--- title: "Worker Dies at Starbase as SpaceX Rushes Toward Starship Launch" description: "A worker died in an accident while working at SpaceX's Starbase facility just days before its scheduled Starship flight test." date: "2026-05-20" modified: "2026-05-20" authors: - name: "Frank Landymore" job_title: "Contributing Writer" link: "https://futurism.com/authors/flandymore" url: "https://futurism.com/space/worker-dies-spacex-starbase" categories: - "Space" - "SpaceX" --- # Worker Dies at Starbase as SpaceX Rushes Toward Starship Launch ![A road sign with the word "STARBASE" and an upward-pointing arrow is positioned beside a highway. In the background, there are industrial buildings and structures, including two large, rectangular buildings and a rocket-like structure. The sky has an orange tint.]() *Illustration by Tag Hartman-Simkins / Futurism. Source: Michael Gonzalez / AFP via Getty Images* A worker died in an accident at SpaceX's Starbase facility in Texas on Friday. According [to *The Wall Street Journal*]()*,* the deceased, whose identity hasn't been released by local authorities, worked as a contractor for a company that was helping build out the Starbase facility, SpaceX's main testing ground where it develops its Starship megarocket. The worker died after a fall, sources told the newspaper. The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) said Monday it was investigating the death, [*San Antonio Express-News* reported](). Chief Jarret Sheldon told the local paper that the Brownsville Fire Department was dispatched to Starbase at 4:17 AM on Friday, but were waved off minutes later after being informed that SpaceX's emergency medical services were handling the situation. It's unclear what part of Starbase the contractor was working on at the time of the accident. Live views of the facility showed flashing lights from emergency vehicles approaching the under-construction Gigabay building, a towering structure designed to help manufacture future Starships, *San Antonio Express-News* noted. The worker's death comes just days before SpaceX plans to launch its Starship megarocket on its 12th flight test. The test, the first in over half a year, will be [closely watched as the company plans a multitrillion IPO]() that's anticipated to be the largest in history. The flight was originally slated for Tuesday, but on Sunday SpaceX [pushed it back]() to Wednesday. No reason was given. SpaceX has faced intense scrutiny over its workplace safety, especially at its Starbase facility. Musk has rapidly expanded the already sprawling campus as he races to ready his Starship rocket for lunar missions and deploying satellites into low-Earth orbit. In January, two workers filed separate personal injury lawsuits against SpaceX after being injured while working on construction at the facility, with one claiming they were struck by a falling 200-pound bucket. While working at SpaceX's Hawthorne, California facility, another was [put into a permanent coma]() after a piece of a Starship engine flew off and fractured his skull. In 2023, a [*Reuters* investigation]() found that at least 600 cases of SpaceX workplace injuries went unreported. **More on SpaceX:** [*SpaceX Bombarded With Lawsuits to Accusing Starship of Damaging Homes*]() ## Author At Futurism, my work has often centered on bringing a sense of clarity and insight to complex topics ranging from the regulation of emerging technologies to the esoteric ideologies of Silicon Valley executives, while striving not to lose the poetic sense of awe inspired by often-obscure fields like astrophysics and quantum computing. I broke the story of CNET using AI to produce articles that turned out to be riddled with factual errors and plagiarism — a dam-breaking inflection point, as I've reported, that's inspired copycats and endless discourse while beguiling stakeholders ranging from tech giants to purveyors of spam around the web. My work at Futurism has been cited by publications including CBS News, the Los Angeles Times, Vice, Gizmodo, Engadget, the Verge, and Vanity Fair. I grew up in locales ranging from India to China, and now live in the exotic suburbs of Virginia. In my free time, I'm an avid reader of weird sci-fi literature, an aficionado of East Asian cinema, and, regrettably, a relapsed gamer. Allegedly, I’m working on a debut novel, currently untitled. ### Author social links [Bluesky]()