In a dramatic setback for Jeff Bezos-backed Blue Origin, its massive New Glenn rocket exploded in a massive fireball during a routine engine test on the launch pad late Thursday night, shaking homes in the vicinity and lighting up the Florida sky.
The incident occurred around 9 pm Eastern Time (early Friday morning IST) at Launch Complex 36 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station. The rocket was undergoing a static fire test, where its seven BE-4 engines are ignited while anchored to the pad, ahead of a planned mission to carry Amazon Kuiper satellites into orbit.
Eyewitnesses and live streams captured the sudden burst of bright orange flames followed by a powerful explosion that sent debris flying and reportedly damaged launch pad infrastructure, including toppling a lightning tower. Local residents reported feeling the blast shake their homes.
Thankfully, no injuries were reported as the area had been cleared of personnel for the test. Blue Origin described the event as an “anomaly” and confirmed that all team members are safe. The satellites intended for the mission were not yet loaded onto the rocket.
This marks a significant blow to Blue Origin, which has been working to compete with Elon Musk’s SpaceX in the heavy-lift launch market. New Glenn, a 320-foot-tall reusable rocket, was already recovering from a previous issue in April, where an upper stage problem left a satellite in the wrong orbit.
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) is expected to launch an investigation, which could ground the New Glenn programme for some time. The explosion also has implications for NASA’s Artemis programme, as New Glenn was slated to support future lunar missions.
In a brief statement, Blue Origin said it is assessing the damage and will provide further updates. Jeff Bezos, the company’s founder, reportedly called it a “rough day” but emphasised the team’s commitment to learning from the incident and moving forward.
This event comes as the commercial space sector continues to push boundaries, reminding everyone that rocket science remains a challenging and high-risk endeavour. Blue Origin has not yet commented on the cause of the explosion.
