workers’ compensation coverage was confirmed. OSHA’s rapid-response investigations have been employed in similar incidents, but no punitive actions have been taken in that particular case.