A worker died in a workplace accident at the SpaceX plant, Elon Musk's aerospace company, in southern Texas. The incident occurred in the early hours of Friday, May 15, 2026, around 4 a.m. (10 a.m. GMT), at the Starbase complex, where Starship rockets are manufactured and launched.
The Brownsville Fire Department was initially called, but was informed that SpaceX's own medical team would handle the incident. The victim has not yet been identified by local authorities, and details about the accident have not been released.
The United States Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) is investigating the case. The death occurs less than four months after OSHA fined SpaceX for failing to inspect a hydraulic crane that collapsed at Starbase. The company has accumulated at least ten fines for workplace safety violations, in addition to private lawsuits for work-related injuries.
On Monday, May 18, SpaceX rescheduled the 12th test flight of the Starship for Wednesday, which will test the third generation of the aircraft. The company has not publicly commented on the accident nor confirmed whether the date change is related to the incident.